ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA COLLECTION SCHEME USING RENDEZVOUS POINTS AND MOBILE ACTOR IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Abstract

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a network composed of a large number of nodes that sense, collect, transmit, and deliver data to where it is needed. Considering the variety of applications, the varied efficiency of WSNs in different environments, and their ability to interact with its surrounding, there are still many challenges to be met and problems to be solved. Overcoming these challenges requires a protocol that is tasked with providing and designing a system that is highly efficient, thus saving energy. In WSNs with Mobile-Actors, the task is first to find an effective way to decrease the length of the tour that the M-Actor follows for data gathering. Nonetheless, this short length should be with a guarantee to access all nodes in the networks to collect the sensory data. In this thesis, we propose a protocol that contributes to reducing energy consumption in WSNs by decreasing the M-Actor path and by using Rendezvous Points (RPs) that are distributed around the network. In addition, the proposed protocol increases the network lifetime by consuming less energy in comparison with a similar protocol and offers reasonable spending time for data collection. All of that with guarantee of offering an access for all nodes inside the network to exchange their data with the M-Actors by the suggested RP algorithm. One or more nodes can be represented by a single RP that provide connectivity to all nodes in it wireless range. In case where more M-Actors are used, less time is required for traversing the network for data gathering. It is shown in this research the tour time can be reduced significantly by using more than one M-Actors.