On Data Collection Using Mobile Robot in Wireless Sensor Networks

A novel data-collecting algorithm using a mobile robot to acquire sensed data from a wireless sensor network (WSN) that possesses partitioned/islanded WSNs is proposed in this paper. This algorithm permits the improvement of data-collecting performance by the base station by identifying the locations of partitioned/islanded WSNs and navigating a mobile robot to the desired location. To identify the locations of the partitioned/islanded WSNs, two control approaches, a global- and local-based approach, are proposed. Accordingly, the navigation strategy of the robot can be scheduled based on time and location using three scheduling strategies: time based, location based, and dynamic moving based. With these strategies, the mobile robot can collect the sensed data from the partitioned/islanded WSNs. Therefore, the efficiency of sensed data collected by the base station in partitioned/islanded WSNs is improved. Through simulation under the environment of an ns-2 simulator, the results, from various aspects, show that the collecting strategies proposed can dramatically improve sensed data-collecting performance in partitioned or islanded WSNs.