A Novel Virtual Anchor Node-Based Localization Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks

The accuracy of localization is a significant criterion to evaluate the practical utility of localization algorithm in wireless sensor networks. In mostly localization algorithms, one of the main methods to improve localization accuracy is to increase the number of anchor nodes. But the number of anchor nodes is always limited because of the hardware restrict, such as cost, energy consumption and so on. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm with small extra logical overhead, which uses the shortest-hop path scheme to upgrade virtual anchor nodes, while the real number of physical anchors is the same as before. This algorithm firstly chooses out some special nodes from all the unknown ones to figure out more accurate positions of them, and then makes these ones as new virtual anchor nodes assist other unknowns in localizing together with the real anchors. The simulation results illustrate our algorithm has improved the accuracy of localization greatly.