Computational intelligence techniques for energy efficient routing protocols in wireless sensor networks: A critique

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a pivotal role in modern data acquisition systems, but their energy‐efficient operation remains a significant challenge. This work provides a concise overview of the key challenges and proposed solutions discussed in the context of energy‐efficient routing protocols for WSNs based on a systematic literature review. The need for fault tolerance to ensure network resilience is vital, given the limited resources and environmental challenges faced by sensor nodes. This work emphasizes the importance of addressing several open research questions, including the integration of diverse topologies, cross‐layer routing, and the use of multiple mobile sinks. Additionally, it highlights the need for QoS‐aware routing for real‐time applications, mathematical modeling for protocol evaluation, and the challenges of testing routing protocols on real hardware. Furthermore, this article suggests leveraging the RPL routing protocol with the Node‐based Metric RNE for enhanced energy efficiency and explores the promising field of hierarchical routing protocols, exemplified by the LEACH protocol and its variants. This work serves as a roadmap for researchers and practitioners, identifying critical challenges and proposing directions for future research to achieve energy‐efficient routing protocols in WSNs, ultimately enabling effective communication in resource‐constrained environments.