In a non-uniformly distributed network, the dataconcentrating centre equipped with sparse nodes rapidly depletes its battery energy due to the hotspot problem. To solve this problem, a Virtual Uneven Grid-based Routing protocol (VUGR) is proposed in this paper, which aims to prolong the stable network operating time by dynamically partitioning grid cells, so as to handle energy resources into smaller cells to form such uneven grid cells. A maintenance mechanism in a smart home environment for the higher-layer virtual structure is also adopted in the VUGR to ensure the stable operation of the entire network. In addition, latest location information is updated regularly to all regions within the network. Simulation results demonstrate that the VUGR protocol performs better compared to existing solutions
