Wireless Sensor Networks

By Eric Anderson

1
Introduction
 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN): An
autonomous, ad hoc system consisting
of a collective of networked sensor
nodes designed to intercommunicate
via wireless radio.

2
Introduction
 Wireless – Communication via radio waves
 Autonomous – Independent; self-directed
 Ad hoc network – A network without a fixed,
well-defined infrastructure
 Sensor node – Device that produces a
measurable response to a change in
physical condition

3
Node Classification
 Individually addressable
 Each node is uniquely identified,
facilitates object-based organization
 Ex: Parking lot spaces
 Network data is aggregated
 Messages broadcast, reduction in
network bandwidth
 Ex: Temperature in room corner
4
Node Examples

5
WSN Goals
 Tracking – Detect and track objects
 Classification – Classify objects
 Estimation – Estimate parameters and
events of interest pertaining to objects
 Determination – Determine the value
of some parameter at a given location

6
WSN Requirements
 Stationary or Mobile use
 Low energy consumption
 Self-organization and autonomy (locality)
 Robust and scalable
 Collaborative signal processing (emergent
behavior through data fusion)
 Querying ability (possible message routing
via cluster head promotion)
7
Types of WSNs
 Environmental
 Medical
 Military
 Urban
 Civic
 Industrial
 Residential
8
Environmental Usages
 Search and rescue
 Disaster relief
 Climate monitoring (weather prediction)
 Seismic detection (earthquakes, volcanos)
 Pollution tracking (patterns, density)
 Habitat monitoring (endangered species,
www.greatduckisland.net)
 Geophysical monitoring (forest fires, river
currents, contaminants, global warming,
farms, marine microorganisms)
9
Environmental Requirements
 Energy efficiency (long battery life)
 Intermittent connectivity
 Schedule sleep mode for redundant sensors
 Inexpensive nodes (large quantity needed)
 Reduced size of nodes (small, microscopic)
 Auto-configuration of sensors
 Scalable network
 Robust nodes to handle harsh environments
(heat, water, snow, humidity, wind)
10
Medical Usages
 Health care (insurance cards)
 Patient monitors (pulse, heart rate,
glucose levels, child tracking, eye
implants, defibrillators)
 Cybernetic enhancements
 Information tags (allergies, severe
reactions)
 Medication notification system
11
Medical Requirements
 Energy efficiency (long battery life,
heat/kinetic/bio battery)
 Hidden device (not visually detectable)
 Biologically safe
 Fault-tolerant, reliable
 Encrypted bio information
 Interference-safe (RF noise, 900 MHz)
12
Military Usages
 Tactical surveillance (land, sea)
 Tracking troop movement (both sides)
 Ubiquitous, undetected smart mines
 Battlefield communication
 Detection of hazardous agents (explosive,
nuclear, biological, poisonous, radioactive)
 Environmental awareness (terrain mapping)

13
Military Requirements
 Energy efficiency (long battery life)
 Schedule sleep mode for redundant sensors
 Ubiquitous and Undetectable
 Auto-deployment and self-organization
 Fault-tolerant, reliable
 Strong Encryption (low overhead)
 Auto-configuration of sensors
 Scalable network
 Robust nodes to handle harsh environments (heat,
water, snow, humidity, wind)

14
Urban Usages
 Civic
 Transportation systems (traffic)
 Auto-identification (drivers license)
 Parking lot availability sensors
 Security monitors (shopping malls,
parking garages, city streets)
 Child abduction prevention
 Automated parking meter update
15
Urban Usages
 Industrial
 Hotel room smart service
 Ubiquitous gambling cameras
 Product distribution (UPS)
 Inventory tracking/control
 Worker efficiency and daily routine
(company badges)
 Quality assurance, process control
16
Urban Usages
 Residential
 Home security

 Digital canvas

 Smart appliances (lights, thermostat, television,

 Pet tracking (angel alert proximity detector)

 Dirt sensors (alert home owner when specific

17
Urban Requirements
 Inexpensive nodes (large quantity needed)
 Reduced size of nodes (small, medium)
 Robust nodes to handle harsh environments
(climate, people)
 Diverse range of sensor types (audible,
visual, location, etc.)
 Interoperability (interface with home,
commercial and government systems)
 Highly customizable (diverse user base)
 Scalable network (wide area of coverage)
18
References
 http://www.cs.uno.edu/~golden/MobileBook/
 M. Kochhal, L. Schwiebert, Sandeep Gupta. Role-based Hierarchical
Self Organization for Wireless Ad hoc Sensor Networks
 J. Elson, K. Romer. Wireless Sensor Networks: A New Regime for
Time Synchronization. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communications
Review, volume 33, January 2003.
 Smart Sensor Networks. Advanced Network Technologies Division,
Nation Institute of Standards and Technology. May 2001.
 D. Estrin, R. Govindan, J. Heidemann. Embedding the Internet.
Communications of the ACM, volume 43, May 2000.
 A. Mainwaring, J. Polastre, R. Szewczyk, D. Culler, J. Anderson.
Wireless Sensor Networks for Habitat Monitoring. WSNA ’02,
September 2002.
 K. Romer, O. Kasten, F. Mattern. Middleware Challenges for
Wireless Sensor Networks. Mobile Computing and Communications
Review, volume 6, July 2002.

19