Nature-Inspired Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Comprehensive Survey

In order to solve the critical issues in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), with concern for limited sensor lifetime, nature-inspired algorithms are emerging as a suitable method. Getting optimal network coverage is one of those challenging issues that need to be examined critically before any network setup. Optimal network coverage not only minimizes the consumption of limited energy of battery-driven sensors but also reduce the sensing of redundant information. In this paper, we focus on nature-inspired optimization algorithms concerning the optimal coverage in WSNs. In the first half of the paper, we have briefly discussed the taxonomy of the optimization algorithms along with the problem domains in WSNs. In the second half of the paper, we have compared the performance of two nature-inspired algorithms for getting optimal coverage in WSNs. The first one is a combined Improved Genetic Algorithm and Binary Ant Colony Algorithm (IGABACA), and the second one is Lion Optimization (LO). The simulation results confirm that LO gives better network coverage, and the convergence rate of LO is faster than that of IGA-BACA. Further, we observed that the optimal coverage is achieved at a lesser number of generations in LO as compared to IGA-BACA. This review will help researchers to explore the applications in this field as well as beyond this area. Keywords: Optimal Coverage, Bio-inspired Algorithm, Lion Optimization, WSNs.