A Combined Environmental Monitoring Framework based on WSN Clustering and VANET Edge Computation Offloading

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET) have been extensively used in IoT applications for environmental monitoring, especially in rural and agricultural areas. In this paper we present a novel combined approach which uses both WSN and VANET clustered structures for the efficient gathering and processing of environmental parameters in long eNodeB/RSU-enabled roads/highways, which cross large rural areas. The former (WSNs) is used for traditional sensing and data gathering, whereas the latter (VANET) is used for both (a) performing intermediate processing based on modern edge computation offloading techniques, and (b) propagating the data (either raw data or computed results) to the residing eNodeB/RSUs. Extended experimental measurements, taken via the combined use of SUMO and Veins simulation platforms (and focusing in the air quality monitoring experimental case), demonstrate the high efficiency and scalability of the presented approach over very large deployment areas.