Distributed localization of wireless sensor networks using self-organizing maps

As larger sets of wireless sensor networks are being deployed, an important characteristic of the network which could enhance its capabilities is position awareness. While several approaches have been proposed for localization, that is, position awareness without using GPS, most techniques are either centralized or rely on anchor nodes. In this paper, a decentralized localization method is developed, based upon self-organizing maps. The algorithm is implemented for different size networks and the simulation results show the algorithm is efficient when compared to single processor or centralized localization methods; further the approach does not require anchor nodes. An error analysis shows that the proposed approach is a feasible method for computing the localization of sensor networks using a distributed architecture.