Overlapping particle swarms for energy-efficient routing in sensor networks

Sensor networks are traditionally built using battery-powered, collaborative devices. These sensor nodes do not rely on dedicated infrastructure services (e.g., routers) to relay data. Rather, a communal effort is employed where the sensor nodes both generate data as well as forward data for other nodes. A routing protocol is needed in order for the sensors to determine viable paths through the network, but routing protocols designed for wired networks and even ad hoc networks are not sufficient given the energy overhead needed to operate them. We propose an energy-aware routing protocol, based on particle swarms, that offers reliable path selection while reducing the energy consumption for the route selection process. Our Particle-based Routing with Overlapping Swarms for Energy-Efficiency (PROSE) algorithm shows promise in extending the life of battery-powered networks while still providing robust routing functionality to maintain network reliability.