Barrier Counting in Mixed Wireless Sensor Networks

Barrier coverage problems in sensor networks involve detecting intruders that attempt to cross a region of interest. In this paper, we formulate the k-connect barrier count problem for Mixed Sensor Networks (MSNs). The k-connect barrier count problem is to find the maximum number of barriers in an arbitrary MSN where at most k distinct mobile sensors can be used to construct any given virtual edge used in a barrier. We present the solution for the k-connect barrier count problem for k ∈ {0, 1, 2} via Integer Linear Programming. Using simulation results, we show that as k increases, the density of sensors required to achieve barrier coverage decreases. The results quantitatively demonstrate the benefits of mobile sensors.