In sensor networking applications TDMA-based protocols are
widely used to provide energy efficient and real-time solutions for both medium
access and message routing. TDMA networks are best suited for static
application, though mobile TDMA networks also exist, but with significant
overhead to provide consistent scheduling even in the presence of mobile nodes.
In many cases, however, such complexity is not necessary: in the proposed solution
the mostly static network (e.g. sensor nodes) is extended with some mobility
(e.g. supervisor nodes). The proposed solution may be enough for many practical
applications and it requires very small overhead, as opposed to solutions providing
full mobility.