Node Localization Algorithm Based on Mobile Anchor in Wireless Sensor Networks

Node localization is one of the prerequisites for the applications of Wireless Sensor Networks. To solve the high overhead problem caused by the requirement for the anchor node density, mobile anchor node(MA) is used instead of the static anchor node. Due to the moving path of MA will determine the node positioning coverage and accuracy, a mobile anchor node localization algorithm based on hexagon (mobile anchor based on hexagon, MABH) is proposed. In the algorithm, the MA moves in six directions according to the hexagon in the deployment area, and its path is planned based on the real-time information of the unknown node, the number of neighbor nodes of the unknown nodes are used to determine the position of MA. The simulation results show that MABH can effectively avoid the traversal of the non nodal region, shorten the path length, it is advantageous in node location coverage, positioning speed and power consumption, and can guarantee smaller positioning error, especially for the irregular network environment.