A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a, distributed over an area of interest, set of wirelessly interconnected devices, called sensor nodes, which have sensing, communication and processing capabilities. A WSN also includes at least one network supervisory control node, called base station, which has enhanced energy, computing, and communication resources.

Thanks to the combined use of its components, a WSN can monitor the ambient conditions in any area of interest. For this reason, the domain of WSNs is considered to be the basis for the Internet of Things (IoT) and supports an ever-expanding range of human activities.

However, the application of WSNs is hampered both by the limited resources of sensor nodes in terms of power supply, memory and processing power, and by the inherent limitations of wireless communications in terms of power, speed and capacity of communication channels, as well as resistance to interference and intrusion prevention to maintain data security.

The aim of the proposed PhD thesis is the development of control algorithms to optimize the performance of Wireless Sensor Networks, in terms of specific parameters of their operation, such as the energy efficiency of nodes and communications, the maintenance of network connectivity, the maximization of network coverage, network congestion avoidance, high quality of service (QoS) achievement, security of data and communications, accurate nodes’ localization, network robustness and adaptability to malfunction or loss or reposition of nodes.