Review of nature-inspired methods for wake-up scheduling in wireless sensor networks

Abstract

Over the last few decades, algorithms inspired by nature have matured into a widely used class of computing methods. They have shown the ability to adjust to variety of conditions, and have been frequently employed for solving complex, real-world optimization problems. They are especially suitable for problems that require adaptation, and that involve optimization of complex, distributed systems, operating in dynamic environments. Among other application domains, nature-inspired methods have been extensively used in the areas of networking in general, and wireless sensor networks in particular. Energy management and network lifetime optimization are two great research and implementation challenges for wireless sensor networks. Duty cycle management, synchronization, and wake-up scheduling are complementary approaches that facilitate this complex optimization process. This review focuses on the intersection of nature-inspired computing and wake-up scheduling algorithms for wireless sensor networks. It describes the state-of-the-art in these fields and provides an up-to-date review of the most recent developments in this interdisciplinary domain. It discusses the motivation for using nature-inspired methods for wake-up scheduling, and presents related open issues and research challenges.