A Priority-based Routing Algorithm for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs)

Advances in low-power electronics design and wireless communication have enabled the development of low cost, low power micro-sensor nodes. These sensor nodes are capable of sensing, processing and forwarding which have many applications such as underwater networks. In underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) applications, sensors which are placed in underwater environments and predicted enable applications in oceanographic data collection, mine reconnaissance, pollution, assisted navigation, distributed tactical surveillance, and ocean sampling. Each sensor uses acoustic signals as its physical medium for communications. This study focuses on a priority-based routing protocol in underwater wireless sensor networks. This routing method tries to improve the QOS requirements with considering high and low priority traffic classes. Through simulation study using the OPNET simulator, we proved that proposed algorithm achieves high performance as compared to GEDAR, in terms of packet loss, end to end delay of data transmission and energy consumption.