Wireless sensor node placement due to power loss effects from surrounding vegetation

Abstract: Wireless communication in an agricultural environment is weakened by surrounding vegetation. The scattering effect on the wireless signal by the foliage surrounding plants means that sensor nodes within the application area have to be placed so that the received signal strength ensures reliable communication. We propose modeling the scattering effect of surrounding foliage with a Gaussian distribution to determine the optimum placement of sensor nodes within the application area. An algorithm to place sensor nodes at optimum positions to ensure reliable communication is presented and analyzed