Restoring wireless sensor network connectivity in damaged environments

Abstract

A wireless sensor network can become partitioned due to node failure, requiring the deployment of additional relay nodes in order to restore network connectivity. This introduces an optimisation problem involving a tradeoff between the number of additional nodes that are required and the costs of moving through the sensor field for the purpose of node placement. This tradeoff is application-dependent, influenced for example by the relative urgency of network restoration. We propose four heuristic algorithms which integrate network design with path planning, recognising the impact of obstacles on mobility and communication. We conduct an empirical evaluation of the four algorithms on random connectivity and mobility maps, showing their relative performance in terms of node and path costs, and assessing their execution speeds. Finally, we examine how the relative importance of the two objectives influences the choice of algorithm.