Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy Using Affinity Propagation for Wireless Sensor Networks

This letter proposes a new low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) protocol for wireless sensor networks that use a distributed cluster formation based on affinity propagation (AP). The proposed LEACH protocol (LEACH-AP) enables a fully distributed control and resolves practical limitations of conventional LEACH-based protocols by simplifying network functionalities and reducing sensor hardware costs. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol outperforms existing LEACH-based protocols considerably in terms of network lifetime, energy dissipation rate, and total number of transferred bits.