A student from the Department of Mathematics publishes a scientific research paper
Nwar Alaa Hussein, a fourth-year student in the Department of Mathematics, published a scientific paper titled:
Optimizing LoRaWAN Gateway Placements in Urban Environments Using a Hybrid PSO and DE Algorithm.
In the international journal MDPI Technologies, classified in the ISI Q1 database,
The paper concludes that rapid developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) have made Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) play a crucial role in expanding IoT capabilities while consuming minimal energy. Among the various LPWAN technologies, LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) stands out for its ability to enable long-range, low-speed communications with low power requirements.
This research focuses on the area of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, examining how different gateway placements on different floors of a building affect network coverage and packet loss. The experiment uses Adeunis Field Test Devices (FTDs) and Dragino LG308-EC25 gateways, and systematically tests two propagation factors, SF7 and SF12, to evaluate their effectiveness in terms of signal quality and reliability. A novel optimization algorithm, GateOpt PSODE, is presented, which combines PSO and DE to optimize gateway placements based on real-time network performance metrics such as Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and packet loss. The results reveal that strategically placing gateways, particularly on upper floors, significantly improves communication reliability and network efficiency, providing a robust framework for deploying LoRaWAN networks in complex urban environments.
This work, conducted in collaboration with a dedicated research team, aims to develop a smart algorithm (GateOpt PSODE) that combines PSO and DE techniques to optimize LoRaWAN gateway installation locations in cities, with the goal of enhancing signal quality (RSSI), reducing packet loss, and improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In addition to conducting simulations using the advanced HTZ software and real-world field experiments in an urban environment, this research represents an important step toward improving the architecture of Internet of Things networks in smart cities.
