Energy-Aware Clustering-Based Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm

Since sensor nodes make use of battery energy, energy consumption and limitation of sensor nodes is regarded as a fundamental challenge and problem in wireless sensor nodes. Recently, in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), clustering-based energy-aware routing protocols divide neighboring nodes into separate clusters and select local cluster heads so as to combine and transmit information of each of the clusters to the central station. In this way, they attempt to maintain energy consumption balance by the network nodes. When compared with other methods, clustering methods have been able to achieve the best efficiency with regard to the enhancement of network lifetime. In this paper, using cuckoo optimization algorithm, an energy-aware clustering-based routing protocol was proposed in WSNs which is able to cluster the network and select optimal cluster heads. The proposed method considered four criteria with regard to selecting cluster heads in the targeted cuckoo algorithm, namely the remaining energy of nodes, distance to the base station, within-cluster distances and between cluster distances. The results of simulating the proposed method in Matlab environment indicated it is better than other algorithms such as low energy adaptive clustering hierarchical (LEACH), application-specific low power routing, LACH-EP and LEACH with distance-based threshold with regard to the first node die on average and packet delivery rate for six scenario.