Stefano Basagni

Controlled sink mobility for prolonging wireless sensor networks lifetime

This paper demonstrates the advantages of using controlled mobility in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for increasing their lifetime, i.e., the period of time the network is able to provide its intended functionalities. More specifically, for WSNs that comprise a large number of statically placed sensor nodes transmitting data to a collection point (the sink), we show that by controlling the sink movements we can obtain remarkable lifetime improvements. In order to determine sink movements, we first define a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) analytical model whose solution determines those sink routes that maximize network lifetime. Our contribution expands further by defining the first heuristics for controlled sink movements that are fully distributed and localized. Our Greedy Maximum Residual Energy (GMRE) heuristic moves the sink from its current location to a new site as if drawn toward the area where nodes have the highest residual energy. We also introduce a simple distributed mobility scheme (Random Movement or RM) according to which the sink moves uncontrolled and randomly throughout the network. The different mobility schemes are compared through extensive ns2-based simulations in networks with different nodes deployment, data routing protocols, and constraints on the sink movements. In all considered scenarios, we observe that moving the sink always increases network lifetime. In particular, our experiments show that controlling the mobility of the sink leads to remarkable improvements, which are as high as sixfold compared to having the sink statically (and optimally) placed, and as high as twofold compared to uncontrolled mobility.

Secure pebblenets

We consider the problem of securing communication in large ad hoc networks, i.e., wireless networks with no fixed, wired infrastructure and with multi-hop routes. Such networks, e.g., networks of sensors, are deployed for applications such as microsensing, monitoring and control, and for extending the peer-to-peer communication capability of smaller group of network users. Because the nodes of these networks, which we term pebbles for their very limited size and large number, are resource constrained, only symmetric key cryptography is feasible. We propose a key management scheme to periodically update the symmetric keys used by all pebbles. By combining mobility-adaptive clustering and an effective probabilistic selection of the key-generating node, the proposed scheme meets the requirements of efficiency, scalability and security needed for the survivability of networks of pebbles (pebblenets)

Bluetrees-scatternet formation to enable Bluetooth-based ad hoc networks

Bluetooth is an open specification for short-range wireless communication and networking, mainly intended to be a cable replacement between portable and/or fixed electronic devices. The specification also defines techniques for interconnecting large number of nodes in scatternets, thus enabling the establishment of a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). While several solutions and commercial products have been introduced for one-hop Bluetooth communication, the problem of scatternet formation has not yet been dealt with. This problem concerns the assignment of the roles of master and slave to each node so that the resulting MANET is connected. We introduce two novel protocols for forming connected scatternets. In both cases, the resulting topology is termed a bluetree. In our bluetrees the number of roles each node can assume are limited to two or three (depending on the protocol), thus imposing low slave management overhead. The effectiveness of both protocols in forming MANETs is demonstrated through extensive simulations.

A mobility-transparent deterministic broadcast mechanism for ad hoc networks

Broadcast (distributing a message from a source node to all other nodes) is a fundamental problem in distributed computing. Several solutions for solving this problem in mobile wireless networks are available, in which mobility is dealt with either by the use of randomized retransmissions or, in the case of deterministic delivery protocols, by using conflict-free transmission schedules. Randomized solutions can be used only when unbounded delays can be tolerated. Deterministic conflict-free solutions require schedule recomputation when topology changes, thus becoming unstable when the topology rate of change exceeds the schedule recomputation rate. The deterministic broadcast protocols we introduce in this paper overcome the above limitations by using a novel mobility-transparent schedule, thus providing a delivery (time) guarantee without the need to recompute the schedules when topology changes. We show that the proposed protocol is simple and easy to implement, and that it is optimal in networks in which assumptions on the maximum number of the neighbors of a node can be made.

Degree-constrained multihop scatternet formation for Bluetooth networks

We describe BlueMesh, a new protocol for the establishment of scatternets, i.e., multihop ad hoc networks of Bluetooth devices. BlueMesh defines rules for device discovery, piconet formation and piconet interconnection in order to achieve the following desirable properties: a) BlueMesh generates connected scatternets without requiring the Bluetooth devices all to be in each others transmission range; b) the BlueMesh scatternet topology is a mesh with multiple paths between any pair of nodes; c) BlueMesh piconets are made up of no more than 7 slaves. Simulation results in networks with 200 nodes show that BlueMesh is effective in quickly generating a connected scatternet in which each node, on average, does not assume more than 2.3 roles. Moreover, the length of routes between any two nodes in the network, is comparable to that of the shortest paths between the nodes.

