Energy-based task load balancing in wireless sensor networks

We investigate how to maximize network lifetime by devising a task assignment protocol that balances task load on sensors based on their remaining energy. First, we show that energy-unaware protocols can excessively assign tasks to a set of sensors more than others. Consequently, the energy of those heavily loaded sensors will be depleted much faster than lightly loaded ones. This results in reducing network density around heavily loaded sensors and eventually creates energy holes that isolate the network into separated islands. This kind of behavior has its negative impacts on network durability and reliability. To avoid these problems, we propose a management protocol that assigns tasks to sensors based on their remaining energy so that energy consumption is almost even among network sensors.