A Multi-level Optimization Approach for the Planning of Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

Optimal sensor network problems prove to lead to complex optimization problems under constraints for which regular solutions are difficult to find. This applies even more when numerous types of heterogeneous sensors and relays have to be handled in order to fulfill the network mission requirements, in the presence of various obstacles in the zone to cover. In this article, a new formulation of the heterogeneous wireless sensor network planning problem is described. The proposed optimization strategy decomposes the global optimization problem in two steps in order to reduce the combinatorial complexity and to handle heterogeneous sensors. First, virtual sensor nodes are defined and optimized in order to handle the relay node planning. Then, a multi-level optimization strategy allows to allocate the available sensors to the different relays and to optimize their position in order to satisfy the coverage requirements while minimizing the global network cost. The proposed approach is illustrated on a large scale sensor network planning problem and the results are discussed.