Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are extensively used in applications such as environmental monitoring and control, military and civilian surveillance, traffic control, health monitoring, and lighting control in commercial spaces (Raghavendra et al., 2004). Nodes forming a WSN have a small size, reduced computing capabilities, small storage capabilities, scarce energy resources, and heterogeneous sensing devices. Nodes exchange data by means of an ad hoc network, whose communication channels are wireless, unreliable, highly dynamic, and delay infested (Raghavendra et al., 2004).