Development platform for self-organizing wireless sensor networks

Distributed microsensor networks, built from collections of nodes each having the ability to sense their environment, process the raw sensor data in cooperation with other neighboring nodes into information and then communicate that information to end users. These systems are designed to be self-organizing in the sense of establishing and maintaining their own network without the need for specialist operators. In most envisioned applications, wireless communications are the most practical means of interconnection, eliminating the internode cabling. Long periods of autonomous operations in remote environments will need battery or other renewable energy sources. In order to prolong battery life, all node hardware and software functions need to be designed to consume minimal power. In general, a node will expend energy on local processing of sensor data to produce compressed information in order to reduce communications. These network systems are intended to support large numbers of such nodes to cover large geographic areas. This presents technical challenges in areas such as low cost design, scalability, cooperative processing and reliable operation of complex systems. Such networks are finding applications in both the military and commercial arenas, and the UCLA/Rockwell Science Center team(1) has developed a prototype wireless sensor node, "AWAIRS I," as a development platform to examine many of the issues relating to their design, deployment and usage. These issues cover a broad spectrum, from determining the best sensors for particular applications, to constructing low power signal processing algorithms and robust and low power network protocols.