An Uneven Cluster-based Routing Protocol for WSNs Using an Integrated MCDM and EPO

Exploiting the intelligent optimization algorithms in cluster-based routing has significantly improved the lifetime of the energy-constrained Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). While most of the latest works have concentrated on exploiting individual intelligent optimization algorithms, little effort has been directed to integrate MCDM methods with the meta-heuristic algorithm. In this paper, we propose a novel uneven cluster-based routing protocol, which exploits an integrated FCNP-VWA-TOPSIS and the improved EPO to provide better energy consumption balance between sensor nodes. This protocol first performs clustering using an integrated FCNP-VWA-TOPSIS. In other words, it assigns relatively accurate weights to 7 multi-criteria characterizing sensor nodes by FCNP-VWA, and selects CH nodes with TOPSIS based on these weights. Next, this protocol constructs the routing tree with the improved Emperor Penguin Optimization (EPO) using fitness function based on the weights of 7 multi-criteria assigned by FCNP-VWA. The results of extensive simulation show that the proposed protocol provides a superior energy consumption balance, thus extending the network lifetime up to 158.0%, 119.3% and 113.7% over existing protocols, UCR, UCFIA and FMCB-ER, respectively.