Barycentric Coordinate-Based Distributed Localization Over 3-D Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Accurate localization of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are essential for their seamless integration and operational efficacy in marine environments, yet it poses a considerable technical challenge due to the distinctive limitations of underwater communications. This paper addresses the intricate 3-D localization problem for UWSNs by proposing an innovative method based on barycentric coordinates and relative distance measurements. In order to adapt to the influence of underwater communication constraints, a barycentric coordinate-based distributed iterative localization method combining with the processing of underwater background noise is proposed. It is proved theoretically that the proposed method can almost guarantee the convergence to the exact location of each underwater sensor node. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed localization method is verified by numerical simulations. The proposed localization scheme requires only small number of anchor nodes, thus facilitating the development of broader and more cost-effective underwater localization systems.