30-08-2017, 03:06 PM
Energy in sensor networks is a distributed, non-transferable resource. Over time, differences in energy availability are likely to arise. Protocols such as tree routing can focus energy use on specific nodes. Differences in energy collection that arise from environmental variations, such as one node in the sun and the other in the shade, can produce variations in charge rates and battery levels. Because many sensor network applications require nodes to collaborate - to ensure complete sensor coverage or route data to the edge of the network - a small set of nodes whose continuous operation is threatened by low batteries may have a disproportionate impact on the fidelity provided by the network as a whole. In the most extreme case, the loss of a single sink node may render the rest of the network inaccessible.
While previous research has been aimed at reducing the energy use of individual nodes, the challenge of collaborative energy management has been largely ignored. We present the Integrated Distributed Energy Consciousness (IDEA), a sensor network service that enables effective decision making throughout the network. IDEA integrates into the sensor network application by providing an API that allows components to evaluate their impact on other nodes. IDEA distributes information about the charge rate, charge rate, and battery level of each node to other nodes whose decisions affect it. Finally, IDEA allows to know the connection between the behavior of each node and the energetic objectives of the application, guiding the network towards states that improve the performance.
This article describes the IDEA architecture and demonstrates its use through three case studies. Using simulation and test experiments, we evaluate each application of IDEA by comparing it with simpler approaches that do not integrate distributed energy consciousness. We show that using IDEA can significantly improve performance compared to solutions that work with purely local information.
While previous research has been aimed at reducing the energy use of individual nodes, the challenge of collaborative energy management has been largely ignored. We present the Integrated Distributed Energy Consciousness (IDEA), a sensor network service that enables effective decision making throughout the network. IDEA integrates into the sensor network application by providing an API that allows components to evaluate their impact on other nodes. IDEA distributes information about the charge rate, charge rate, and battery level of each node to other nodes whose decisions affect it. Finally, IDEA allows to know the connection between the behavior of each node and the energetic objectives of the application, guiding the network towards states that improve the performance.
This article describes the IDEA architecture and demonstrates its use through three case studies. Using simulation and test experiments, we evaluate each application of IDEA by comparing it with simpler approaches that do not integrate distributed energy consciousness. We show that using IDEA can significantly improve performance compared to solutions that work with purely local information.