Simple position estimation for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks need to have positioning information in order to form a coherent picture

of the environment they are sensing. Traditional methods of providing this information, such as GPS, fall

outside the cost, power and processing constraints of these networks. This paper presents a solution to this

problem based on an exploration of the possibilities that exist given the network constraints and using some

of these hidden constraints to an advantage. The method is based on the assumption that inter-node ranging

and communication is possible and that there exists devices within the network that know their absolute

position via GPS or hard coding. The technique uses “iterative averaging” to enable the network converge to

a stable solution. This approach gives fast, approximate localization information, given the constraints of

sensor networks.