A Fuzzy Approach for Reducing Power Consumption in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Testbed with IEEE 802.15.4 and WirelessHART

Abstract

The rapid growth in the adoption of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is motivated by the advantages offered with respect to wired systems, such as cost-effectiveness, easiness of installation, scalability, flexibility, and self-organization. However, due to their nature, the nodes in WSN rely on a limited energy source; therefore, an efficient communication among the nodes is desirable to prolong the lifetime of the WSN. In particular, the alternation of active and sleep states and the regulation of the transmission power represent two common approaches to save energy. This paper proposes the simultaneous use of two fuzzy logic controllers to dynamically adjust the sleeping time and the transmission power of the nodes in order to optimize energy consumption. The experimental results show a network lifetime improvement ranging from 30 to 40%, according to the adopted Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.