Strategy of self-organization in Sensors and Actuators Networks

In Wireless Sensors and Actuators Networks (WSANs), actuator nodes are nodes richer in resources (processing capacity, power transmission and energy storage) and better suited than sensor nodes to process the data, make decisions based on sensed values and perform appropriate actions. In addition, in order to provide timely action, coordination between sensors and actuators is necessary. Thus, in addition to the classical energy constraints of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), WSANs also impose new challenges such as how to support and benefit from the nodes heterogeneity while preserving energy in the self-powered sensor nodes. New communication protocols, specific to WSANs, are needed. In this paper, we propose a hybrid self-organizing data-collection protocol in order to provide energy efficiency, low end-to-end delay and high delivery ratio while taking advantage of the resource available on the actuators nodes in the network. This new self-organization protocol constructs its structure from the actuators and other resource-plentiful nodes. The nature of the structure is different inside and outside of transmission range of these resourceful nodes.