Clueless nodes to network-cognizant smart nodes: Achieving network awareness in wireless sensor networks

A novel scheme is presented that allows individual nodes in sensor networks to achieve network/topology-awareness by listening to regular packets associated with applications. Nodes, initially oblivious to network topology and their position within the network, gradually infer information required to evaluate their own Virtual Coordinates (VCs). A Singular Value Decomposition based transformation allows each node to convert the VCs of nodes, gleaned from the source or destination address field of packets, to corresponding Topological Coordinates (TCs). Eventually each node generates a topology map of the network, thus becoming aware of its own location and those of other nodes. Effectiveness of self-learning scheme, in terms of convergence of different stages, and gradual development of network awareness at nodes are illustrated. While many applications of network awareness within nodes can be foreseen, we illustrate how performance of routing can improve dramatically over time as network awareness develops within a node.