A Hybrid Localization Protocol for Mobile Sensor Networks

Many localization techniques and protocols have been proposed for wireless sensor networks. However, few of these techniques consider the mobility of the networked sensors. When sensors are mobile, localization must be invoked periodically to enable sensors to track their location. Localizing should be made frequently to allow the sensors to track their location accurately. However, localizing frequently is expensive in terms of energy consumption and program time. This research proposes an efficient Hybrid Localization Protocol (HLP) for mobile sensor networks that dynamically invokes adaptive and predictive protocols based on some heuristics. The proposed HLP determines the optimal localization frequency based on the sensor's speed and mobility pattern predictability. Optimal localization frequency reduces the energy consumption of localization while increasing the localization accuracy. Experimental simulation results and analysis show that the proposed protocol is more efficient in terms of energy consumption and localization accuracy than the existing counterpart protocols