A Novel Cluster-Based Cooperative MIMO Scheme for Multi-Hop Wireless Sensor Networks

A cluster-based cooperative multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) scheme is proposed to reduce the adverse impacts caused by radio irregularity and fading in multi-hop wireless sensor networks. This scheme extends the LEACH protocol to enable the multi-hop transmissions among clusters by incorporating a cooperative MIMO scheme into hop-by-hop transmissions. Through the adaptive selection of cooperative nodes and the coordination between multi-hop routing and cooperative MIMO transmissions, the scheme can gain effective performance improvement in terms of energy efficiency and reliability. Based on the energy consumption model developed in this paper, the optimal parameters to minimize the overall energy consumption are found, such as the number of clusters and the number of cooperative nodes. Simulation results exhibit that the proposed scheme can effectively save energy and prolong the network lifetime.