Routing protocols based on sink mobility in wireless sensor networks — A review

The scattered nature and dynamic structure of wireless sensor networks brings in very special needs for routing protocols which are supposed to be met. The basic characteristics of a routing protocol, for it to be effective in wireless sensor networks are the effective utilization of energy and the prolonging of network lifespan. In the past years, various energy efficient algorithms have been implemented for wireless sensor networks. This paper organizes the most representative routing protocols into two categories: protocols with the static sink and protocols with the mobile sink. The pros and cons of the two categories are listed. A comprehensive tabular overview of different routing algorithm under each category has been presented.