06-05-2011, 11:32 AM
ABSTRACT
We provide an in-depth study of applying wireless sensornetworks to real-world habitat monitoring. A set of systemdesign requirements are developed that cover the hardwaredesign of the nodes, the design of the sensor network, andthe capabilities for remote data access and management. Asystem architecture is proposed to address these requirementsfor habitat monitoring in general, and an instance ofthe architecture for monitoring seabird nesting environmentand behavior is presented. The currently deployed networkconsists of 32 nodes on a small island off the coast of Mainestreaming useful live data onto the web. The applicationdrivendesign exercise serves to identify important areas offurther work in data sampling, communications, network retasking,and health monitoring.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
C.2.1 [Computer Communication Networks]: NetworkArchitecture and Design; C.3 [Computer Systems Organization]:Special-Purpose and Application-based Systems;J.3 [Computer Applications]: Life and Medical Sciences
General TermsDesign, Performance, Experimentation
1. INTRODUCTION
Habitat and environmental monitoring represent a classof sensor network applications with enormous potential benefitsfor scientific communities and society as a whole. Instrumentingnatural spaces with numerous networked microsensorscan enable long-term data collection at scales andresolutions that are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain otherwise.The intimate connection with its immediate physicalenvironment allows each sensor to provide localized measurementsand detailed information that is hard to obtainthrough traditional instrumentation. The integration of localprocessing and storage allows sensor nodes to perform .complex filtering and triggering functions, as well as to applyapplication-specific or sensor-specific data compression algorithms.The ability to communicate not only allows informationand control to be communicated across the network ofnodes, but nodes to cooperate in performing more complextasks, like statistical sampling, data aggregation, and systemhealth and status monitoring [8, 9]. Increased powerefficiency gives applications flexibility in resolving fundamentaldesign tradeoffs, e.g., between sampling rates andbattery lifetimes. Low-power radios with well-designed protocolstacks allow generalized communications among networknodes, rather than point-to-point telemetry. The computingand networking capabilities allow sensor networks tobe reprogrammed or retasked after deployment in the field.Nodes have the ability to adapt their operation over timein response to changes in the environment, the condition ofthe sensor network itself, or the scientific endeavor.We are working with members of the life science communityto make the potential of this emerging technology areality. Taking an application-driven approach quickly separatesactual problems from potential ones, and relevant issuesfrom irrelevant ones. The application context helps todifferentiate problems with simple, concrete solutions fromopen research areas. However, we seek to develop an effectivesensor network architecture for the domain, not just aparticular instance, so we must look for general solutions.Collaboration with scientists in other fields helps to definethe broader application space, as well as specific applicationrequirements, allows field testing of experimental systems,and offers objective evaluations of the technologies. Theimpact of sensor networks for habitat and environmentalmonitoring will be measured by their ability to enable newapplications and produce new results otherwise too difficultto realize.This paper develops a specific habitat monitoring application,that is largely representative of the domain. It presentsa collection of requirements, constraints and guidelines thatserve as a basis for a general sensor network architecture formany such applications. It describes the core componentsof the sensor network for this domain – the hardware andsensor platforms, the distinct networks involved, their interconnection,and the data management facilities. The designand implementation of the essential network services, includingpower management, communications, retasking andnode management, can be evaluated in this context.
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http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/dow...1&type=pdf
We provide an in-depth study of applying wireless sensornetworks to real-world habitat monitoring. A set of systemdesign requirements are developed that cover the hardwaredesign of the nodes, the design of the sensor network, andthe capabilities for remote data access and management. Asystem architecture is proposed to address these requirementsfor habitat monitoring in general, and an instance ofthe architecture for monitoring seabird nesting environmentand behavior is presented. The currently deployed networkconsists of 32 nodes on a small island off the coast of Mainestreaming useful live data onto the web. The applicationdrivendesign exercise serves to identify important areas offurther work in data sampling, communications, network retasking,and health monitoring.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
C.2.1 [Computer Communication Networks]: NetworkArchitecture and Design; C.3 [Computer Systems Organization]:Special-Purpose and Application-based Systems;J.3 [Computer Applications]: Life and Medical Sciences
General TermsDesign, Performance, Experimentation
1. INTRODUCTION
Habitat and environmental monitoring represent a classof sensor network applications with enormous potential benefitsfor scientific communities and society as a whole. Instrumentingnatural spaces with numerous networked microsensorscan enable long-term data collection at scales andresolutions that are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain otherwise.The intimate connection with its immediate physicalenvironment allows each sensor to provide localized measurementsand detailed information that is hard to obtainthrough traditional instrumentation. The integration of localprocessing and storage allows sensor nodes to perform .complex filtering and triggering functions, as well as to applyapplication-specific or sensor-specific data compression algorithms.The ability to communicate not only allows informationand control to be communicated across the network ofnodes, but nodes to cooperate in performing more complextasks, like statistical sampling, data aggregation, and systemhealth and status monitoring [8, 9]. Increased powerefficiency gives applications flexibility in resolving fundamentaldesign tradeoffs, e.g., between sampling rates andbattery lifetimes. Low-power radios with well-designed protocolstacks allow generalized communications among networknodes, rather than point-to-point telemetry. The computingand networking capabilities allow sensor networks tobe reprogrammed or retasked after deployment in the field.Nodes have the ability to adapt their operation over timein response to changes in the environment, the condition ofthe sensor network itself, or the scientific endeavor.We are working with members of the life science communityto make the potential of this emerging technology areality. Taking an application-driven approach quickly separatesactual problems from potential ones, and relevant issuesfrom irrelevant ones. The application context helps todifferentiate problems with simple, concrete solutions fromopen research areas. However, we seek to develop an effectivesensor network architecture for the domain, not just aparticular instance, so we must look for general solutions.Collaboration with scientists in other fields helps to definethe broader application space, as well as specific applicationrequirements, allows field testing of experimental systems,and offers objective evaluations of the technologies. Theimpact of sensor networks for habitat and environmentalmonitoring will be measured by their ability to enable newapplications and produce new results otherwise too difficultto realize.This paper develops a specific habitat monitoring application,that is largely representative of the domain. It presentsa collection of requirements, constraints and guidelines thatserve as a basis for a general sensor network architecture formany such applications. It describes the core componentsof the sensor network for this domain – the hardware andsensor platforms, the distinct networks involved, their interconnection,and the data management facilities. The designand implementation of the essential network services, includingpower management, communications, retasking andnode management, can be evaluated in this context.
Download full report
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/dow...1&type=pdf
