Showing papers on "Sensor node published in 2007"

Software-based on-line energy estimation for sensor nodes

Abstract: Energy is of primary importance in wireless sensor networks. By being able to estimate the energy consumption of the sensor nodes, applications and routing protocols are able to make informed decisions that increase the lifetime of the sensor network. However, it is in general not possible to measure the energy consumption on popular sensor node platforms. In this paper, we present and evaluate a software-based on-line energy estimation mechanism that estimates the energy consumption of a sensor node. We evaluate the mechanism by comparing the estimated energy consumption with the lifetime of capacitor-powered sensor nodes. By implementing and evaluating the X-MAC protocol, we show how software-based on-line energy estimation can be used to empirically evaluate the energy efficiency of sensor network protocols.

Thermoelectric Converters of Human Warmth for Self-Powered Wireless Sensor Nodes

Abstract: Solar cells are the most commonly used devices in customer products to achieve power autonomy. This paper discusses a complementary approach to provide power autonomy to devices on a human body, i.e., thermoelectric conversion of human heat. In indoor applications, thermoelectric converters on the skin can provide more power per square centimeter than solar cells, particularly in adverse illumination conditions. Moreover, they work day and night. The first sensor nodes powered by human heat have been demonstrated and tested on people in 2004-2005. They used the state-of-the-art 100-muW watch-size thermoelectric wrist generators fabricated at IMEC and based on custom-design small-size BiTe thermopiles. The sensor node is completed with a power conditioning module, a microcontroller, and a wireless transceiver mounted on a watchstrap

Combinatorial design of key distribution mechanisms for wireless sensor networks

Abstract: Secure communications in wireless sensor networks operating under adversarial conditions require providing pairwise (symmetric) keys to sensor nodes. In large scale deployment scenarios, there is no priory knowledge of post deployment network configuration since nodes may be randomly scattered over a hostile territory. Thus, shared keys must be distributed before deployment to provide each node a key-chain. For large sensor networks it is infeasible to store a unique key for all other nodes in the key-chain of a sensor node. Consequently, for secure communication either two nodes have a key in common in their key-chains and they have a wireless link between them, or there is a path, called key-path, among these two nodes where each pair of neighboring nodes on this path have a key in common. Length of the key-path is the key factor for efficiency of the design. This paper presents novel deterministic and hybrid approaches based on Combinatorial Design for deciding how many and which keys to assign to each key-chain before the sensor network deployment. In particular, Balanced Incomplete Block Designs (BIBD) and Generalized Quadrangles (GQ) are mapped to obtain efficient key distribution schemes. Performance and security properties of the proposed schemes are studied both analytically and computationally. Comparison to related work shows that the combinatorial approach produces better connectivity with smaller key-chain sizes.

Wireless Sensor Networks and Applications: a Survey

Abstract: Summary In this research work, a survey on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and their technologies, standards and applications was carried out. Wireless sensor networks consist of small nodes with sensing, computation, and wireless communications capabilities. Many routing, power management, and data dissemination protocols have been specifically designed for WSNs where energy awareness is an essential design issue. Routing protocols in WSNs might differ depending on the application and network architecture. A multidisciplinary research area such as wireless sensor networks, where close collaboration between users, application domain experts, hardware designers, and software developers is needed to implement efficient systems. The flexibility, fault tolerance, high sensing fidelity, low cost, and rapid deployment characteristics of sensor networks create many new and exciting application areas for remote sensing. In the future, this wide range of application areas will make sensor networks an integral part of our lives. However, realization of sensor networks needs to satisfy the constraints introduced by factors such as fault tolerance, scalability, cost, hardware, topology change, environment, and power consumption.

