An Autonomous Connectivity Restoration Algorithm Based on Finite State Machine for Wireless Sensor-Actor Networks

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Autonomous Systems
• Network Engineering
• Distributed Systems

Background:

• Autonomous unmanned systems (e.g., boats, planes, underwater vehicles) increasingly rely on Wireless Sensor-Actor Networks (WSANs).
• Network connectivity is crucial for data exchange, collaborative detection, and information fusion in WSANs.
• Harsh environments lead to frequent node abnormalities, compromising network connectivity and necessitating self-healing mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an autonomous connectivity restoration algorithm for WSANs that minimizes node movement overhead.
• To enhance the robustness and reliability of WSANs in autonomous unmanned systems.
• To address the challenge of maintaining network connectivity despite node failures.

Main Methods:

• Developed an autonomous connectivity restoration algorithm utilizing a finite state machine.
• Implemented a method to identify critical nodes within the network.
• Introduced a regional network restoration algorithm to handle multiple node abnormalities efficiently.

Main Results:

• The proposed algorithm effectively identifies critical nodes and updates the connected dominating set.
• Relocation of the nearest non-critical node replaces abnormal critical nodes.
• Simulation results demonstrate superior performance in reducing total moving distance and the number of relocated nodes compared to existing algorithms.

Conclusions:

• The finite state machine-based algorithm provides an efficient self-healing mechanism for WSANs.
• The approach significantly reduces the overhead associated with node movements during network restoration.
• This method enhances the reliability and operational continuity of autonomous unmanned systems.