An integrated simulation system using fuzzy logic and network simulator 3 (ns-3) for actor node selection in wireless sensor and actor networks (WSANs): Performance evaluation considering different parameters

The wireless sensor and actor networks (WSANs) are considered a fundamental technology for the Internet of Things (IoT). These networks comprise numerous sensor and actor nodes and are anticipated to be utilized in various sectors. In WSANs, actor nodes must be positioned and moved optimally to ensure an efficient communication network among the actor nodes, as well as connecting actor nodes with sensor and other actor nodes. This research focuses on the selection process of actor nodes within WSANs. The proposed system selects the optimal actor node by employing fuzzy logic (FL) and the network simulator 3 (ns-3). We investigate the performance of the proposed FL-based system by taking into account three parameters: distance to event from actor (DEA), number of sensors per actor (NSA), and task accomplishment time (TAT). The output parameter is the actor selection decision (ASD). We carried out qualitative evaluation by FL-based system. The simulation results revealed that ASD decreases as TAT, NSA, and DEA increase. We carried out a quantitative evaluation by using the ns-3 simulator. The performance evaluation demonstrated that packet loss increases by increasing NSA. Also, as TAT increases, both packet loss and delay time increase. Among the three actor nodes, Actor2 exhibited the best performance.