Upstream congestion control in wireless sensor networks through cross-layer optimization

Abstract: Congestion in wireless sensor networks not only causes packet loss, but also leads to excessive energy consumption. Therefore congestion in WSNs needs to be controlled in order to prolong system lifetime. In addition, this is also necessary to improve fairness and provide better quality of service (QoS), which is required by multimedia applications in wireless multimedia sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a novel upstream congestion control protocol for WSNs, called priority-based congestion control protocol (PCCP). Unlike existing work, PCCP innovatively measures congestion degree as the ratio of packet inter-arrival time along over packet service time. PCCP still introduced node priority index to reflect the importance of each sensor node. Based on the introduced congestion degree and node priority index, PCCP utilizes a cross-layer optimization and imposes a hop-by-hop approach to control congestion. We have demonstrated that PCCP achieves efficient congestion control and flexible weighted fairness for both single-path and multi-path routing, as a result this leads to higher energy efficiency and better QoS in terms of both packet loss rate and delay.

Energy-Aware Clustering for Wireless Sensor Networks using Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are mainly characterized by their limited and non-replenishable energy supply. Hence, the need for energy efficient infrastructure is becoming increasingly more important since it impacts upon the network operational lifetime. Sensor node clustering is one of the techniques that can expand the lifespan of the whole network through data aggregation at the cluster head. In this paper, we present an energy-aware clustering for wireless sensor networks using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm which is implemented at the base station. We define a new cost function, with the objective of simultaneously minimizing the intra-cluster distance and optimizing the energy consumption of the network. The performance of our protocol is compared with the well known cluster-based protocol developed for WSNs, LEACH (low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy) and LEACH-C, the later being an improved version of LEACH. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed protocol can achieve better network lifetime and data delivery at the base station over its comparatives.

A survey on power control issues in wireless sensor networks

Abstract: ith the proliferation in sensor nodes and the development in wireless communication technologies, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have gained worldwide attention in recent years. They facilitate monitoring and controlling of physical environments from remote locations with great accuracy and represent a significant improvement over wired sensor networks. WSNs are employed in a vast variety of fields, such as: environmental monitoring (e.g., temperature, humidity), monitoring disaster areas providing relief, file exchange, conferencing, home, health (monitoring patients and assisting disabled patients), commercial applications including managing inventory and monitoring product quality and military purposes. Their function is to collect and disseminate critical data, while their position does need to be engineered or predetermined, in contrast to the wired ones. This allows random deployment in inaccessible terrains or disaster relief operations. On the other hand, this also means that WSN protocols and algorithms must possess self-organizing capabilities [1]. Realization of the wireless sensor network applications requires wireless ad-hoc networking techniques. Although a great number of protocols and algorithms have been proposed for wireless ad-hoc networks, they are not well-suited to the unique features and application requirements of WSNs for the following reasons: • The topology of a WSN changes very frequently. • The number of sensor nodes in a WSN can be several orders of magnitude higher than the number of sensor nodes in a wireless ad-hoc network. • Sensor nodes are densely deployed in a sensor field • Sensor nodes mainly use a broadcast communication paradigm, whereas most wireless ad-hoc networks are based on point-to-point communications. • Sensor nodes may not have global identification due to their large amount of overhead and large number of sensors in the WSN. • Sensor nodes are limited in power, computational capacity and memory. This last requirement is the primary limitation of the WSNs. Their survivability, as it has already been mentioned, depends on power control and power management of the consumed energy, as well as on network connectivity. Considerable research has been focused at overcoming the deficiencies of energy consumption of the sensor nodes, guaranteeing the sensor network's existence and increasing the sensor network's lifetime in such energy-constrained environments through more power control schemes regarding resource allocation, routing and low-energy consumption. This survey attempts to provide an overview of these issues as well as the solutions proposed in recent literature. ABSTRACT A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is actually composed of a large number of very small …

Implications of radio fingerprinting on the security of sensor networks

Abstract: We demonstrate the feasibility of finger-printing the radio of wireless sensor nodes (Chipcon 1000 radio, 433MHz) We show that, with this type of devices, a receiver can create device radio finger-prints and subsequently identify origins of messages exchanged between the devices, even if message contents and device identifiers are hidden We further analyze the implications of device fingerprinting on the security of sensor networking protocols, specifically, we propose two new mechanisms for the detection of wormholes in sensor networks

