EEQR: An Energy Efficient Query-Based Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a very challenging task due tothe large number of nodes, their mobility and lack of proper infrastructure. Sincethe sensors are battery powered devices, energy efficiency is considered as one ofthe main factors in designing routing protocols in WSNs. Most of energy-awarerouting protocols are mere energy savers that attempt to decrease the energyconsumption. But it is vital to balance the energy consumption in the network toavoid network partitioning. This paper proposes an energy efficient query-basedrouting protocol called EEQR. This protocol is able to operate as both energy saverand energy balancer. In addition, it is intended for contexts in which geographicrouting criteria are not applicable. The results of EEQR simulations are comparedwith some well-known query-based routing protocols. Results show that EEQRachieves significant improvements in terms of energy saving and energy balancing.