A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a computing device, information regarding a range in which an Internet-of-Things (IoT) network is to be implemented; determining, by the computing device, respective detection scores for a plurality of IoT devices for each of a plurality of proposed congregation of IoT devices; determining, by the computing device, a minimum number of the plurality of IoT devices to cover the range by incorporating the detection scores into a covariance model; and outputting, by the computing device, information identifying the minimum number of the plurality of IoT devices for designing the IoT network.