Showing papers on "Sensor web published in 2008"

Reputation-based framework for high integrity sensor networks

Abstract: Sensor network technology promises a vast increase in automatic data collection capabilities through efficient deployment of tiny sensing devices. The technology will allow users to measure phenomena of interest at unprecedented spatial and temporal densities. However, as with almost every data-driven technology, the many benefits come with a significant challenge in data reliability. If wireless sensor networks are really going to provide data for the scientific community, citizen-driven activism, or organizations which test that companies are upholding environmental laws, then an important question arises: How can a user trust the accuracy of information provided by the sensor networkq Data integrity is vulnerable to both node and system failures. In data collection systems, faults are indicators that sensor nodes are not providing useful information. In data fusion systems the consequences are more dire; the final outcome is easily affected by corrupted sensor measurements, and the problems are no longer visibly obvious.In this article, we investigate a generalized and unified approach for providing information about the data accuracy in sensor networks. Our approach is to allow the sensor nodes to develop a community of trust. We propose a framework where each sensor node maintains reputation metrics which both represent past behavior of other nodes and are used as an inherent aspect in predicting their future behavior. We employ a Bayesian formulation, specifically a beta reputation system, for the algorithm steps of reputation representation, updates, integration and trust evolution. This framework is available as a middleware service on motes and has been ported to two sensor network operating systems, TinyOS and SOS. We evaluate the efficacy of this framework using multiple contexts: (1) a lab-scale test bed of Mica2 motes, (2) Avrora simulations, and (3) real data sets collected from sensor network deployments in James Reserve.

Security in wireless sensor networks

Abstract: Recent advances in electronics and wireless communication technologies have enabled the development of large-scale wireless sensor networks that consist of many low-power, low-cost, and small-size sensor nodes. Sensor networks hold the promise of facilitating large-scale and real-time data processing in complex environments. Security is critical for many sensor network applications, such as military target tracking and security monitoring. To provide security and privacy to small sensor nodes is challenging, due to the limited capabilities of sensor nodes in terms of computation, communication, memory/storage, and energy supply. In this article we survey the state of the art in research on sensor network security.

Tiny web services: design and implementation of interoperable and evolvable sensor networks

Abstract: We present a web service based approach to enable an evolutionary sensornet system where additional sensor nodes may be added after the initial deployment. The functionality and data provided by the new nodes is exposed in a structured manner, so that multiple applications may access them. The result is a highly inter-operable system where multiple applications can share a common evolving sensor substrate. A key challenge in using web services on resource constrained sensor nodes is the energy and bandwidth overhead of the structured data formats used in web services. Our work provides a detailed evaluation of the overheads and presents an implementation on a representative sensor platform with 48k of ROM, 10k of RAM and a 802.15.4 radio. We identify design choices that optimize the web service operation on resource constrained sensor nodes, including support for low latency messaging and sleep modes, quantifying trade-offs between the design generality and resource efficiency. We also prototyped an example application, for home energy management, demonstrating how evolutionary sensor networks can be supported with our approach.

Algorithms for Node Clustering in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Abstract: The self-organizational ability of ad-hoc Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have led them to be the most popular choice in ubiquitous computing. Clustering sensor nodes and organizing them hierarchically have proven to be an effective method to provide better data aggregation and scalability for the sensor network while conserving limited energy. In this paper we provide a comprehensive analysis of clustering algorithms available for WSN and classify them based on the cluster formation parameters and cluster head (CH) election criteria. We further study the key design challenges and discuss the performance issues related clustering algorithms.

Towards a RESTful Plug and Play Experience in the Web of Things

Abstract: The vision of Ambient Intelligence cannot be realized without integrating heterogeneous sensor and actuator networks in a framework of global scale that makes them available via unified service interfaces. Integration of these things into the Web has not been done on such a large scale and the effects on finding and interacting with physical resources are not known. This paper presents a scalable discovery mechanism, augmented with semantic web elements, based on RESTful principles that enables a plug and play experience for heterogeneous sensor and actuator networks in the "Web of Things".

Passive diagnosis for wireless sensor networks

Abstract: Network diagnosis, an essential research topic for traditional networking systems, has not received much attention for wireless sensor networks. Existing sensor debugging tools like sympathy or EmStar rely heavily on an add-in protocol that generates and reports a large amount of status information from individual sen-sor nodes, introducing network overhead to a resource constrained and usually traffic sensitive sensor network. We report in this study our initial attempt at providing a light-weight network diag-nosis mechanism for sensor networks. We propose PAD, a prob-abilistic diagnosis approach for inferring the root causes of ab-normal phenomena. PAD employs a packet marking algorithm for efficiently constructing and dynamically maintaining the inference model. Our approach does not incur additional traffic overhead for collecting desired information. Instead, we introduce a prob-abilistic inference model which encodes internal dependencies among different network elements, for online diagnosis of an operational sensor network system. Such a model is capable of additively reasoning root causes based on passively observed symptoms. We implement the PAD design in our sea monitoring sensor network test-bed and validate its effectiveness. We further evaluate the efficiency and scalability of this design through ex-tensive trace-driven simulations.

Censor networks: a critique of "sensor networks" from a systems perspective

Abstract: This writeup presents a critique of the field of "Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)". Literature in this domain falls into two main, distinct categories: (1) algorithms or protocols, and (2) applicationcentric system design. A striking observation is that references across these two categories are minimal, and superficial at best. We argue that this is not accidental, and is the result of three main flaws in the former category of work. Going forward, an applicationdriven, bottom-up approach is required for meaningful articulation and subsequent solution of any networking issues in WSNs.

