Enhanced Intelligent Water Drop Algorithm Optimized Routing (EIWDR) for Quality of Service Enhancement in Internet of Things-Based Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSN)

– The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed how humans engage with technology, allowing pervasive connection and data sharing. In the Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) framework, IoT-based applications have been created for several areas, including agriculture, where greenhouse automation has been deployed for enhanced agricultural yields. However, WSNs face significant challenges, such as limited resources, unpredictable communication, and energy consumption. These issues become more pronounced when applied to greenhouse agriculture due to interference, congestion, and quality of service (QoS) requirements. Therefore, efficient routing protocols are crucial to address these challenges. The proposed study addresses the routing issues in IoT-based WSNs (IWSN) for greenhouse agriculture. Specifically, the Enhanced Intelligent Water Drop Algorithm Optimized Routing (EIWDR) is proposed as a novel routing protocol to enhance the QoS in IoT-based WSNs. The EIWDR protocol utilizes the intelligent water drop algorithm to optimize the routing path selection. The algorithm prioritizes energy-efficient routing, selects the most reliable path with minimum delay and data loss, and balances network load to prevent congestion. The proposed protocol also uses a modified weight function to improve the routing performance when applied in IWSN. To test the efficacy of the EIWDR, simulation tests were conducted in the NS-3 simulator. The EIWDR protocol fares better regarding network lifetime, packet delivery ratio, energy consumption, and packet delay than other routing protocols. Improved greenhouse agricultural quality of service using IWSN is possible with the help of the proposed EIWDR protocol. With the help of intelligent routing algorithms, network resources are used effectively, data is sent reliably, and overall performance is enhanced.