Relay Shift Based Self-deployment for Mobility Limited Sensor Networks

In this paper, we propose a relay shift based approach to solve uneven sensor distribution problem due to the initial random dropping or the existence of faulty sensors. The distinguishing feature of our work is that the sensors in our model have limited mobility. After determining the optimal cluster head positions by particle swarm optimization (PSO) method, we use proposed Relay Shift Based Algorithm (RSBA) for movement assisted sensor deployment. Dijkstra’s algorithm is applied to find a shortest path from a redundant sensor to a virtual node point in an uncovered area, and each sensor moves along this path by relay shift based on the principle that evenly distributed sensors can provide better coverage. Simulation results show that our approach can provide high coverage within a short time and limited movement distance as well as ensuring connectivity and energy efficiency.