Free-CLASH - improved localization-free clustering in large wireless sensor networks

—This paper investigates topology management of large wireless sensor networks. Due to their random deployment, nodes have to organize themselves as energy efficient as possible to avoid redundant sensing and transceiving tasks while maintaining complete sensor coverage and connectivity as long as possible. In this work, we present a clustering algorithm for redundancy detection. With few local rules, nodes are able to cluster themselves autonomously without location information. As an enhancement to its predecessors, we propose additional local rules to provide regular cluster structure without routing holes. Inside each regular cluster, nodes' roles are completely exchangeable and only one node per cluster is active. Simulation results of stochastic deployment are used to demonstrate the performance of our algorithm, in terms of coverage abilities, lifetime and regularity.