ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the reliability of the sensor nodes following the Weibull distribution, which is extensively used for fault modeling as it can provide diverse failure patterns over time with its parameters. Rapid advances in micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS), computer networks, and wireless communication technology have WSNs as one of the fastest growing technologies. A WSN consists of a large number of tiny, low-power, and inexpensive sensor nodes, which are randomly or manually deployed over an unattended target area. There are various reasons for the failure of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Firstly, sensor nodes may fail due to the depletion of their battery power, malfunctioning of hardware components or damage by an external event. Secondly, the wireless links of the WSNs may fail due to being permanently or temporarily blocked by an obstacle or environmental condition.
