As the name implies, the trajectory of a randomly moving sink comprises a sequence of segments of arbitrary length and direction. The mobile sink’s speed along each segment, and the pause time between movements along different segments, can also be arbitrary, although these two conditions do not have to hold to satisfy the randomness requirement.
Published in Chapter:
Sink Mobility in Wireless Sensor Networks: From Theory to Practice
Natalija Vlajic (York University, Canada), Dusan Stevanovic (York University, Canada), and George Spanogiannopoulos (York University, Canada)
Copyright: © 2010
|Pages: 33
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-701-5.ch017
Abstract
The use of sink mobility in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is commonly recognized as one of the most effective means of load balancing, ultimately leading to fewer failed nodes and longer network lifetime. The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview and evaluation of various WSN deployment strategies involving sink mobility as discussed in the literature to date. The evaluation of the surveyed techniques is based not only on the traditional performance metrics (energy consumption, network lifetime, packet delay); but, more importantly, on their practical feasibility in real-world WSN applications. The chapter also includes sample results of a detailed OPNET-based simulation study. The results outline a few key challenges associated with the use of mobile sinks in ZigBee sensor networks. By combining analytical and real-world perspective on a wide range of issues concerning sink mobility, the content of this book chapter is intended for both theoreticians and practitioners working in the field of wireless sensor networks.