Abstract

In this paper we begin with introduction to wireless sensor networks, its application, challenges in wireless sensor networks and different types of routing protocols. Cooperative geographic routing protocol works on node cooperation, which is one unique feature distinguishing wireless sensor networks from conventional wireless networks. Further we study a cooperative routing in coalition-aided wireless sensor networks and exploration of the new communication paradigm i.e., cooperative data transport, where sensor nodes within a coalition cooperatively transmit data via a three-phase procedure. We then see how the routing path selection is treated as multi-stage decision problem, where at each stage the coalition head would choose the next hop destination to minimize the corresponding energy consumption. Comprehensive study concludes that the optimal cooperative routing, where neighboring nodes dynamically form coalition and cooperatively transmit the packets to the next hop destination. Also the cooperative sensor network can be modeled as an edge-weighted graph, based on which minimum energy cooperative routing is characterized by using the standard shortest path algorithm.

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