An range-free localization scheme for large scale underwater wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we study an area localization problem in large scale underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). The limited bandwidth, the severely impaired channel and the cost of underwater equipment all make the underwater localization problem very challenging. Exact localization is very difficult for UWSNs in deep underwater environment. We propose a range free method based on mobile detachable elevator transceiver (DET) and 3D multi-power area localization scheme (3D-MALS) to address the challenging problem. In the proposed scheme, the ideas of 2D multi-power area localization scheme (2D-ALS) and utilizing DET are used to achieve the simplicity, location accuracy, scalability and low cost performances. The DET can rise and get down to broadcast its position. And it is assumed that all the underwater nodes underwater have pressure sensors and know their z coordinates. We evaluate the performances of 2D-ALS and our proposed 3D-MALS schemes under both ideal and non-ideal channel propagation conditions, in terms of localization error and localization ratio. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme is much more efficient than the 2D-ALS.