Routing Techniques used for Monitoring the Linear Structures using Linear Wireless Sensor Networks: An Overview

In recent years, the range of sensing technologies has prolonged rapidly, whereas the sensing devices are getting cheaper day by day. This has led to a fast expansion in condition monitoring of different systems, structures, vehicles, and machinery using these sensing devices. There are special kind of structures, which are linear in nature and these structures includes roads, bridges, pipelines (Air Conditioner/ Oil/ Gas/Water etc.) can be over ground or underground and Electric power distribution lines. Most of these structures use a static topology and deploy the sensors in a straight line named as a Linear Wireless Sensor Network (LWSN). The LWSN has attracted the researchers due to their numerous positive features including easy placement of sensors and robustness in diverse environments. In the presented article, an attempt has been made to study and analyze the various routing techniques and their parameters used in various applications, used by Linear Wireless Sensor networks (LWSN) for monitoring the condition of these linear structures. In addition, recent LWSN are categorized according to the matches found in the routing protocols, which would help as a landmark for other investigators so that they could further discover the LWSN routing techniques more intensely.