Energy-efficient routing protocol for WSN based on relay node selection and A-star algorithm

Due to miniaturization constraints and manufacturing costs, wireless sensor networks (WSN) sensor nodes are generally outfitted with restricted resources concerning computing capability, energy, data storage capacity, and data delivery rate. These constraints encourage a significant portion of the research issues in WSNs, particularly the energy constraint, which is a fundamental issue. This paper suggests an innovative routing protocol that optimizes energy use called RNS_A-star, which combines a routing algorithm using a relay node and an improved heuristic for the A-star algorithm. The RNS_A-star protocol first applies a data routing algorithm using a relay node, which allows either using a relay node or simply sending the intra-cluster data to the CH. Then, the A-star algorithm is used to construct a multi-hop routing route between the CHs and the base station (BS) in order to find the best path for reducing energy consumption during data transmission. Simulation results show that the suggested RNS_A-star protocol performs better than ECO-BAT, LEACH-IACA, and LEACH protocols regarding energy conservation and extending network lifetime.