Wireless Sensors in Distributed Detection Applications

Abstract: Detection problems provide a productive starting point for the study of more general statistical inference problems in sensor networks. In this article, the classical framework for decentralized detection is reviewed and argued that, while this framework provides a useful basis for developing a theory for detection in sensor networks, it has serious limitations. The classical framework does not adequately take into account important features of sensor technology and of the communication link between the sensors and the fusion center. An alternative framework for detection in sensor networks that has emerged over the last few years is discussed. Several design and optimization strategies may be gleaned from this new framework

An RF-Based System for Tracking Transceiver-Free Objects

Abstract: In traditional radio-based localization methods, the target object has to carry a transmitter (e.g., active RFID), a receiver (e.g., 802.11x detector), or a transceiver (e.g., sensor node). However, in some applications, such as safe guard systems, it is not possible to meet this precondition. In this paper, we propose a model of signal dynamics to allow tracking of transceiver-free objects. Based on radio signal strength indicator (RSSI), which is readily available in wireless communication, three tracking algorithms are proposed to eliminate noise behaviors and improve accuracy. The midpoint and intersection algorithms can be applied to track a single object without calibration, while the best-cover algorithm has potential to track multiple objects but requires calibration. Our experimental test-bed is a grid sensor array based on MICA2 sensor nodes. The experimental results show that the best side length between sensor nodes in the grid is 2 meters and the best-cover algorithm can reach localization accuracy to 0.99 m

Wireless sensor networks with energy harvesting technologies: a game-theoretic approach to optimal energy management

Abstract: Energy harvesting technologies are required for autonomous sensor networks for which using a power source from a fixed utility or manual battery recharging is infeasible An energy harvesting device (eg, a solar cell) converts different forms of environmental energy into electricity to be supplied to a sensor node However, since it can produce energy only at a limited rate, energy saving mechanisms play an important role to reduce energy consumption in a sensor node In this article we present an overview of the different energy harvesting technologies and the energy saving mechanisms for wireless sensor networks The related research issues on energy efficiency for sensor networks using energy harvesting technology are then discussed To this end, we present an optimal energy management policy for a solar-powered sensor node that uses a sleep and wakeup strategy for energy conservation The problem of determining the sleep and wakeup probabilities is formulated as a bargaining game The Nash equilibrium is used as the solution of this game

An Improved Dynamic User Authentication Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Over the last few years, many researchers have paid a lot of attention to the user authentication problem. However, to date, there has been relatively little research suited for wireless sensor networks. Recently, Wong et al. proposed a dynamic user authentication scheme for WSNs that allows legitimate users to query sensor data at every sensor node of the network. We show that Wong et al.'s scheme is vulnerable to the replay and forgery attacks and propose a lightweight dynamic user authentication scheme for WSNs. The proposed scheme not only retains all the advantages in Wong et al.'s scheme but also enhances its security by withstanding the security weaknesses and allows legitimate users to change their passwords freely. In comparison with the previous scheme, our proposed scheme possesses many advantages, including resistance of the replay and forgery attacks, reduction of user's password leakage risk, capability of changeable password, and better efficiency.

Development of an impedance-based wireless sensor node for structural health monitoring

Abstract: This paper presents the development and application of a miniaturized impedance sensor node for structural health monitoring (SHM). A large amount of research has been focused on utilizing the impedance method for structural health monitoring. The vast majority of this research, however, has required the use of expensive and bulky impedance analyzers that are not suitable for field deployment. In this study, we developed a wireless impedance sensor node equipped with a low-cost integrated circuit chip that can measure and record the electrical impedance of a piezoelectric transducer, a microcontroller that performs local computing and a wireless telemetry module that transmits the structural information to a base station. The performance of this miniaturized and portable device has been compared to results obtained with a conventional impedance analyzer and its effectiveness has been demonstrated in an experiment to detect loss of preload in a bolted joint. Furthermore, for the first time, we also consider the problem of wireless powering of such SHM sensor nodes, where we use radio-frequency wireless energy transmission to deliver electrical energy to power the sensor node. In this way, the sensor node does not have to rely on an on-board power source, and the required energy can be wirelessly delivered as needed by human or a remotely controlled robotic device.

