Abstract
Wireless communication in an agricultural environment is weakened
by surrounding vegetation. The scattering effect on the wireless signal by the
foliage surrounding plants means that sensor nodes within the application area
have to be placed so that the received signal strength ensures reliable
communication. We propose modeling the scattering effect of surrounding
foliage with a Gaussian distribution to determine the optimum placement of
sensor nodes within the application area. An algorithm to place sensor nodes at
optimum positions to ensure reliable communication is presented and analyzed.