Foreword to special issue on wireless ad hoc, sensor and mesh networks

Abstract

The last few years have experienced a steep growth in research in the area of infrastructure-less networks such as wireless ad hoc, sensor and mesh networks. Even though these networks hold great promises for our future, there are several challenges that need to be addressed. This special issue focuses on research relating to different experimental, simulation, algorithmic and theoretical aspects of mobile ad hoc networks, sensor networks, mesh networks, and other related areas. Limited lifetime is one of the most prevalent concerns in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In the paper “Modeling the Energy Cost of a Fully Operational Wireless Sensor Network”, W. Dargie, C. Xiaojuan, and M. K. Denko analyze the cost associated with self-organization in WSNs, and present a realistic analytic model to determine where the bulk of the energy budget is consumed in WSNs. Efficient routing and QoS provisioning mechanisms to support the diverse applications are part of the Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) requirements. To that effect, N. Zhang and A. Anpalagan in their paper “Sensitivity of SWAN QoS Model in MANETs with Proactive and Reactive Routing: A Simulation Study” confirm that a QoS model referred to as Stateless wireless ad hoc networks (SWAN) model can improve the performance of the MANET in terms of end-to-end delay when there is large traffic in the network. In Mobile WiMAX networks based on IEEE 802.16e standard, efficient schemes of scheduling and resource allocation that could improve the system performance and ca-