On Broadcast Authentication in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Broadcast authentication is a critical security service in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), since it enables users to broadcast the WSN in an authenticated way. Symmetric key based schemes such as muTESLA and multilevel muTESLA have been proposed to provide such services for WSNs; however, these schemes all suffer from serious DoS attacks due to the delay in message authentication. This paper presents several effective public key based schemes to achieve immediate broadcast authentication and thus overcome the vulnerability presented in the muTESLA-like schemes. Several cryptographic techniques, including Merkle hash tree and identity-based signature scheme, are adopted to minimize the scheme overhead regarding the costs on both computation and communication. A quantitative energy consumption analysis of the proposed schemes is given in detail. We believe that this paper can serve as the start point towards fully solving the important multisender broadcast authentication problem in WSNs.

Very-Small-Satellite Design for Distributed Space Missions

Abstract: A new class of remote sensing and scientific distributed space missions is emerging that requires hundreds to thousands of satellites for simultaneous multipoint sensing. These missions, stymied by the lack of a low-cost mass-producible sensor node, can become reality by merging the concepts of distributed satellite systems and terrestrial wireless sensor networks. A novel, subkilogram, very-small-satellite design can potentially enable these missions. Existing technologies are first investigated, such as standardized picosatellites and microengineered aerospace systems. Two new alternatives are then presented that focus on a low-cost approach by leveraging existing commercial mass-production capabilities: a satellite on a chip (SpaceChip) and a satellite on a printed circuit board. Preliminary results indicate that SpaceChip and a satellite on a printed circuit board offer an order of magnitude of cost savings over existing approaches.

Joint Source–Channel Communication for Distributed Estimation in Sensor Networks

Abstract: Power and bandwidth are scarce resources in dense wireless sensor networks and it is widely recognized that joint optimization of the operations of sensing, processing and communication can result in significant savings in the use of network resources. In this paper, a distributed joint source-channel communication architecture is proposed for energy-efficient estimation of sensor field data at a distant destination and the corresponding relationships between power, distortion, and latency are analyzed as a function of number of sensor nodes. The approach is applicable to a broad class of sensed signal fields and is based on distributed computation of appropriately chosen projections of sensor data at the destination - phase-coherent transmissions from the sensor nodes enable exploitation of the distributed beamforming gain for energy efficiency. Random projections are used when little or no prior knowledge is available about the signal field. Distinct features of the proposed scheme include: (1) processing and communication are combined into one distributed projection operation; (2) it virtually eliminates the need for in-network processing and communication; (3) given sufficient prior knowledge about the sensed data, consistent estimation is possible with increasing sensor density even with vanishing total network power; and (4) consistent signal estimation is possible with power and latency requirements growing at most sublinearly with the number of sensor nodes even when little or no prior knowledge about the sensed data is assumed at the sensor nodes.

Energy Efficient Medium Access Protocol for Wireless Medical Body Area Sensor Networks

Abstract: This paper presents a novel energy-efficient MAC Protocol designed specifically for wireless body area sensor networks (WBASN) focused towards pervasive healthcare applications. Wireless body area networks consist of wireless sensor nodes attached to the human body to monitor vital signs such as body temperature, activity or heart-rate. The network adopts a master-slave architecture, where the body-worn slave node periodically sends sensor readings to a central master node. Unlike traditional peer-to-peer wireless sensor networks, the nodes in this biomedical WBASN are not deployed in an ad hoc fashion. Joining a network is centrally managed and all communications are single-hop. To reduce energy consumption, all the sensor nodes are in standby or sleep mode until the centrally assigned time slot. Once a node has joined a network, there is no possibility of collision within a cluster as all communication is initiated by the central node and is addressed uniquely to a slave node. To avoid collisions with nearby transmitters, a clear channel assessment algorithm based on standard listen-before-transmit (LBT) is used. To handle time slot overlaps, the novel concept of a wakeup fallback time is introduced. Using single-hop communication and centrally controlled sleep/wakeup times leads to significant energy reductions for this application compared to more 'flexible' network MAC protocols such as 802.11 or Zigbee. With longer sleep times, the overall power consumption approaches the standby power. The protocol is implemented in hardware as part of the Sensiumtrade system-on-chip WBASN ASIC, in a 0.13 um CMOS process.

