Due to restricted communication range and high density of sensor nodes in wireless sensor network, forwarding packets is an important field of research in sensor networks. Nowadays, multipath routing approach is widely used in wireless sensor networks to improve network performance through efficient utilization of the available network resources. The main aim of this survey is to present the concept of multipath routing, as well as the basic motivations for utilizing this technique. In addition, this paper presents a comprehensive taxonomy on the existing multipath routing protocols. This paper also highlights the objective behind the development of each protocol category. Finally, a detailed study has been made on the design and operation of the different protocols, with emphasis on their advantages and disadvantages.
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