Finding a Maximal Weighted Independent Set in Wireless Networks

This paper introduces MWIS, a distributed algorithm for the efficient determination of a maximal weighted independent set in the topology graph G of a wireless network. Motivated by the observation that the problem of partitioning wireless nodes into clusters easily reduces to the problem of finding a maximal weighted independent set of nodes, the proposed algorithm is described by taking into account two main characteristics of wireless networks, namely, the broadcast nature of the wireless medium and the possibility to support nodes mobility. MWIS is executed at each node by means of fast message triggered procedures that require the sole knowledge of the topology local to the node. Moreover, its time complexity is proven to be bounded by a topology dependent parameter of the network (the stability number α(G) of the network topology graph G), rather than by the invariant number n of the network nodes. Based on this result, and by using a well known result about α(G) in the theory of random graphs the paper concludes with a brief discussion on the average time complexity of MWIS.

Location aware, dependable multicast for mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract This paper introduces dynamic source multicast (DSM), a new protocol for multi-hop wireless (i.e., ad hoc ) networks for the multicast of a data packet from a source node to a group of mobile nodes in the network. The protocol assumes that, through the use of positioning system devices, each node knows its own geographic location and the current (global) time, and it is able to efficiently spread these measures to all other nodes. When a packet is to be multicast, the source node first locally computes a snapshot of the complete network topology from the collected node measures. A Steiner (i.e., multicast) tree for the addressed multicast group is then computed locally based on the snapshot, rather than maintained in a distributed manner. The resulting Steiner tree is then optimally encoded by using its unique Pr u fer sequence and is included in the packet header as in, and extending the length of the header by no more than, the header of packets in source routing (unicast) techniques. We show that all the local computations are executed in polynomial time. More specifically, the time complexity of the local operation of finding a Steiner tree, and the encoding/decoding procedures of the related Prufer sequence, is proven to be O( n 2 ), where n is the number of nodes in the network. The protocol has been simulated in ad hoc networks with 30 and 60 nodes and with different multicast group sizes. We show that DSM delivers packets to all the nodes in a destination group in more than 90% of the cases. Furthermore, compared to flooding, DSM achieves improvements of up to 50% on multicast completion delay.

BlueMesh: degree-constrained multi-hop scatternet formation for Bluetooth networks

In this paper we describe BlueMesh, a new protocol for the establishment of scatternets, i.e., multi-hop wireless networks of Bluetooth devices. BlueMesh defines rules for device discovery, piconet formation and piconet interconnection so to generate connected scatternets with the following desirable properties. BlueMesh forms scatternets without requiring the Bluetooth devices to be all in each other transmission range. BlueMesh scatternet topologies are meshes with multiple paths between any pair of nodes. BlueMesh piconets are made up of no more than 7 slaves. Simulation results in networks with over 200 nodes show that BlueMesh is effective in quickly generating a connected scatternet in which each node, on average, does not assume more than 2.4 roles. Moreover, the route length between any two nodes in the network is comparable to that of the shortest paths between the nodes.

Smart RF energy harvesting communications: challenges and opportunities

RF energy harvesting (RFH) is emerging as a potential method for the proactive energy replenishment of next generation wireless networks. Unlike other harvesting techniques that depend on the environment, RFH can be predictable or on demand, and as such it is better suited for supporting quality-of-service-based applications. However, RFH efficiency is scarce due to low RF-to-DC conversion efficiency and receiver sensitivity. In this article, we identify the novel communication techniques that enable and enhance the usefulness of RFH. Backed by some experimental observations on RFH and the current state of the art, we discuss the challenges in the actual feasibility of RFH communications, new research directions, and the obstacles to their practical implementation.

A performance comparison of protocols for clustering and backbone formation in large scale ad hoc networks

This work concerns the comparative performance evaluation of protocols for clustering and backbone formation in ad hoc networks characterized by a large number of resource-constrained nodes. A typical example of these networks are wireless sensor networks. The DCA protocol represents those protocols whose backbone construction method is based on selecting nodes as clusterheads and then joining them to form a connected backbone. The algorithm proposed by Wu and Li has been chosen to exemplify those algorithms that build a connected backbone and then prune away redundant nodes. Finally, the algorithm by Wan et al. has been considered here for its more theoretical properties of producing a backbone with a constant approximation factor, linear time complexity and optimal message complexity. In order to obtain a backbone reasonably small at reasonable cost we propose an enhancement of the DCA algorithm, termed DCA-S, which enriches the DCA backbone construction with a recently proposed and resource effective sparsification rule. DCA-S leads to a robust backbone close in size to that generated by the Wan et al. protocol without significantly degrading the performance in terms of all the other relevant metrics.