Rethinking Data Management for Storage-centric Sensor Networks.

Abstract: Data management in wireless sensor networks has been an area of significant research in recent years. Many existing sensor data management systems view sensor data as a continuous stream that is sensed, filtered, processed, and aggregated as it “flows” from sensors to users. We argue that technology trends in flash memories and embedded platforms call for re-thinking this architecture. We articulate a vision of a storage-centric sensor network where sensor nodes will be equipped with high-capacity and energy-efficient local flash storage. We argue that the data management infrastructure will need substantial redesign to fully exploit the presence of local storage and processing capability in order to reduce expensive communication. We then describe how StonesDB enables this vision through a number of innovative features including energyefficient use of flash memory, multi-resolution storage and aging, query processing, and intelligent caching.

Localization for large-scale underwater sensor networks

Abstract: In this paper, we study the localization problem in large-scale under-water sensor networks. The adverse aqueous environments, the node mobility, and the large network scale all pose new challenges, and most current localization schemes are not applicable. We propose a hierarchical approach which divides the whole localization process into two sub-processes: anchor node localization and ordinary node localization. Many existing techniques can be used in the former. For the ordinary node localization process, we propose a distributed localization scheme which novelly integrates a 3-dimensional Euclidean distance estimation method with a recursive location estimation method. Simulation results show that our proposed solution can achieve high localization coverage with relatively small localization error and low communication overhead in large-scale 3-dimensional underwater sensor networks.

On the Detection of Clones in Sensor Networks Using Random Key Predistribution

Abstract: Random key predistribution security schemes are well suited for use in sensor networks due to their low overhead However, the security of a network using predistributed keys can be compromised by cloning attacks In this attack, an adversary breaks into a sensor node, reprograms it, and inserts several copies of the node back into the sensor network Cloning gives the adversary an easy way to build an army of malicious nodes that can cripple the sensor network In this paper, we propose an algorithm that a sensor network can use to detect the presence of clones Keys that are present on the cloned nodes are detected by looking at how often they are used to authenticate nodes in the network Simulations verify that the proposed method accurately detects the presence of clones in the system and supports their removal We quantify the extent of false positives and false negatives in the clone detection process

Protecting Receiver-Location Privacy in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Due to the open nature of a sensor network, it is relatively easy for an adversary to eavesdrop and trace packet movement in the network in order to capture the receiver physically. After studying the adversary's behavior patterns, we present countermeasures to this problem. We propose a location-privacy routing protocol (LPR) that is easy to implement and provides path diversity. Combining with fake packet injection, LPR is able to minimize the traffic direction information that an adversary can retrieve from eavesdropping. By making the directions of both incoming and outgoing traffic at a sensor node uniformly distributed, the new defense system makes it very hard for an adversary to perform analysis on locally gathered information and infer the direction to which the receiver locates. We evaluate our defense system based on three criteria: delivery time, privacy protection strength, and energy cost. The simulation results show that LPR with fake packet injection is capable of providing strong protection for the receiver's location privacy. Under similar energy cost, the safe time of the receiver provided by LPR is much longer than other methods, including Phantom routing (Kamat et al., 2005) and DEFP (Deng et al., 2005). The performance of our system can be tuned through a couple of parameters that determine the tradeoff between energy cost and the strength of location-privacy protection.

