A natural disasters management system based on location aware distributed sensor networks

This paper deals with a natural disasters management system based on location aware distributed sensor networks. Optimal path discovery for routing of information packets is an essential means to achieve maximum life-time in wireless sensor networks. The authors propose a system based on hierarchical transmission of packets from sensor nodes to the base station by identifying a path from one head to a subsequent head along the route. The algorithm divides the entire sensor network into logical concentric zones based on energy of transmission whereby the packet is transmitted from a head-node to one of the head-nodes in the next zone with lesser depth. This is done on the basis of local angular deviation between two communicating heads, with the least deviant node being preferred. This leads to local route discovery and alternative path information maintenance, with the locations of only those heads in the subsequent zone to which the packet can be communicated within transmission-energy constraints, recorded and maintained. Over a period of time 'data highways' are formed and packets are routed automatically along previously discovered routes once they reach any head which is a part of a previously discovered route. The implementation heavily uses the location awareness of sensor nodes for optimal routing and hence is applicable only to those situations where such data can be made available at the time of installation. We further provide the concept of multiple memberships of sensor nodes to different heads within its area of reach thereby handling disaster conditions where a head fails without notification to its primary members