419  WSN Stationary vs Mobile: Fundamentals

419.1 Overview

This section explores the fundamental differences between stationary and mobile wireless sensor networks, examining how mobility can solve energy distribution challenges, enable adaptive coverage, and support new application domains from wildlife tracking to smart cities.

NoteKey Concepts
  • Stationary WSN: Networks where sensor nodes remain fixed after deployment, simplifying routing and localization
  • Mobile WSN: Networks incorporating mobile sensor nodes or mobile sinks, enabling adaptive coverage and data collection
  • Mobile Sink: A moving data collection point (often on robots or vehicles) that gathers data by visiting sensor nodes
  • Data MULE: Mobile Ubiquitous LAN Extension - mobile entity collecting buffered data from sensors during periodic visits
  • Self-CHOP: Self-Configure, Self-Heal, Self-Optimize, Self-Protect - properties inherited from MANETs

419.2 Chapter Guide

This topic is covered in four focused chapters:

419.2.1 1. Stationary Wireless Sensor Networks

Learn about traditional fixed-topology sensor networks:

  • Characteristics of stationary deployments
  • Advantages: simplified planning, predictable topology, optimized density
  • Disadvantages: energy hole problem, static coverage, limited adaptability
  • Real-world applications: structural health monitoring, precision agriculture
  • Worked example: vineyard soil monitoring with energy hole mitigation

419.2.2 2. Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks (MWSNs)

Understand how mobility transforms sensor network capabilities:

  • Relationship with MANETs and Self-CHOP properties
  • Mobility advantages: adaptive coverage, energy balancing, network resilience
  • Trade-offs: when mobility helps vs. when it hurts
  • Common misconceptions and pitfalls to avoid
  • Worked example: mobile sink path optimization for agriculture

419.2.3 3. MWSN Components: Nodes, Sinks, and MULEs

Explore the building blocks of mobile sensor networks:

  • Mobile sensor nodes: operational models and mobility mechanisms
  • Mobile sinks: path planning strategies (random, predefined, adaptive)
  • Data MULEs: store-carry-forward data collection
  • DTN routing: Spray and Wait protocol for intermittent connectivity
  • Real-world examples: ZebraNet, DakNet

419.2.4 4. MWSN Types and Mobile Entities

Discover different MWSN environments and platforms:

  • Underwater MWSNs: acoustic communication, AUV integration
  • Terrestrial MWSNs: ground robots, vehicles, animal-borne sensors
  • Aerial MWSNs: UAV networks for wide-area coverage
  • Human-centric sensing: smartphones as ubiquitous sensor platforms
  • Vehicle-based sensing: cars, buses, and public transit

419.3 Learning Path

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flowchart LR
    A[Stationary WSN<br/>Fundamentals] --> B[Mobile WSN<br/>Fundamentals]
    B --> C[MWSN<br/>Components]
    C --> D[Types &<br/>Entities]
    D --> E[Human-Centric<br/>& DTN]

    style A fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
    style B fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style C fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style D fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style E fill:#E67E22,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff

419.4 Prerequisites

Before starting this section, you should be familiar with:

419.5 What’s Next

After completing this section, continue to WSN Human-Centric Networks and DTN for deeper exploration of participatory sensing with smartphones, delay-tolerant networking protocols, and opportunistic communication strategies.