A Comprehensive Review of Cluster Head Selection in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

In the last few years, there has been a rapid expansion in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) due to their capacity for data sensing, wireless communication, and efficient data processing. WSNs comprise small, little powered nodes in the sensor that autonomously configured and organized themselves to fulfil their designated tasks. Despite their affordability, ease of deployment, flexibility, and efficiency, challenges persist regarding energy efficiency and network longevity. Clustering within WSNs emerges as a dependable solution, involving the grouping of the sensor nodes into clusters with the selection of a cluster head (CH) responsible to sensing data, aggregation, and transmission to the base station (BS) of the network. However, inefficiencies in methods of CH selection and cluster formation give rise to persistent challenges such as energy holes and isolated node issues. This study provides a comprehensive review of various non-metaheuristic and metaheuristic techniques responsible for CH selection and cluster formation methods across diverse environmental parameters, aiming to elucidate how these challenges have been addressed by different researchers. Additionally, the survey outlines the parameter configurations, advantages, limitations, and future directions of these methods, accompanied by a succinct performance evaluation summary.