A Multi-agent Approach to Energy-Aware Wireless Sensor Networks Organization

Wireless Sensor Networks when deployed in inaccessible or remote areas require sensing and communication algorithms that minimise energy consumption. This is needed to reduce battery replacement costs. At the same time, the information transmitted to the sink has to be good enough in order to make timely decisions on the environmental hazards being monitored. Sensor algorithms have to thus balance quality of information with energy consumption. We introduce in this paper an algorithm that uses multiagent co-ordination technology to organize the sensors in coalitions that share the burden of sensing and communicating. We provide experimental evidence of a good balance between information quality and energy consumption on a simulated river pollution phenomenon.

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