A review of the challenges of node deployment for optimizing coverage and connectivity in wireless sensor networks

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Department of Computer Engineering, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Electrical Engineering, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

3 Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany

Abstract

Recently, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have seen a surge in interest as a promising research domain, largely due to their pivotal role in a multitude of applications. Typically, WSNs are comprised of numerous nodes that function collaboratively to acquire data from their surrounding environment. The effectiveness of a WSN is strongly contingent upon the methodology employed for node placement. This study undertakes a review of various node deployment strategies and their consequential effects on both coverage and connectivity. Coverage, a key performance indicator
in WSNs, quantifies the extent to which the sensor field is monitored. Consequently, robust coverage control is indispensable for WSNs. To mitigate superfluous energy expenditure and optimize network performance, energy efficiency and coverage rates are both primary factors in WSN considerations. Furthermore, ensuring connectivity during the deployment phase is critical for guaranteeing the reliable and efficient operation of the WSN in data transmission. This research also delves into the categorization of diverse coverage strategies, including computational geometry-based
approaches, force-directed techniques, network-centric methods, and meta-heuristic algorithms while contrasting their respective strengths and weaknesses. A thorough analysis of performance metrics and a comparative study of various WSN simulation tools are also presented.

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AUT Journal of Mathematics and Computing

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 January 2026

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