Variable Length Multi-Objective Whale Optimization for Trust Aware Data Gathering in Wireless Sensor Network

Efficient data collection in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is crucial. While traditional approaches rely on stationary data sinks, the use of mobile sinks, like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has shown promise in enhancing data-gathering capabilities. However, existing methods often overlook the importance of trust, leaving the network susceptible to malicious or faulty nodes. To address this issue, we propose a novel trust-aware data-gathering algorithm, Variable Length Multi-Objective Whale Optimization Data Gathering (VLMOWO-DG). Our algorithm simultaneously optimizes energy consumption, delay, and trust while employing mobile sinks to collect data from sensor nodes. By considering trust as a key performance metric, we improve data reliability and security. The VLMOWO-DG algorithm introduces flexibility through variable-length solution representation and application-oriented operators, allowing for efficient exploration of the solution space. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm significantly outperforms established benchmarks, NSGA-II and NSGA-III, in terms of domination and hypervolume. This leads to a remarkable improvement of 200% in data gathering performance.