Synchronization-based data gathering scheme for sensor networks

By deploying hundreds or thousands of microsensors and organizing a network of them, one can monitor and obtain information of environments or objects for use by users, applications, or systems. Since sensor nodes are usually powered by batteries, an energy-efficient data gathering scheme is needed to prolong the lifetime of the sensor network. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for data gathering where sensor information periodically propagates from the edge of a sensor network to a base station as the propagation forms a concentric circle. Since it is unrealistic to assume any type of centralized control in a sensor network whose nodes are deployed in an uncontrolled way, a sensor node independently determines the cycle and the timing at which it emits sensor information in synchrony by observing the radio signals emitted by sensor nodes in its vicinity. For this purpose, we adopt a pulse-coupled oscillator model based on biological mutual synchronization such as that used by flashing fireflies, chirping crickets, and pacemaker cells. We conducted simulation experiments, and verified that our scheme could gather sensor information in a fully-distributed, self-organizing, robust, adaptive, scalable, and energy-efficient manner.