A Novel Uneven Clustering Algorithm Based on Ant Colony Optimization for Wireless Sensor Networks

Energy-efficient uneven clustering (EEUC) algorithm is a novel algorithm which can balance energy cost among cluster headers and extend network´s general survival time effectively. However, EEUC needs to do cluster header election every round, and fails to take network´s reliability and real-time issues into account. This paper presents a novel uneven cluster-based routing protocol for wireless sensor networks: ant colony optimization based uneven clustering (ACOUC) algorithm. ACOUC changes EEUC´s periodical and random election model, optimizes and maintains network´s routing on employ of an ant colony algorithm based on its characteristics of self-organization, self-adaptation and dynamic optimization. Simulation results on OPNET show that ACOUC is better than EEUC in energy efficiency, reliability and real-time performance.