Using and Maintaining Organization in a Large-Scale Sensor Network

In this article we describe how different types of multiagent organizations can be used to address the challenges posed by a large-scale distributed sensor network environment. The high-level architecture is given in some detail, and empirical data is provided showing the various effects that organizational characteristics have on the system’s performance. We show how partitioning of the environment can lead to better locality and more constrained communication. It is demonstrated how the size of these partitions can lead to disproportionate load on individuals in the population or increased load on the population as a whole, so this parameter must be assigned with care. Details are also provided on the creation and maintenance processes associated with the different organizational structures being used.