Network lifetime maximizing Gradient Algorithm for Dead End in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a collection of a large number of sensor nodes with sensing, computation and wireless communication capabilities. Dead end problem is one of the challenges that occurs in greedy forwarding. When a message is forwarded to a node that has no neighbors closer to destination than itself, it causes greedy forwarding to fail at that node. In this paper, we propose energy efficient algorithm called GRADE (Gradient Algorithm for Dead End) to solve this problem. GRADE divides network graph into functional subgraphs using only information about immediate neighbors, and based on these subgraphs, each node is given the message forwarding direction. It does not require planarization of the underlying graph and generates loop free paths. Experimental results show that GRADE provides path length close to shortest path, low energy consumption and optimal control overhead than other techniques.