Since wireless sensor networks contain large number of nodes, it is conceivable that nodes group together to perform tasks and form scale-free networks. The scale-free principles are evaluated with IEEE 802.15.4 MAC and ZigBee protocols. Two topologies, star and tree, are studied. Insights gained from the simulations show that orphaning affects the performance of the network, thus, compromising its resilience.
Dr. Weilian Su received his B.S. degree in Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering (ECSE) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1997 with Summa Cum Laude and ECSE department's Lockheed Martin Capstone Design Award. He also received his M.S.E.C.E and Ph.D degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2001 and 2004. Currently, Dr. Su is an Assistant Professor at Naval Postgraduate School. His current research interests are sensor networks, ad hoc networks, quality of service in Internet, distributed networks, and satellite networks.