Algoritmo de localização de nodos para redes de sensores móveis

Abstract

This thesis presents contributions to node localization in mobile sensor networks. Considering the importance of localization algorithms in identifying the location of an event in order to better determine the action to be taken by the user, a new localization algorithm to operate in mobile networks was designed, assuming an uncontrollable movement of the nodes. This algorithm, which we call CentroidM, has the Centroid method as a stand. Positive features of the Centroid algorithm were kept while their limitations due to the dynamic characteristcs of the network movement were mitigated. Besides the concern regarding the accuracy of the method, the power consumption of the algorithm was addressed too. The design of an dedicated integrated circuit to deal with the localization task in a mobile network is justified given the high activity of such a subsystem in the given scenario. This way, the focus of this Thesis relies on a low power localization algorithm for mobile networks, with characteristics to allow raising calculated coordinates accuracy in both static and mobile scenarios. The results show that the CentroidM is 30% more accurate than the Centroid on a static scenario, and 40% when we consider a node movement without actuators. These benefits have some computational overhead, increasing 2.76 times the time spent by the CentroidM to run a localization process. However, simulation results showed it is possible to remove such overhead and still keep the achieved estimation gains near 10%. The implementation of the localization method was accomplished through an integrated circuit, which reduced the energy expended during the computation of the coordinates by an order of magnitude when comparing with the execution of the algorithm in a low power commercial microcontroller.