A Message Passing Strategy for Decentralized Connectivity Maintenance in Agent Removal

In a multi-agent system, agents coordinate to achieve global tasks through local communications. Coordination usually requires sufficient information flow, which is usually depicted by the connectivity of the communication network. In a networked system, removal of some agents may cause a disconnection. In order to maintain connectivity in agent removal, one can design a robust network topology that tolerates a finite number of agent losses, and/or develop a control strategy that recovers connectivity. This paper proposes a decentralized control scheme based on a sequence of replacements, each of which occurs between an agent and one of its immediate neighbors. The replacements always end with an agent, whose relocation does not cause a disconnection. We show that such an agent can be reached by a local rule utilizing only some local information available in agents' immediate neighborhoods. As such, the proposed message passing strategy guarantees the connectivity maintenance in arbitrary agent removal. Furthermore, we significantly improve the optimality of the proposed scheme by incorporating $\delta$-criticality (i.e. the criticality of an agent in its $\delta$-neighborhood).Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Formalizing Mobile Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks Using VDM-SL

AbstractMobile ad hoc and sensor networks (MAHSNs) are expected to become the fabric of modern societies. Despite considerable advancements, these networks are yet unable to surmount many operational challenges especially in safety-critical large-scale applications. Most of the published research focused on performance analysis of nonfunctional properties and ignore correctness of the approach which is vital in large and complex systems. This paper investigates an alternative formal specification and analysis technique for MAHSNs. We model MAHSNs as dynamic graph and employ VDM-SL for formal specification and verification of LASCNN algorithm. Constraints are put on the data where required to support validation of the formal algorithm. Pre and post conditions are defined for correct operation of communication in terms of messages. VDM-SL is used because it is a formal specification language to describe detailed examination of the system. The specification is analyzed and validated using VDM-SL toolbox

Autonomous discovery and repair of damage in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks in volatile environments may suffer damage, and connectivity must be restored. The repairing agent must discover surviving nodes and damage to the physical and radio environment as it moves around the sensor field to execute the repair. We compare two approaches, one which re-generates a full plan whenever it discovers new knowledge, and a second which attempts to minimise the required number of new radio nodes. We apply each approach with two different heuristics, one which attempts to minimise the cost of new radio nodes, and one which aims to minimise the travel distance. We conduct extensive simulation-based experiments, varying key parameters, including the level of damage suffered, and comparing directly with the published state-of-the-art. We quantify the relative performance of the different algorithms in achieving their objectives, and also measure the execution times to assess the impact on being able to make autonomous decisions in reasonable time

An ANFIS estimator based data aggregation scheme for fault tolerant Wireless Sensor Networks

AbstractWireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are used widely in many mission critical applications like battlefield surveillance, environmental monitoring, forest fire monitoring etc. A lot of research is being done to reduce the energy consumption, enhance the network lifetime and fault tolerance capability of WSNs. This paper proposes an ANFIS estimator based data aggregation scheme called Neuro-Fuzzy Optimization Model (NFOM) for the design of fault-tolerant WSNs. The proposed scheme employs an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) estimator for intra-cluster and inter-cluster fault detection in WSNs. The Cluster Head (CH) acts as the intra-cluster fault detection and data aggregation manager. It identifies the faulty Non-Cluster Head (NCH) nodes in a cluster by the application of the proposed ANFIS estimator. The CH then aggregates data from only the normal NCHs in that cluster and forwards it to the high-energy gateway nodes. The gateway nodes act as the inter-cluster fault detection and data aggregation manager. They pro-actively identify the faulty CHs by the application of the proposed ANFIS estimator and perform inter-cluster fault tolerant data aggregation. The simulation results confirm that the proposed NFOM data aggregation scheme can significantly improve the network performance as compared to other existing schemes with respect to different performance metrics

Survey on Connectivity with Mobile Elements in WSNs

节点连通性是无线传感器网络研究的热点问题之一,然而由于节点能量耗尽、硬件故障以及通信链路失效等问题的存在,造成网络分割,因此如何确保网络连通成为; 无线传感器网络亟待解决的关键性问题.近年来,一个新的研究趋势是通过引入计算能力较强且能量较为充足的移动性节点来进行连通控制,提高无线传感器网络的; 整体性能.本文对目前利用移动性节点的主流连通控制方法进行了充分调研,通过对这些方法的详细分类和比较,归纳了移动式连通控制的各类方法的特点,分析了; 这些方法的性能和适用范围,总结了研究中存在的主要问题与挑战,并指出了未来可能的研究方向.The connectivity of sensors is one of the main research problems in; wireless sensor networks (WSNs).Data can be forwarded through connected; sensor nodes.However,becauseof energy depletion,hardware failure and; communication link failure,the network may be partitioned.How to; guarantee the connectivity becomes an urgent issue in wireless sensor; networks.Traditional work usually focuses on maximizing the connectivity; with minimum sensors.In recent years,a new research trend is to utilize; mobile elements for connectivity control.Since the mobile element is; more powerful than normal sensors,it improves the performance of many; aspectsin wireless sensor networks.In this paper,we makea comprehensive; investigation about the current major connectivity control methods with; mobile elements.We first summarize the characteristics of mobile; topology control methods via a new classification.Based on the; classification,these methods are compared to each other according to a; serial parameters.Finally,we analyze the performances and the; application scopes of these methods,summarize the main problems,and; point out the future research directions.国家"九七三"重点基础研究发展计划项目; 国家科技支撑计划项目; 国家自然科学基金项目; 福建省科技计划重点项目; 福建省自然科学基金计划项