A team of network consultants is configuring an Internet of Things $($IoT$)$ network. The team is considering network topologies in the context of the IoT devices being used, which are all within $100$ meters of one another, are battery$-$powered, and communicate via the Zigbee protocol.

Which of the following network topologies would BEST save power and scale easily to thousands of IoT sensor devices while saving power by cooperating with nearby devices?

Star

Ring

Bus

Mesh