Optimization Framework for Distributed Clustering Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks

Recently there have been growing interests in the applications of wireless sensor networks. Innovative techniques that improve energy efficiency to prolong the network lifetime are highly required. Clustering is an effective topology control approach and data gathering protocol in wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a novel optimization framework called MICA (MICa Adjustments) for clustering scheme in wireless sensor networks. MICA takes the cluster as a whole, and dynamically adjusts the clusters according to the real-time workload of the local clusters to balance energy consumption among clusters. The adjustments can also deal with link failures. Simulation results show that MICA can be easily embedded into existing clustering schemes to balance the energy consumptions among the clusters, and to prolong the lifetime of wireless sensor networks.