Current State and Development Trends of Wireless Sensor Networks

Introduction. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have become one of the fundamental technologies of digital transformation, enabling real-time data collection, transmission, and processing. Their applications span a wide range of domains, from environmental monitoring and precision agriculture to industrial automation and healthcare. In the current context of the Internet of Things (IoT), WSN serve as the foundation of cyber-physical systems, integrating physical processes with information flows. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the systematic analysis of contemporary standards, architectural solutions, and commercial implementations of WSN, which makes it possible to formulate a generalized methodology for designing Wireless Sensor Distributed Intelligent Systems (WSDIS). WSDIS are understood as WSN that: – integrate sensor nodes with artificial intelligence algorithms; – provide distributed data processing at the node level (edge computing); – enable intelligent interaction between sensors, coordinators, and user systems; – are oriented toward real-time decision-making scenarios (ecology, agriculture, healthcare). Aim of the Article. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state and development trends of WSN, to identify key challenges and principles for designing WSDIS architectures, and to analyze practical examples of commercial sensor networks across different domains. To achieve this aim, the following objectives were set: – to analyze the evolution of WSN standards and their integration into global IoT ecosystems; – to identify global development trends and key challenges of the current stage; – to examine the principles of WSDIS architecture design and architectural solutions; – to evaluate contemporary commercial implementations of WSN in ecology, agriculture, industry, and healthcare. Results. The article examines the current state and development trends of WSN. The evolution of standards (IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, BLE, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT) is analyzed, along with global tendencies toward scalability, energy efficiency, and node intelligence. The key challenges of the present stage are identified: energy constraints, cybersecurity, standardization, and interoperability. Particular attention is devoted to the principles of WSN architecture design (modularity, adaptability, scalability, interoperability, security) and to architectural solutions (centralized, decentralized, hybrid). An overview of contemporary commercial WSN implementations in ecology, agriculture, industry, and healthcare (Bosch, Libelium, John Deere, Siemens, Philips, among others) is provided. The focus is placed on the role of WSN as a foundation of digital transformation and their integration into global IoT ecosystems. Conclusions. The development of WSN has progressed from local energy-efficient protocols (IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, BLE) to integration into global digital ecosystems (LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, ISO/IEC 30141, IIRA). The evolution of standards demonstrates a gradual expansion of functionality, scalability, and interoperability, forming the basis for universal WSDIS architectures. Global development trends are defined by the implementation of energy-efficient technologies, integration with AI and edge computing, and increasing requirements for cybersecurity. The challenges of the current stage – energy constraints, cyber threats, standardization, and the need for flexible architectures – stimulate the search for new solutions that combine modularity, adaptability, and reliability. The principles of WSDIS architecture – modularity, scalability, adaptability, interoperability, and security – constitute the methodological foundation for the creation of universal sensor systems. Architectural solutions are evolving from centralized to hybrid models that integrate edge computing and cloud services, ensuring a balance between efficiency and resilience. Keywords: wireless sensor networks, IoT, wireless sensor distributed intelligent systems, architecture, commercial solutions, cybersecurity, WSN.