Top-k Monitoring in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Top-k monitoring is important to many wireless sensor applications. This paper exploits the semantics of top-k query and proposes an energy-efficient monitoring approach called FILA. The basic idea is to install a filter at each sensor node to suppress unnecessary sensor updates. Filter setting and query reevaluation upon updates are two fundamental issues to the correctness and efficiency of the FILA approach. We develop a query reevaluation algorithm that is capable of handling concurrent sensor updates. In particular, we present optimization techniques to reduce the probing cost. We design a skewed filter setting scheme, which aims to balance energy consumption and prolong network lifetime. Moreover, two filter update strategies, namely, eager and lazy, are proposed to favor different application scenarios. We also extend the algorithms to several variants of top-k query, that is, order-insensitive, approximate, and value monitoring. The performance of the proposed FILA approach is extensively evaluated using real data traces. The results show that FILA substantially outperforms the existing TAG-based approach and range caching approach in terms of both network lifetime and energy consumption under various network configurations.

Online Data Gathering for Maximizing Network Lifetime in Sensor Networks

Abstract: Energy-constrained sensor networks have been deployed widely for monitoring and surveillance purposes. Data gathering in such networks is often a prevalent operation. Since sensors have significant power constraints (battery life), energy efficient methods must be employed for data gathering to prolong network lifetime. We consider an online data gathering problem in sensor networks, which is stated as follows: assume that there is a sequence of data gathering queries, which arrive one by one. To respond to each query as it arrives, the system builds a routing tree for it. Within the tree, the volume of the data transmitted by each internal node depends on not only the volume of sensed data by the node itself, but also the volume of data received from its children. The objective is to maximize the network lifetime without any knowledge of future query arrivals and generation rates. In other words, the objective is to maximize the number of data gathering queries answered until the first node in the network fails. For the problem of concern, in this paper, we first present a generic cost model of energy consumption for data gathering queries if a routing tree is used for the query evaluation. We then show the problem to be NP-complete and propose several heuristic algorithms for it. We finally conduct experiments by simulation to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms in terms of network lifetime delivered. The experimental results show that, among the proposed algorithms, one algorithm that takes into account both the residual energy and the volume of data at each sensor node significantly outperforms the others

Intrusion detection of sinkhole attacks in wireless sensor networks

Abstract: In this paper, we present an Intrusion Detection System designed for wireless sensor networks and show how it can be configured to detect Sinkhole attacks. A Sinkhole attack forms a serious threat to sensor networks. We study in depth this attack by presenting how it can be launched in realistic networks that use the MintRoute protocol of TinyOS. MintRoute is the most widely used routing protocol in sensor network deployments, using the link quality metric to build the corresponding routing tree. Having implemented this attack in TinyOS, we embed the appropriate rules in our IDS system that will enable it to detect successfully the intruder node. We demonstrate this in our own sensor network deployment and we also present simulation results to confirm the effectiveness and accuracy of the algorithm in the general case of random topologies.

Adaptive Triangular Deployment Algorithm for Unattended Mobile Sensor Networks

Abstract: In this paper, we present a novel sensor deployment algorithm, called the adaptive triangular deployment (ATRI) algorithm, for large-scale unattended mobile sensor networks. The ATRI algorithm aims at maximizing coverage area and minimizing coverage gaps and overlaps by adjusting the deployment layout of nodes close to equilateral triangulation, which is proven to be the optimal layout to provide the maximum no-gap coverage. The algorithm only needs the location information of nearby nodes, thereby avoiding communication cost for exchanging global information. By dividing the transmission range into six sectors, each node adjusts the relative distance to its one-hop neighbors in each sector separately. The distance threshold strategy and the movement state diagram strategy are adopted to avoid the oscillation of nodes. The simulation results show that the ATRI algorithm achieves a much larger coverage area and smaller average moving distance of nodes than existing algorithms. We also show that the ATRI algorithm is applicable to practical environments and tasks such as working in both bounded and unbounded areas and avoiding irregularly shaped obstacles. In addition, the density of nodes can be adjusted adaptively to different requirements of tasks.

