An Accurate Anchor-Free Contextual Received Signal Strength Approach Localization in a Wireless Sensor Network

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Networking

Background:

• Sensor localization is critical for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs).
• Accurate distance estimation between sensors is essential for precise localization.
• Existing anchor-free methods often face challenges in complex fading environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel anchor-free localization scheme for WSNs called the Contextual Received Signal Strength Approach (CRSSA).
• To develop a joint estimation methodology for key parameters like communication range and path loss exponent (PLE) in composite fading models.
• To accurately estimate inter-node distances and node positions in a 2D anchor-free WSN.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing received signal strength (RSS) values and contextual network connectivity.
• Developing a joint estimation methodology for range, path loss exponent (PLE), and inter-node distances.
• Employing a composite fading model to address multipath fading and shadowing effects.
• Formulating analytical expressions for communication range and PLE based on network parameters.

Main Results:

• Successfully estimated key parameters (communication range, PLE) as functions of network size, connectivity, and density.
• Achieved relatively high accuracy in estimating inter-node distances and node positions.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the CRSSA scheme through extensive simulations.

Conclusions:

• The CRSSA localization scheme offers a simple yet effective solution for anchor-free WSN localization.
• The proposed joint estimation methodology accurately determines network parameters and node positions.
• CRSSA shows significant potential for improving localization accuracy in diverse WSN environments.