On the Energy-Efficiency of Cooperative MIMO in Nakagami-Fading Wireless Sensor Networks

We study the impact of the degree of fading on the potential energy-wise benefits of implementing cooperative MIMO in wireless sensor networks. Through the use of a Nakagami-m fading model we show that the performance, relative to SISO, is very sensitive to the fading degree. This sensitivity is most pronounced under the common (worst-case) assumption of pure Rayleigh fading. Our study includes recent channel measurements and indicates that, unless the sensor node circuitry is extremely energy-efficient, the implementation of cooperative MIMO might be counterproductive.