Wireless Sensor Networks

3

Adaptive Modulation, Adaptive Power Allocation, and Adaptive Medium Access

3.1    Introduction

The inherent requirements for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to work under complex conditions introduce a substantial number of constraints [1] [2]. A few essential issues that still challenge the research community include:

•  Realistic Protocol Design: Many of the current WSN platforms are developed with assumptions that simplify the wireless communication process and the operation environments [3]. The lack of realistic models for system design often makes the solutions work well in simulation but not robust enough for actual networks. Research is needed to focus on developing better models and new network protocols for the realistic sensing ...