Distributed Asynchronous Clustering for Self-Organisation of Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents a fully distributed asynchronous clustering protocol for the self-organisation of a wireless sensor network into an infrastructure of well separated cluster heads that supports in-network processing, routing, and deployment. In this protocol, nodes volunteer asynchronously for cluster head duty and use a radio beacon to preemptively recruit members. Limited beacon range is used as the primary parameter for self-organisation. The resulting topology substantially reduces total transmission distance and the expected energy consumed by radio communication. To further extend network lifetime and capability, well separated cluster heads may be easily located and replaced by more powerful devices