WSN

Types of WSN

Based on the environment, the types of networks are decided and it can be deployed in different ways. The different types of WSNs include:

1. Terrestrial WSN
2. Underground WSN
3. Underwater WSN
4. Multimedia WSN
5. Mobile WSN

Terrestrial WSN

The terrestrial WSN are designed to operate on the land and capable of communicating base station. It requires air as the communication channel for communication. It consists of a transmitter and a receiver port. The nodes are densely deployed and it is low-cost due to a smaller size.

Underground WSN

This kind of WSN networks consists of a number of sensor nodes that are hidden in the ground to observe underground conditions. Sink nodes are used to send the information to the base station, which is present above the ground.

These sensor networks are more expensive than terrestrial WSN. The devices used are expensive and proper maintenance is needed. The sensors which are deployed in the underground are difficult to recharge. In addition, the underground environment makes wireless communication a challenging one and loss of signal can also occur due to a high level of attenuation in the underground environment.

Underwater WSN

The underwater sensor networks are designed to operate underwater. It consists of a number of sensor nodes and vehicles deployed under water. Autonomous underwater vehicles are used for gathering data from these sensor nodes. It uses electromagnetic radio waves, optical waves, and acoustic waves for communications. The underwater sensors are expensive devices. Enhanced signal processing is required in underwater due to the complex conditions. In an underwater network, more energy consumption is needed, so the battery capacity requirement is higher.

Multimedia WSN

These sensor networks help to gather information in the form of multimedia such as images, videos, and audios. These networks consist of low-cost sensor nodes coupled with cameras and microphones. It can track and monitor events taking place and can keep a visual display of the events also.

For the purpose of data compression, retrieval and correlation of these nodes are also interconnected with each other over a wireless connection. As it is transmitting audio and visual, it requires a high consumption of power and high bandwidth.

Mobile WSN                   

As the name suggests, these networks consist of a collection of sensor nodes that can be moved from one place to another on their own and can be interacted with the physical environment. These are more versatile than static sensor networks. Their main advantage is that they provide better and improved coverage, superior channel capacity, and better energy efficiency.