Mobility controllable relays for conserving power in a network of mobile wireless sensors: Usage and issues

We investigate the idea of using nodes with controllable mobility as intermediate relays for reducing the power consumption in a network of mobile wireless sensors. We present the relay deployment problem, which is to optimally position the relay nodes in the network so as to minimize the power consumed in communication. We discuss and evaluate a localized solution methodology that computes the optimal position and movement of the relay nodes based on the information pertaining to the active data flows and the mobility patterns of the sensors in the network. Results from a preliminary simulation study indicate that deployment of relay nodes can result in considerable energy savings. We also outline some of the issues that need to be addressed in deploying such mobility-controllable relay nodes in a real network.