QRC-PSO: A Quad-Module Ring-Competitive PSO Algorithm for Coverage Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Authors

• Yu-Xuan Zhou, School of Communication and Electronic Engineering, Jishou University, Jishou, ChinaFollow
• Shao-Qiang Ye, Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, MalaysiaFollow
• Di-Wen Kang, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaFollow
• Xue-Wei Liu, School of Communication and Electronic Engineering, Jishou University, Jishou, ChinaFollow
• Kai-Qing Zhou, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Jishou University, Jishou, ChinaFollow

Abstract

Coverage optimization in WSNs is critical for disaster warning and industrial monitoring, but is challenging due to multi-modality and high-dimensionality. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) offers fast convergence and simple parameter tuning, yet suffers from premature convergence and parameter sensitivity in multi-peak problems. To address these issues, we propose a Quad-module Ring-Competitive PSO (QRC-PSO). It comprises four heterogeneous subgroups with distinct parameter configurations for global exploration, local exploitation, balanced search, and perturbation enhancement. Subgroups evolve independently but exchange elite particles via a ring-topology migration strategy: every 20 iterations, the best three particles of each subgroup move clockwise to the next subgroup and replace its three worst ones, enabling high-quality solution diffusion while preserving diversity. Simulations on a 100 m × 100 m field with 20 and 30 nodes show that QRC-PSO achieves coverage rates of 84.69% and 98.62%, outperforming GA, standard PSO, APSO, LPSO, ALPSO, GWO, and DE. Tests on a 500 m × 500 m area with 500 and 750 nodes further confirm its superiority. These results demonstrate that the proposed subgroup structure and competitive mechanism effectively overcome traditional PSO weaknesses, making QRC-PSO an efficient and reliable solution for WSN coverage optimization.

Keywords

Multi-population competition, PSO, Swarm intelligence, Subgroup updating, WSN

Subject Area

Computer Science

Article Type

Article

First Page

3044

Last Page

3058

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite this Article

Zhou, Yu-Xuan; Ye, Shao-Qiang; Kang, Di-Wen; Liu, Xue-Wei; and Zhou, Kai-Qing (2026) "QRC-PSO: A Quad-Module Ring-Competitive PSO Algorithm for Coverage Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks," Baghdad Science Journal: Vol. 23: Iss. 8, Article 25.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21123/2411-7986.5394