A Taxonomy and Survey on Grid-based Routing Protocols Designed for Wireless Sensor Networks

Minimization of energy consumption is the main attention of researchers while developing a routing protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), since sensor nodes are equipped with limited power supply. Virtual topology is an integral part of routing, and grid-based routing protocols are very popular due to their simplified and efficient virtual grid topology construction. Although a list of surveys exists that either focus on routing protocols in a broader way or on other virtual topologies, none of these surveys are concerned about grid topology and grid-based routing protocols. Having this motivation in mind and considering the impact of these routing protocols on controlling and managing the energy consumption of WSNs, this paper provides an expansive assessment of grid-based routing protocols based on their methodology. In this survey, the existing grid-based routing protocols are classified into two categories from the perspective of sink mobility, i.e., static sink- and mobile sink-based grid routing protocols. A phase-wise comprehensive overview of these routing protocols is provided in chronological order, along with their comparative analysis. Furthermore, the characteristics, design issues, and challenges of grid-based routing protocols are also provided.