Adopting Sector-Based Replacement (SBR) and Utilizing Air-R to Achieve R-WSN Sustainability

Sensor replacement in the rechargeable wireless sensor network (R-WSN) is important to provide continuous sensing services once sensor node failure or damage occurs. However, satisfactory solutions have not been found yet in developing a sustainable network and effectively prolonging its lifetime. Thus, we propose a new technique for detecting, reporting, and handling sensor failure, called sector-based replacement (SBR). Base station (BS) features are utilized in dividing the monitoring field into sectors and analyzing the incoming data from the nodes to detect the failed nodes. An airplane robot (Air-R) is then sent to a replacement task trip. The goals of this study are to (i) increase and guarantee the sustainability of the R-WSN; (ii) rapidly detect the failed nodes in sectors by utilizing the BS capabilities in analyzing data and achieving the highest performance for replacing the failed nodes using Air-R; and (iii) minimize the Air-R effort movement by applying the new field-dividing mechanism that leads to fast replacement. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the SBR technique.