Robust multi-hop communication in high density wireless networks

Emerging technologies such as cyber physical systems and nanotechnology promise a bounty of small inexpensive computing devices imbued with sensors and wireless communication. These characteristics imply that it will be feasible to create dense networks of devices. We can take advantage of high-density networks to achieve high levels of reliability and provide resiliency to malicious attack while decreasing contention and improving throughput. This paper presents our findings when simulating multi-hop communication through high-density networks. We were able to significantly mitigate the effect of massive contention by dividing the motes into redundant networks communicating over separate channels. This decreased contention by reducing the number of motes sharing the channel and improved reliability by providing redundant routes to the data sink such that if one network is disrupted, other networks may continue to function. This method also provides resilience in the face of failing sensors or malicious tampering by providing multiple representations of the same data. Copyright © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.