A dynamic clustering and energy efficient routing technique for sensor networks

Abstract: In the development of various large-scale sensor systems, a particularly challenging problem is how to dynamically organize the sensors into a wireless communication network and route sensed information from the field sensors to a remote base station. This paper presents a new energy-efficient dynamic clustering technique for large-scale sensor networks. By monitoring the received signal power from its neighboring nodes, each node estimates the number of active nodes in realtime and computes its optimal probability of becoming a cluster head, so that the amount of energy spent in both intra- and inter-cluster communications can be minimized. Based on the clustered architecture, this paper also proposes a simple multihop routing algorithm that is designed to be both energy-efficient and power-aware, so as to prolong the network lifetime. The new clustering and routing algorithms scale well and converge fast for large-scale dynamic sensor networks, as shown by our extensive simulation results.

Shooter localization and weapon classification with soldier-wearable networked sensors

Abstract: The paper presents a wireless sensor network-based mobilecountersniper system. A sensor node consists of a helmetmountedmicrophone array, a COTS MICAz mote for internodecommunication and a custom sensorboard that implementsthe acoustic detection and Time of Arrival (ToA) estimationalgorithms on an FPGA. A 3-axis compass providesself orientation and Bluetooth is used for communicationwith the soldier's PDA running the data fusion and the userinterface. The heterogeneous sensor fusion algorithm canwork with data from a single sensor or it can fuse ToA orAngle of Arrival (AoA) observations of muzzle blasts andballistic shockwaves from multiple sensors. The system estimatesthe trajectory, the range, the caliber and the weapontype. The paper presents the system design and the resultsfrom an independent evaluation at the US Army AberdeenTest Center. The system performance is characterized by 1-degree trajectory precision and over 95% caliber estimationaccuracy for all shots, and close to 100% weapon estimationaccuracy for 4 out of 6 guns tested.

Scan-Based Movement-Assisted Sensor Deployment Methods in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: The efficiency of sensor networks depends on the coverage of the monitoring area. Although, in general, a sufficient number of sensors are used to ensure a certain degree of redundancy in coverage, a good sensor deployment is still necessary to balance the workload of sensors. In a sensor network with locomotion facilities, sensors can move around to self-deploy. The movement-assisted sensor deployment deals with moving sensors from an initial unbalanced state to a balanced state. Therefore, various optimization problems can be defined to minimize different parameters, including total moving distance, total number of moves, communication/computation cost, and convergence rate. In this paper, we first propose a Hungarian-algorithm-based optimal solution, which is centralized. Then, a localized scan-based movement-assisted sensor deployment method (SMART) and several variations of it that use scan and dimension exchange to achieve a balanced state are proposed. An extended SMART is developed to address a unique problem called communication holes in sensor networks. Extensive simulations have been done to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Distributed Sequential Bayesian Estimation of a Diffusive Source in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: We develop an efficient distributed sequential Bayesian estimation method for applications relating to diffusive sources-localizing a diffusive source, determining its space-time concentration distribution, and predicting its cloud envelope evolution using wireless sensor networks. Potential applications include security, environmental and industrial monitoring, as well as pollution control. We first derive the physical model of the substance dispersion by solving the diffusion equations under different environment scenarios and then integrate the physical model into the distributed processing technologies. We propose a distributed sequential Bayesian estimation method in which the state belief is transmitted in the wireless sensor networks and updated using the measurements from the new sensor node. We propose two belief representation methods: a Gaussian density approximation and a new LPG function (linear combination of polynomial Gaussian density functions) approximation. These approximations are suitable for the distributed processing in wireless sensor networks and are applicable to different sensor network situations. We implement the idea of information-driven sensor collaboration and select the next sensor node according to certain criterions, which provides an optimal subset and an optimal order of incorporating the measurements into our belief update, reduces response time, and saves energy consumption of the sensor network. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods