An Energy Efficient Enhanced Dual-Fuzzy Logic Routing Protocol for Monitoring Activities of the Elderly Using Body Sensor Networks

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) are an important application in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Specifically, in healthcare monitoring systems, it is important to screen the patient’s biometric signals. For example, the elderlies’ vital signs, such as ECG (Electrocardiogram), blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose, can be used as measures of their well-being and are all critically important for remote elderly care in tracking their physical and cognitive capabilities. Therefore, WBANs require higher energy efficiency and data transmission. This paper proposes a cluster-based routing protocol which is suitable for WBANs while analyzing energy efficiency issue in data transmission. Considering the importance of sensor nodes in a specific environment for improving the network’s lifetime, the protocol based on the LEACH (low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy) algorithm is proposed. Due to its avoidance of long-distance transmission, the clustering technique is an efficient algorithm for prolonging the lifetimes of sensor networks. Therefore, this paper suggests an enhanced LEACH-dual fuzzy logic (ELEACH-DFL) protocol based-on clustering for CH (cluster head) selection and cluster configuration in wireless sensor networks. The simulation and analysis results address that the enhanced algorithm reduces the energy consumption effectively and extends the lifespan of the entire network. For wired sensors, attaching sensors to the user may cause problems and inconvenience of mobility. This leads to the use of wireless sensors to proceed with body sensors, which should consider the problem of battery efficiency, which concerns the configuration of wireless sensors. The LEACH protocol is energy efficient until the first node dead is generated. However, there is a sharp drop in energy efficiency after that. The ELEACH-DFL protocol has the advantage of maintaining energy efficiency even after the first node dead is generated, with the utmost consideration being given to stability in consideration of cluster selection and cluster head selection. In a field of 50 × 50, the FND efficiency improvement rate of ELEACH-DFL versus LEACH protocol is approximately 32%. In addition, in a field of 50 × 150, the FND efficiency improvement rate of ELEACH-DFL versus LEACH protocol is approximately 159%.