An efficient clustering approach using genetic algorithm and node mobility in wireless sensor networks

Node clustering in wireless sensor networks helps in extending the network life time by reducing the nodes´ communication energy and balancing their remaining energy. This paper presents a new genetic-based approach that improves the performance of the LEACH clustering protocol used in wireless sensor networks. The proposed approach utilizes the mobility feature of sensor nodes in order to reduce the communication distances between the cluster heads and the base station. In each round, new locations of the cluster heads are determined using a genetic algorithm. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms LEACH in terms of network lifetime and average remaining energy.