Intelligent Energy-Aware Routing via Protozoa Behavior in IoT-Enabled WSNs

Energy efficiency and minimization of redundant transmissions are critical challenges in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), especially in heterogeneous IoT environments where sensor nodes (SNs) are resource-constrained and deployed in remote or inaccessible areas. This paper aims to address the dual problem of uneven energy distribution and limited network lifespan by proposing a novel Artificial Protozoa Optimizer-based Cluster Head Selection (APO-CHS) algorithm. The proposed APO-CHS is inspired by the adaptive behavior of Euglena, integrating foraging, dormancy, and reproduction mechanisms to optimize cluster head and relay node selection through a multi-objective fitness function. The function incorporates residual energy, node density, neighbor distance, and energy consumption rate to guide the selection process effectively. Additionally, to tackle communication inefficiency, a lightweight data aggregation scheme is employed. This scheme reduces redundant transmissions by introducing a multi-level aggregation model that eliminates full, partial, and duplicate data in both intra-and inter-cluster communication. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework improves network stability by 29.24%, extends network lifetime by 283.96%, and increases throughput by over 60% compared to baseline methods, thus making it a highly efficient and scalable solution for energy-aware IoT-enabled WSN applications.