Vibrational Genetic Algorithm-Based Deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks With Heterogeneous Nodes in Irregularly Shaped Areas

Abstract

Over the past few years, there has been a significant emphasis on improving the capabilities of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) by making advancements in communication protocols, energy efficiency, optimal deployment, data analytics, and integration with emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. The deployment of WSN nodes can greatly enhance the effectiveness, scalability, and capability of different systems, resulting in cost reductions, enhanced performance, and improved safety in which the deployment of WSN involves determining the best positioning of sensor nodes to attain maximum coverage and connectivity while minimizing the number of nodes needed. WSNs often face challenges in deploying nodes effectively and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) offer a valuable approach for tackling this problem due to their ability to efficiently search large and complex solution spaces, such as those of complex network design, taking into account various constraints and objectives, which are common characteristics of real-world WSN deployment scenarios. The objective of this study is to use a new method, called the vibrational genetic algorithm, which can be used to optimize the placement of sensor nodes more efficiently. Apart from the other research, it is preferred to use heterogeneous sensor nodes to increase the coverage rate in an irregularly shaped area. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the proposed model offers an effective solution for achieving maximum coverage in application theaters that are more realistic and complex.