Energy efficient topology control in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Topology control in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) has been an active area of research owing to unique challenges an underwater environment poses. Node mobility due to water currents creates problems in localization and data transfer. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient topology control for mobile UWSNs using Expectation Maximization (EM) and Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) Auction mechanism. In the first stage, followed by a water current induced topology disturbance, the designated cluster head runs the EM algorithm to find similar sensor nodes in its proximity. In the second stage, cluster head runs VCG auction mechanism to compensate sensor nodes for costs incurred during data transfer. This ensures seamless data transmission between sensor nodes of heterogeneous ownership leading to higher energy efficiency. Simulations present higher energy efficiency of the network post EM and VCG steps. Comparison with existing protocols demonstrates superior performance of the protocol proposed in this paper.