An analysis of intrinsic properties of stochastic node placement in sensor networks

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of many sensors that are densely deployed to monitor a field. The sensor-positions can be predetermined to guarantee the quality of surveillance provided by the WSN. In remote or hostile sensor field, randomized sensor placement often becomes the only option. In this paper, we survey existing stochastic node placement strategies. We categorize stochastic placement strategies into simple and compound. A simulation study has been carried out yielding a detailed analysis of random deployment intrinsic properties, such as coverage, connectivity, fault-tolerance and network lifespan. The obtained results can give helpful design guidelines in using stochastic deployment strategies, and allow engineers to choose the deployment strategy appropriate to the situation and the goals.