Efficient algorithms for distributed virtual force-based self-spreading of robotic sensor/actuator networks

Node deployment is a key issue in building sensor/actuator networks. To improve coverage and reduce costs, the use of autonomous mobile robotic nodes is an attractive option. This paper presents two new virtual force-based (VFB) distributed self-deployment algorithms for robotic networks. Their performance is compared with the baseline behaviors of five existing cutting-edge VFB methods. This analysis is conducted using a whole lot of standard criteria: elapsed time, coverage percentage, energy consumption, mean distance, and distance uniformity. Also, we propose and use a new criterion that assesses the balance of network’s resources allocated to serve various equally valid subareas. Monte-Carlo computer experiments show that the proposed algorithms demonstrate the best performance regarding the coverage uniformity and percentage.