Node (physics)

Related papers: 20

About

In physics and network science, a **node** is a discrete point or element within a system that serves as a junction, sensor, or processing unit connected to other nodes through edges or communication links. In robotics and AI, nodes appear across multiple domains: in wireless sensor networks, they are individual sensor or actuator units that collect environmental data and relay it cooperatively; in graph-based path planning algorithms such as A* or RRT, they represent discrete states or positions in a search space; and in multi-robot systems, mobile agents themselves function as network nodes that maintain communication topology. Nodes can be static, as in deployed sensor grids monitoring crops or mines, or mobile, as in robots repositioning to maintain network connectivity or assist with localization. Understanding node behavior — including placement, energy consumption, fault tolerance, and communication range — is essential for designing reliable distributed systems. The concept matters because optimizing node deployment and interaction directly determines system coverage, robustness, and the ability of robots to coordinate effectively in complex real-world environments.

Top Cited Papers

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Jan M. Rabaey, J. Ammer, Tufan Coşkun Karalar, Suet-Fei Li, Brian Otis, M. Sheets, Tim Tuan

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Dynamic path planning of mobile robots with improved genetic algorithm

Adem Tuncer, Mehmet Yıldırım

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Prithwish Basu, Jason Redi

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Node Localization Using Mobile Robots in Delay-Tolerant Sensor Networks

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Underwater Data Collection Using Robotic Sensor Networks

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An Air-Ground Wireless Sensor Network for Crop Monitoring

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