The development of low-cost microsensor equipment having the capability of wireless communications has caused sensor network technology to attract the attention of many researchers and developers. In this paper, we propose a fully-distributed and self-organizing data gathering scheme for a network where a large number of sensor nodes are deployed. To accomplish the periodic data gathering without centralized controls, we adopt the pulse-coupled oscillator model based on biological mutual synchronization such as that observed in flashing fireflies. By adjusting parameters and functions in the model according to application's requirements and conditions surrounding a sensor network, we can control the frequency, the form, and the direction of information propagation which is observed as a wave. In this paper, we show how to organize traveling waves in the model and how to adapt the model to data gathering in sensor networks.
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