Localization Techniques in Wireless Sensor Networks for IoT

Abstract

Today, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are becoming a cornerstone 
technology in the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, which, based on 
the principle of sensor nodes, allows the data from the distributed sensor 
nodes to be collected and transmitted. Localization of sensor nodes is a 
critical challenge in WSN deployment. In this article we provide an in depth 
description of various localization techniques for sake of usage in WSNs, its 
principles, advantages and their practical applications. Many of these IoT 
applications require the ability to locate the exact locations of sensor nodes 
precisely such as environmental monitoring and smart agriculture, industrial 
automation, and healthcare. On the one hand, accurate localization enhances 
the contextual relevance of collected data, and optimizes network routing, 
energy efficiency, etc.; on the other hand, it enables location based services. 
Research, development, and practitioners in the industry need to understand 
and implement effective localization strategies as WSNs start to proliferate 
in IoT. In this context, this review intends to give an overview of the wide 
volume of localization techniques for WSN in IoT. In this talk, we explore 
fundamental concepts behind these methods, compare their performance 
under different scenarios, and discuss the challenges and opportunities these 
methods offer. Thus, this article studies both matured approaches and cutting 
edge innovations in order to assist view on the state of WSN localization and 
what its future directions will be in the fast changing IoT environment.