OCTOPUS: An On-Demand Communication Topology Updating Strategy for Mobile Sensor Networks

Mobile sensor networks are characterized by dynamic changes in communication links and network topology caused mainly due to node mobility. In such networks, it is a challenge to build a communication system that lasts longer and requires less reconfiguration and less communication overhead. In this paper, we propose an on-demand topology reconfiguration approach for mobile sensor networks aimed at enhancing the connectivity and performance. The proposed strategy groups nodes, elects cluster-heads, and, finally, selects gateways for inter-cluster communication. Neural networks are used to form clusters. Cluster-heads are elected based on the concept of minimum dominant set and the gateways are selected based on a willingness function. We demonstrate through simulations that the proposed strategy results in a well connected network.