An Optimal Routing Protocol using Multi-Objective Cultural Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks (ORPMCA)

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) offer viable options for obtaining data from the environment due to their easy configuration and no need for expensive equipment. These networks make it easy to explore the environment by sensing data related to events in the area under consideration and transferring it to the access point. The energy of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks is limited, which is a major challenge due to the lack of a fixed charge source. Since most of the energy of the sensors is consumed throughout data transmission, the sensors transmitting the most data or transmitting data packets over considerable distances have faster energy than the rest is over. When the energy of a sensor in the network runs out, the operation of the network may be disrupted and critical data in the network with the desired quality may not reach the sink and eventually the main station. Therefore, considering the dynamic topology and distributed nature of wireless sensor networks, designing energy-efficient routing protocols is one of the main challenges. In this paper, an optimal routing protocol using a multi-objective cultural algorithm (ORPMCA) is presented. The proposed protocol uses the fitness function of the cultural algorithm to adopt the optimal cluster head based on the goals of QoS including residual energy, connection quality, delivery rate, and end-to-end delay. Based on the simulation findings, the proposed protocol increases network lifetime by 15% compared to other protocols.