Sensor nodes forming a network are highly useful for collecting data in earth science, military surveillance, buildings and structures, planetary exploration, and biomedical systems. Inexpensive sensor nodes with significant computational capability and wireless communications have made this possible.

 

A node may have multiple sensors for collecting data such as temperature, pressure, acoustic signals, accelerations, video, etc. A large number of such sensor nodes can be deployed or dropped in an area to form a sensor web. Such sensor nodes can self organize to form a sensor network and perform useful computations on the sensed data in their environment, or transmit to other places for detailed processing.

 

Sensor Networks is an exciting and growing area of exploration within the School and University. Current projects range from intelligent" bridges (able to sense when and where repairs are necessary), to technology able to identify a terrorist out of a crowd of thousands, to micro-probes that can predict where and when arteries will become clogged in the human body.

 

 

---

Sensor Networks: