A Hierarchical Underwater Wireless Sensor Network Design for Tracking Ships Approaching Harbors Using an Aerial Mobile Sink (AMS) Node

摘要

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSN) is an area that is gaining a lot of attention due to its immense possibilities of monitoring and tracking objects on open waters. Harbor monitoring can be achieved with the help of UWSN that can be laid under the shore up to a certain distance for tracking trespassing and approaching ships. Sensors using spatial and temporal correlation can classify objects as ships. Tracking mechanism in UWSN is characterized by a number of unique constraints such as the properties of the acoustic communication channel, longer network delays, node mobility due to water current, and very limited energy of nodes. Here, a hierarchical network design of the UWSN topology is proposed and verified to explore the possibilities of clustering for ensuring load sharing and to reduce delay and jitter, thereby saving energy of the nodes to prolong the network lifetime.