The document summarizes research on medium access control protocols in wireless sensor networks. It identifies the main sources of energy waste as collision, idle listening, overhearing, and overhead. It then discusses several existing energy-efficient MAC protocols and how wireless sensor network protocols can be divided into schedule-based and contention-based categories. Finally, it proposes that aerial platforms may help with medium access control and relieve scheduling burdens on energy-constrained nodes, and provides conclusions on enabling more energy-efficient solutions.