Dynamic deployment of randomly deployed mobile sensor nodes in the presence of obstacles

For random deployment of wireless sensor networks in a specified geographical location and in the presence of obstacles, optimal network coverage is highly desirable while maintaining network connectivity. In this piece of work, we propose an efficient autonomous deployment scheme, named as Obstacle Avoidance Virtual Force Algorithm (OAVFA), for self-deployment of randomly scattered homogeneous as wells as heterogeneous mobile sensor nodes over a squared sensing field to enhance the network coverage and ensure the network connectivity in the presence of obstacles. Our proposed approach is localized in the sense that each decision taken by the sensor node is strictly based on information acquired from its neighbors. The simulation results show that OAVFA provides an efficient self-deployment of mobile sensor nodes in the presence of obstacles.