VN-NDP: A Neighbor Discovery Protocol Based on Virtual Nodes in Mobile WSNs

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Background:

• Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are crucial for the Internet of Things (IoT), requiring efficient neighbor discovery protocols for node communication.
• Energy efficiency is paramount in WSNs due to limited node power, necessitating optimized neighbor discovery to minimize latency and maximize discovered neighbors.
• Current indirect neighbor discovery methods have limitations, either reducing discovery potential by removing active slots or failing to eliminate all inefficient slots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To combine the advantages of existing indirect neighbor discovery methods by adding efficient active slots and removing inefficient ones.
• To introduce the novel concept of virtual nodes for neighbor discovery to enhance wake-up schedule integrity and efficiency.
• To develop energy-optimal parameters for neighbor discovery through theoretical analysis.

Main Methods:

• Proposed the concept of virtual nodes, where a group of nearby nodes collaborates to manage wake-up schedules.
• Developed efficient group management mechanisms for virtual nodes.
• Conducted theoretical analysis to determine energy-optimal parameters for the proposed neighbor discovery protocol.

Main Results:

• The proposed virtual node-based neighbor discovery protocol (VN-NDP) significantly improves average discovery delay and discovered neighbor percentage.
• VN-NDP outperforms existing methods, including the Extended Quorum System (EQS) algorithm.
• VN-NDP reduces average discovery delay by up to 10.03% and increases discovered neighbor percentage by up to 18.35% compared to EQS.

Conclusions:

• The virtual node approach effectively addresses the limitations of current indirect neighbor discovery methods in WSNs.
• VN-NDP offers a superior solution for energy-efficient neighbor discovery, enhancing both speed and coverage.
• The proposed method provides a significant advancement for communication efficiency in energy-constrained wireless networks.