A survey of data aggregation and routing protocols for energy-efficient wireless sensor networks
Archana Bomnale, Avinash More · ICST Transactions on Scalable Information Systems · 2025
The sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) typically have limited energy sources and are battery-operated. Reducing energy- usage, latency, and bandwidth is necessary to extend the network’s lifetime. WSN is often deployed in dynamic environments where nodes in the network can join, leave, or fail at any instant. Dynamic topology changes have the potential to disrupt established routes, necessitating more frequent route discovery and maintenance. Since a huge number of nodes are randomly deployed, a lot of redundant data packets are sent, which increases network traffic and creates delays. Robust and adaptable routing and aggregation techniques are necessary to meet these demands and adapt to shifting network conditions. The proposed survey paper offers a thorough analysis of the data aggregation mechanisms and energy-efficient routing algorithms applied to sensor networks. We have categorized the protocols depending on the network structure, data-gathering strategies, routing methodology, and node mobility. Based on the protocol performance parameters such as energy efficiency, network longevity, latency, routing overhead, packet delivery ratio, network throughput, and residual energy, we have provided a thorough classification and comparative overview of the key protocols. Moreover, we have determined the research gaps in the existing data aggregation techniques, and key areas which could point future researchers in the right direction.