Mesh-based sensor relocation for coverage maintenance in mobile sensor networks

Abstract

Sensor relocation protocols can be employed as fault tolerance approach to offset the coverage loss caused by node failures. We introduce a novel localized structure, information mesh, for publishing and retrieving node location information. Based on the structure, we propose a Mesh-based Sensor Relocation Protocol (MSRP) for mobile sensor networks. MSRP maintains a sensor network's sensing coverage by replacing failed sensors with nearby redundant ones using near optimal time delay and balanced energy consumption. Simulation indicates that it guarantees closest node replacement with high probability (> 96%) and with considerably low message overhead. We show that MSRP is superior to the existing sensor relocation schemes for its localized message transmissions and optimal (constant) per node storage load. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.