ELE Master of Science Thesis Defense by Marjan Akhi - ECE

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 11:00am to 1:00pm

Topic: Modeling Communication Reliability of IoT Perception Layer Considering Cascading Failures

Abstract:

The perception layer of the Internet of Things (IoT), built upon Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), is critical for data acquisition but is highly vulnerable to cascading failures. The failure of a single sensor can redistribute traffic, overload neighbors, and trigger cascading failures that compromise the entire network. Reliability models that neglect cascading failures tend to overestimate system reliability, potentially misleading design and maintenance decisions. While several studies have modeled this phenomenon, they typically rely on abstract connectivity metrics without considering sensing coverage. This thesis presents an analytical modeling method for assessing the end-to-end communication reliability of WSNs considering the impact of overload-driven cascading failures as well as the coverage requirement. The load-dependent failure rates at the node level are modeled using a power-law relationship. Binary decision diagrams are used to derive exact analytical expressions for communication reliability, which is defined by the success of a two-phase communication process (infrastructure and application). The proposed method is demonstrated using two case studies under different coverage requirements, and node and link reliabilities. A comparative analysis is also performed for scenarios with and without cascading failures. The findings provide quantitative guidance for designing WSNs with appropriate coverage, redundancy, and capacity margins to improve robustness at the IoT perception layer under cascading failure conditions.

Advisor(s): Dr. Liudong Xing, Commonwealth Professor, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Committee members:

• Dr. Paul J. Gendron, Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth
• Dr. Hong Liu, Commonwealth Professor, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Note: All ECE Graduate Students are encouraged to attend. All interested parties are invited to attend. Open to the public.

*For further information, please contact Dr. Liudong Xing

Lester W. Cory Conference Room, Science & Engineering Building (SENG), Room 213A : Zoom Link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/94155092393 Meeting ID: 941 5509 2393 Passcode: 087191
Liudong Xing
508.999.8883
lxing@umassd.edu
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/94155092393