Evaluation of Correlation-Based Data Aggregation Approaches in Sensor Networks: Effectiveness and Challenges

Data aggregation represents a fundamental process within wireless sensor networks, facilitating the transmission of environmental data to end-users via base stations. Despite its critical role, data aggregation often receives less attention compared to routing and energy optimization challenges. This work presents a comprehensive review of existing data aggregation schemes, with a specific emphasis on correlational-based approaches. Our analysis reveals a significant gap in research dedicated to correlational-based data aggregation techniques. Furthermore, existing methods tend to overlook crucial factors such as data quality, computational complexity, and appropriate benchmarking. Addressing these unresolved issues is essential for enhancing the reliability and quality of data aggregation processes in wireless sensor networks. This chapter outlines the key challenges and opportunities for future investigations in this domain.