# Enabling Autonomous Agents for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks
## 7 Conclusions and Future Work  
In this work, we present a software package for the ROS 2 ecosystem aimed at providing a flexible test environment for evaluating deployment, operation, and retrieval strategies in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs). We compare a standard SPF-only approach with an agent-based strategy, incorporating modifications such as cohesion force tuning and new negotiation algorithms. Our experiments demonstrate that the  
Figure 10: Final simulation time for all configurations.  
Figure 9: Days until a coverage below 60% is reached.  
Agent-based approach achieves greater stability and system lifetime while maintaining coverage comparable to SPF-based methods. Additionally, the Agent algorithms are more effective in distributing energy consumption across the network, as shown in Figure 5.  
Among the three algorithms evaluated, the similarity between Algorithms 0 and 1 is primarily due to the limited number of robots operating concurrently--typically between one and three--making it difficult to distinguish random behavior from deliberate decisions. In contrast, Algorithm 2 demonstrates a markedly longer system lifetime by leveraging more comprehensive information, resulting in more efficient replacements.  
This platform provides a structured foundation for ongoing research, enabling both the validation of current strategies and the exploration of improvements in replacement logic, communication constraints, and integration with real-world systems.  
Looking ahead, we recognize the potential of the Agent-based approach, particularly when enhanced with richer information. However, the complexity of distributed implementation motivates us to pursue an intermediate step in our future work. Specifically, we aim to augment SPF-based strategies with role-based or hierarchical mechanisms, which may offer more straightforward and scalable deployment in real-world distributed environments.  
A second line of work focuses on improving our network simulation capabilities. We are currently developing a contribution that evaluates link-local and mesh-local broadcast communications using standard radio technologies. This includes experiments on a physical testbed where we assess additional parameters such as latency and energy consumption. These insights will feed back into our simulation models and help guide the integration of a more feature-rich network simulator in the near future. This refinement will also allow us to reassess the assumptions made in this study and evaluate whether the required communication for each MWSN phase should be further constrained.  
Finally, the last step in our roadmap involves the integration of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) scenarios. In this setup, one or more physical robots interact with simulated agents, enabling real-world data to dynamically refine simulation parameters. As outlined in [47], this hybrid approach will further improve the realism and applicability of our models, bridging the gap between simulation and deployment.  
Conceptualization, [PERSON] and [PERSON]-P.; methodology, J.-B.C.-S. and J.-M.C.-G.; software, J.-B.C.-S.; validation, J.-M.C.-G., [PERSON]-P. and M.F.; formal analysis, J.-B.C.-S. and M.F.; investigation, J.-B.C.-S.; data curation, J.-B.C.-S.; writing--original draft preparation, J.-B.C.-S.; writing--review and editing, [PERSON]-P., [PERSON]-M.C.-G. and M.F.; visualization, [PERSON]-B.C.-S. and [PERSON]-P.; supervision, [PERSON]-P., M.F. and [PERSON]-M.C.-G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research and the APC were funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 under Project TED2021-130456B-I00 by \"NextGenerationEU/PRTR\" Program.  
Not applicable.  
The original data presented in the study are openly available in [[https://github.com/DIANA-IoT/.github](https://github.com/DIANA-IoT/.github)]([https://github.com/DIANA-IoT/.github](https://github.com/DIANA-IoT/.github)).  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.