Localized Probabilistic Routing for Data Gathering in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Longevity is a critical requirement for wireless sensor networks to application domains like environmental monitoring. Deterministic communication protocols that assume that packet loss implies congestion suffer due to the non-negligible probability of a wireless link being lossy even at very short distances. In this paper, we propose a localized probabilistic routing scheme aimed at extending network lifetime while coping with lossy links. The proposed protocol is informed by our study of the centralized algorithm that optimally computes paths. We obtain the most relevant properties from the centralized optimal routing algorithm and present their statistical models. The proposed routing scheme, based on the statistical models, is a promising step towards an optimal solution.