A new distributed algorithm for environmental monitoring by wireless sensor networks with limited communication

In this paper, we propose a new distributed sensor fusion algorithm for environmental monitoring by wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The considered WSNs are assumed to have limited communication capabilities. For each sensor node, a set of local estimation algorithms are maintained as its fused model for environmental variable to be sensed. The proposed algorithm relies on local information exchange among neighboring sensor nodes and estimation for a key left eigenvector of the communication matrix. The algorithm convergence can be ensured under the assumption that the communication topology among sensors is directed and strongly connected. A simulation example is provided to illustrate the proposed distributed algorithm.