MuTrans: A multi-channel network coding approach to mobile data collection

The advantages of using of the mobile sinks (MSs) to perform data collection from Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are now widely recognized. This is because the MS data collectors can service isolated systems and reduce energy expenditures by minimizing the need for multi-hop networking. However, it remains a challenging problem to support collection activities efficiently within the relevant class of predictable but uncontrollable MSs. This paper presents MuTrans, a novel multi-channel protocol that uses both clustering and network coding techniques to increase the reliability and reduce the latency of data collection in predictable and uncontrollable MS systems. A fairness data uploading scheduling to a mobile collector is presented based on assigning a method for load balancing. The implementation is described by using multiple channels for increased throughput and incorporating network coding for improved reliability. Our evaluation of data aggregation in the presence of packet errors shows that MuTrans can significantly reduce the latency for data collection, thus providing strong support for mobile data collection.