Cost-effective and accurate nodes localization in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we propose a novel low-cost localization algorithm tailored for multi-hop heterogeneous wireless sensor networks (HWSNs) where nodes´ transmission capabilities are different. This characteristic, if not taken into account when designing the localization algorithm, may severely hinder its accuracy. Assuming different nodes´ transmission capabilities, we develop a novel approach to derive the expected hop progress (EHP). Exploiting the latter, we propose a localization algorithm that is able to accurately locate the sensor nodes owing to a new low-cost implementation. Furthermore, we develop a correction mechanism which complies with the heterogeneous nature of WSNs to further improve localization accuracy without incurring any additional costs. Simulations results show that the proposed algorithm, whether applied with or without correction, outper-forms in accuracy the most representative WSN localization algorithms.