A Survey of Protocols for Intermittently Connected Delay-Tolerant Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Intermittently Connected Delay-Tolerant Wireless Sensor Networks (ICDT-WSNs), a branch of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), have features of WSNs and the intermittent connectivity of Delay-Tolerant Networks (DTNs). The applications of ICDT-WSNs are increasing in recent years, however, the communication protocols suitable for this category of networks often fall short. Most of the existing communication protocols are designed for either WSNs or DTNs and tend to be inadequate for direct use in ICDT-WSNs. This survey summarizes characteristics of ICDT-WSNs and their communication protocol requirements, and examines the communication protocols designed for WSNs and DTNs in recent years from the perspective of ICDT-WSNs. Opportunities for future research in ICDT-WSNs are also outlined.