An Evaluation of Overhearing-Based Data Transmission Reduction in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we present the results of performance evaluation of our energy-efficient data transmission reduction method in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In our method, each node in a WSN autonomously determines whether its own reading is redundant or not by using the overheard packets transmitted by its neighbors. The redundancy of a reading is evaluated by a simple spatial interpolation using the readings of its neighbors. If the reading is determined as redundant, the node stops transmitting it. Since our method may be affected by packet losses, we conduct simulation experiments with a practical model of lossy links. The results show that our method suppresses data transmissions and reduces total energy consumption even in a lossy environment.