A centralized localization algorithm based on mesh relaxation in Wireless Sensor Networks

Many applications of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) require sensor nodes know their positions. Equipping GPS modules can solve this problem easily, but it is of high cost. In this paper, we propose a centralized localization algorithm for WSN based on mesh relaxation method. Computer simulations show that with our algorithm the positions of nodes can be estimated in a relative coordinate system, which can be transformed to the global coordinate system with the aid of a few anchor nodes. The proposed algorithm can avoid folds and flips through firstly stretching the mesh of the network by pulling some fringe nodes towards different directions, and then making the mesh to shrink by relaxing it. The position results achieved have higher precision than those with other positioning methods. Our algorithm can be used based on ranging or connectivity.