Energy-efficient data gathering techniques using multiple paths for providing resilience to node failures in wireless sensor networks

Multiple paths have been used to provide loadbalancing of traffic and resilience to node failures in mobile ad-hoc networks or sensor networks. In addition, the energy expenditure can be distributed among nodes over the multiple paths. However, most existing multi-path routing protocols require their complex procedures such as local repair or periodic reconstruction of the multiple paths, during which much loss of packet is even experienced. In this paper, we therefore propose two versions of an Energyefficient Data Gathering technique using Multiple paths (EDGM), which are more suitable for highly populated wireless sensor networks in terms of having more simple and resilient features than other existing techniques. One of them is to make use of the multiple shortest paths strictly. The other is to use a neighbor node's path towards the sink node at the expense of using much longer paths to provide more resilience to node failures. By simulation using ns-2 simulator, we prove that EDGM versions achieve two goals satisfactorily: energy-saving and resilience to node failure.