Multi-path Construction for Bypassing Holes in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Holes in wireless sensor networks are the geographical region without enough available sensor nodes. When a hole exists in the wireless sensor network, it often causes traditional routing algorithms to fail. In most of the previous works, the routing hole problem was addressed by using the static detour path to route data packets along the boundaries of holes. As a result, the energy of sensor nodes on the static path depletes quickly, and the hole size enlarges. In this paper, we propose a scheme for bypassing holes in wireless sensor networks by exploiting energy-aware multiple paths. Our approach not only takes into account the shorter path to bypass the hole, but also eases the loading of the sensor nodes on the boundaries of holes. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can achieve short detour paths, low energy consumption and network load balancing.