CFP last date
20 January 2026
Call for Paper
February Edition
IJCA solicits high quality original research papers for the upcoming February edition of the journal. The last date of research paper submission is 20 January 2026

Submit your paper
Know more
Random Articles
Reseach Article

Multi-Objective Clustering and Reinforcement-based Routing in IoT Networks

by Moez Elarfaoui, Hamdi Ouechtati, Nadia Ben Azzouna
International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 187 - Number 61
Year of Publication: 2025
Authors: Moez Elarfaoui, Hamdi Ouechtati, Nadia Ben Azzouna
10.5120/ijca2025925999

Moez Elarfaoui, Hamdi Ouechtati, Nadia Ben Azzouna . Multi-Objective Clustering and Reinforcement-based Routing in IoT Networks. International Journal of Computer Applications. 187, 61 ( Dec 2025), 9-16. DOI=10.5120/ijca2025925999

@article{ 10.5120/ijca2025925999,
author = { Moez Elarfaoui, Hamdi Ouechtati, Nadia Ben Azzouna },
title = { Multi-Objective Clustering and Reinforcement-based Routing in IoT Networks },
journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
issue_date = { Dec 2025 },
volume = { 187 },
number = { 61 },
month = { Dec },
year = { 2025 },
issn = { 0975-8887 },
pages = { 9-16 },
numpages = {9},
url = { https://ijcaonline.org/archives/volume187/number61/multi-objective-clustering-and-reinforcement-based-routing-in-iot-network/ },
doi = { 10.5120/ijca2025925999 },
publisher = {Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA},
address = {New York, USA}
}
%0 Journal Article
%1 2025-12-18T17:49:43+05:30
%A Moez Elarfaoui
%A Hamdi Ouechtati
%A Nadia Ben Azzouna
%T Multi-Objective Clustering and Reinforcement-based Routing in IoT Networks
%J International Journal of Computer Applications
%@ 0975-8887
%V 187
%N 61
%P 9-16
%D 2025
%I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

The rapid development of devices on the Internet of Things (IoT) and the diversity of their applications have made them ubiquitous. However, deploying these devices in large-scale networks presents several challenges, including limited energy capacity, security concerns, unreliable links, and transmission delays. This paper, proposes a multi-objective optimization approach for wireless IoT networks based on machine learning techniques. Specifically, a clustering scheme is developd by using an improved k-means algorithm. This is combined with a dynamic routing strategy based on multi-objective Q-learning using parallel Q-tables. This approach leads to measurable gains in energy efficiency, transmission latency, and reliability. Compared to existing approaches in similar contexts, such as weighted sum, the proposed solution achieves significant improvements in overall network performance.

References
  1. N. D. Tan and V.-H. Nguyen. Machine learning meets iot: developing an energy-efficient wsn routing protocol for enhanced network longevity. Wireless Networks, 31(4):3127–3147, 2025.
  2. A. I. Al-Sulaifanie, B. K. Al-Sulaifanie, and S. Biswas. Recent trends in clustering algorithms for wireless sensor networks: A comprehensive review. Computer Communications, 191:395–424, 2022.
  3. S. El Khediri. Wireless sensor networks: a survey, categorization, main issues, and future orientations for clustering protocols. Computing, 104(8):1775–1837, 2022.
  4. A. Mittal, Z. Xu, and A. Shrivastava. Energy-efficient, secure, and spectrum-aware ultra-low power internet-of-things system infrastructure for precision agriculture. IEEE Transactions on AgriFood Electronics, 2(2):198–208, 2024.
  5. R. Priyadarshi. Exploring machine learning solutions for overcoming challenges in iot-based wireless sensor network routing: a comprehensive review. Wireless Networks, 30(4):2647–2673, 2024.
  6. P. M. Mwangi. A systematic literature review of routing protocols in wireless sensor networks: Current trends and future directions.
  7. J. Moos, K. Hansel, H. Abdulsamad, S. Stark, D. Clever, and J. Peters. Robust reinforcement learning: A review of foundations and recent advances. Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction, 4(1):276–315, 2022.
  8. S. Sharma and V. Kumar. A comprehensive review on multi-objective optimization techniques: Past, present and future. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 29(7):5605–5633, 2022.
  9. J. L. J. Pereira, G. A. Oliver, M. B. Francisco, S. S. Cunha Jr, and G. F. A review of multi-objective optimization: methods and algorithms in mechanical engineering problems. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 29(4):2285–2308, 2022.
  10. A. Khan, M. Rehman, S. Zhang, and H. Kim. Federated reinforcement learning for internet-of-things applications: A survey. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 10(5):4123–4142, 2023.
  11. M. Al-Shorman, R. Ahmad, and A. Ezugwu. Q-learning-based energy-efficient clustering and routing in wireless sensor networks. IEEE Access, 12:102345–102358, 2024.
  12. S. Ghamry and S. Shukry. Multi-Objective Intelligent Clustering Routing Scheme for IoT-Enabled WSNs Using Deep Reinforcement Learning. Cluster Computing,27(4):4941–4961, 2024.
  13. R. Priyadarshi and P. Kumar and N. Singh. Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning for Cooperative Routing in IoT Networks. Ad Hoc Networks,149:103244,2024
  14. Y. Zhou and L. Chen and F. Zhang. Adaptive Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Framework for Dynamic IoT Topologies. Sensors,25(3):1567,2025
  15. M. Kim, H. Park, and J. Lee. Xgate: Explainable reinforcement learning framework for trustworthy network management. Sensors, 24(6):3128, 2025.
  16. P. Li, X. Wang, and R. Gupta. Online pareto-approximation techniques for multi-objective reinforcement learning in iot routing. Computer Networks, 242:110112, 2025.
  17. Y. Chai and X.-J. Zeng. A multi-objective dyna-q based routing in wireless mesh network. Applied Soft Computing, 108:107486, 2021.
  18. D. Prabhu, R. Alageswaran, and S. Miruna Joe Amali. Multiple agent based reinforcement learning for energy efficient routing in wsn. Wireless Networks, 29(4):1787–1797, 2023.
  19. X. Su, Y. Ren, Z. Cai, Y. Liang, and L. Guo. A q-learning-based routing approach for energy efficient information transmission in wireless sensor network. IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management, 20(2):1949–1961, 2022.
  20. D. Godfrey, B. Suh, B. H. Lim, K.-C. Lee, and K.-I. Kim. An energy-efficient routing protocol with reinforcement learning in software-defined wireless sensor networks. Sensors, 23(20):8435, 2023.
  21. S. Vaishnav, P. K. Donta, and S. Magn´usson. Dynamic and distributed routing in iot networks based on multi-objective q-learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.00918, 2025.
  22. W. K. Ghamry and S. Shukry. Multi-objective intelligent clustering routing schema for internet of things enabled wireless sensor networks using deep reinforcement learning. Cluster Computing, 27(4):4941–4961, 2024.
  23. A. M. Ikotun, A. E. Ezugwu, L. Abualigah, B. Abuhaija, and J. Heming. K-means clustering algorithms: A comprehensive review, variants analysis, and advances in the era of big data. Information Sciences, 622:178–210, 2023.
  24. E. U. Oti, M. O. Olusola, F. C. Eze, and S. U. Enogwe. Comprehensive review of k-means clustering algorithms. criterion, 12(08):22–23, 2021.
  25. M. A. Mohamud, H. Ibrahim, F. Sidi, S. N. M. Rum, Z. B. Dzolkhifli, Z. Xiaowei, and M. M. Lawal. A systematic literature review of skyline query processing over data stream. IEEE Access, 11:72813–72835, 2023.
  26. A. N. Fadhilah, T. A. Cahyanto, and I. Saifudin. Sort filter skyline in movie recommendation based on individual preferences: Performance and time complexity analysis. Scientific Journal of Informatics, 11(3):789–802, 2024.
Index Terms

Computer Science
Information Sciences

Keywords

Machine learning clustering Q-learning IoT multi-objective reliability energy