Bio-inspired layered clustering scheme for self-adaptive control in wireless sensor networks

In the future, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are expected to play an important part in our everyday life. Sensor nodes are becoming more and more miniaturized, equipped with radio transceivers, and deployed in large quantities. However, due to their limitations in computational and communication capabilities, clustering techniques are usually applied for energy conservation, where designated nodes known as cluster heads collect data from their nearby cluster members and route the data in a multi-hop manner towards a the required final destination, known as a sink. However, as the number and heterogeneity of nodes increases, a distributed control becomes a necessary requirement. In this paper, we discuss the dynamics in the interactions among a multi-layered self-adaptive clustering protocol for WSNs, separated in clustering and routing layers. Each layer operates independently and utilizes a biologically-inspired adaptation scheme allowing the layers to interact and adapt to environmental changes effectively and in a self-organized manner.