CAUCHY localization: a distributed computation of WSNs

The localization problem of a wireless sensor network (WSN) is posed as a distributed computation performed by the sensors alone. A relatively small number of the nodes along the boundary of the WSN are initialized with their exact locations, which serve as reference coordinates that seed the computation. Our range-free, scalable localization protocol begins with a self-organizing, local-rule, distributed computation: In a converging sequence, each sensor periodically takes as its location estimate the average of its neighbors' estimates. These estimates are used to construct an instance of the Cauchy Integral Formula from which the final location estimates are produced. Our research is still in progress, but we are currently in position to argue the superiority over other range-free methods operating under similar minimalist constraints. Among the salient properties of our approach is a tolerance to variations in timing and sensor density, and to variations in the characteristics of individual sensors, such as computing speed and communication range.