A Novel Energy-Efficient Clustering Algorithm for More Sustainable Wireless Sensor Networks Enabled Smart Cities Applications

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a major sensing technology that has revolutionized the way information is collected, processed, and used in many smart cities’ applications that rely on sensing technologies for event detection and monitoring. Despite the multiple benefits that such technology offers, the quick depletion of sensors’ battery power represents a major concern, mainly due to the extensive computational tasks and communication operations performed by individual sensors. Indeed, the cost of replacing batteries can be prohibitively expensive, especially when sensors are deployed in areas where access is difficult, in urbanized cities. To extend sensors’ lifetime, this paper proposes a new variant of LEACH protocol named LEACH enhanced with probabilistic cluster head selection (LEACH-PRO). LEACH-PRO introduces several measures to extend WSNs nodes’ lifetime such as cluster head node selection using a probabilistic function based on maximum residual energy and minimum distance to the sink. The obtained simulation results have proven the supremacy of LEACH-PRO over LEACH and direct transmission protocol in terms of the achieved network lifetime and the generated traffic overhead. Most importantly, LEACH-PRO will significantly extend the sensors’ lifetime, which would make this type of deployment more viable in smart city scenarios.