The effectiveness of reference nodes in reputation-based ad-hoc sensor networks

Ad-hoc sensor networks (known also as citizen or resident networks) are gaining in popularity. They tend to utilize inexpensive sensors; they are deployed and operated in ad-hoc, opportunistic manner, consequently often delivering results of higher uncertainty. Reputation-based algorithms are used for data reconstruction to contain the input of faulty, or unreliable, nodes on the network. This paper discusses the question whether it is feasible to introduce high quality, expensive reference nodes to the network to significantly decrease its uncertainty, in situations where the reconstruction algorithm run by the network is not altered. This paper uses five leading cases, subsequently analyzed with the help of a simulator that executes the reputation-based EWMA algorithm. It identifies that the simple introduction of reference nodes alone does not help in addressing uncertainty without making alteration to the algorithm or to the design of the network.