Distributed adaptation methods for wireless sensor networks

This paper presents distributed adaptation techniques for use in wireless sensor networks. As an example application, we consider data routing by a sensor network in an urban terrain. The adaptation methods are based on ideas from physics, biology, and chemistry. All approaches are emergent behaviors in that: (i) perform global adaptation using only locally available information, (ii) have strong stochastic components, and (iii) use both positive and negative feedback to steer themselves. We analyze the approaches´ ability to adapt, robustness to internal errors, land power consumption. Comparisons to standard wireless communications techniques are given.