In wireless sensor networks (WSN), most sensor nodes are powered by batteries with limited power, meaning the quality of the network may deteriorate at any time. Therefore, to reduce the energy consumption of sensor nodes and extend the lifetime of the network, this study proposes a novel energy-efficient clustering mechanism of a routing protocol. First, a novel metaheuristic algorithm is proposed, based on differential equations of bamboo growth and the Gaussian mixture model, called the bamboo growth optimizer (BFGO). Second, based on the BFGO algorithm, a clustering mechanism of a routing protocol (BFGO-C) is proposed, in which the encoding method and fitness function are redesigned. It can maximize the energy efficiency and minimize the transmission distance. In addition, heterogeneous nodes are added to the WSN to distinguish tasks among nodes and extend the lifetime of the network. Finally, this paper compares the proposed BFGO-C with three classic clustering protocols. The results show that the protocol based on the BFGO-C can be successfully applied to the clustering routing protocol and can effectively reduce energy consumption and enhance network performance.
Keywords: bamboo forest growth optimizer; energy-efficient clustering mechanism; wireless sensor networks.