Energy-Efficient Robust Coverage under Uncertainty in Wireless Sensor Networks

Uncertainty in the actual locations of sensors is prevalent in real deployments of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). As a result, existing algorithms and important results concerning sensor coverage need to be revisited. In this paper, we consider the issue of energy-efficient robust coverage in WSNs, where location uncertainty is modeled by bounding disks around the nominal (or intended) locations. Robust coverage is achieved by the use of a new distance metric that accounts for such uncertainty. Energy efficiency is made possible by i) judiciously selecting a set of active sensors, and ii) reduction in the sensing radii. We devise localized algorithms that are proven to ensure full coverage of region of interest while conserving energy. Extensive simulation study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.