Wireless sensor networks in permafrost research: concept, requirements, implementation, and challenges

Abstract: In a joint project of computer- and geo-scientists, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are customized for permafrost monitoring in alpine areas. In this paper, we discuss requirements for a rugged setup of such a network that is adapted to operation in a difficult environment. The experiences with a first deployment at Jungfraujoch (Switzerland) show that, beside hardware modifications of existing WSN platforms, special emphasis should be given to the development of robust synchronization and low-power data routing algorithms. This results from the fact that standard software tools are not capable in dealing with the high-temperature fluctuations found in high-mountains without compromising the power consumption and the network topology. Enhancements resulted in a second deployment at Matterhorn (Switzerland), from where we expect results in the near future. Once the technology of WSNs is a science-grade instrument, it will be a powerful tool to gather spatial permafrost data in near real-time.

Semantic Sensor Information Description and Processing

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks (WSN) generate large volumes of raw data which possess natural heterogeneity. WSNs are normally application specific with no sharing or reusability of sensor data among applications. In order for applications and services to be developed independently of particular WSNs, sensor data need to be enriched with semantic information. In this paper, we propose a semantic Web architecture for sensor networks (SWASN). This information oriented architecture allows the sensor data to be understood and processed in a meaningful way by a variety of applications with different purposes. We develop ontologies for sensor data and use the Jena API for processing which includes querying and inference over sensor data. By studying a building fire emergency scenario, we show that semantic Web technologies can provide high level information extraction and inference of sensor data.

COSMOS: A Middleware for Integrated Data Processing over Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

Abstract: With the increasing need for intelligent environment monitoring applications and the decreasing cost of manufacturing sensor devices, it is likely that a wide variety of sensor networks will be deployed in the near future In this environment, the way to access heterogeneous sensor networks and the way to integrate various sensor data are very important This paper proposes the common system for middleware of sensor networks (COSMOS), which provides integrated data processing over multiple heterogeneous sensor networks based on sensor network abstraction called the sensor network common interface Specifically, this paper introduces the sensor network common interface which defines a standardized communication protocol and message formats used between the COSMOS and sensor networks

A survey of architecture and node deployment in Wireless Sensor Network

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks consist of small nodes with sensing, computation and wireless communication capabilities. Various architectures and node deployment strategies have been developed for wireless sensor network, depending upon the requirement of application. Sensor networks are used in different applications e.g. environmental monitoring, habitat monitoring, home automation, military application etc. In this paper we present survey of state-of-the-art of architecture and node deployment in wireless sensor network. We present the characteristics of the environment in which the sensor networks may deploy. Node deployment in wireless sensor network is application dependent and can be either deterministic or randomized. But in both the cases coverage of interested area is the main issue. We also explain the routing protocols for wireless sensor network.

Application of Wireless Sensor Networks to Healthcare Promotion

Abstract: Born on military applications, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) application grew on the promise of environment sensing and data processing capability at low cost. These networks can hold hundreds or even thousands of smart sensing nodes with processing and sensing capabilities and even integrated power through a dedicated battery. This paper surveys on the application of wireless sensor networks to healthcare promotion, namely with the use of biosensor technology applied to body sensor networks. On a wireless body sensor network, a person wears biosensors to gather data, while doing their daily activities. Currently, engineers and medical staff are cooperating on finding new ways to properly gather meaningful data on-site and achieve a convenient way to process these data for research and on-site medical decision. New challenges that such approach brings are also considered. Moreover, it is shown that wireless sensor networks provide the technology to built wireless sensing and create a convenient infrastructure for multiple data gathering in healthcare applications. Together with real successful examples, we demonstrate the great usefulness of wireless sensor networks in healthcare promotion. The paper concludes with some guidelines for future work.

Integration of RFID and Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) are two important wireless technologies that have wide variety of applications and provide limitless future potentials. However, RFID and sensor networks almost are under development in parallel way. Integration of RFID and wireless sensor networ ks attracts little attention from research community. This paper first presents a brief introduction on RFID, and then investigates recent research works, new products/pa tents and applications that integrate RFID with sensor networks. Four types of integration are discussed. They are integrating tags with sensors, integrating tags with wireless sensor nodes, integrating readers with wir eless sensor nodes and wireless devices, and mix of RFID and sensors. New challenges and future works are discus sed in the end.

Chain-Type Wireless Sensor Network for Monitoring Long Range Infrastructures: Architecture and Protocols

Abstract: We present in this paper an investigation of a special class of wireless sensor networks for monitoring critical infrastructures that may extend for hundreds of miles in distances. Such networks are fundamentally different from traditional sensor networks in that the sensor nodes in this class of networks are deployed along narrowly elongated geographical areas and form a chain-type topology. Based on careful analysis of existing sensor network architectures, we first demonstrate the need to develop new architecture and networking protocols to match the unique topology of chain-type sensor networks. We then propose hierarchical network architecture that consists of clusters of sensor nodes to enable the chain-type sensor networks to be scalable to cover typically long range infrastructures with tolerable delay in network-wide data collection. To maintain energy efficient operations and maximize the lifetime for such a chain-type sensor network, we devise a smart strategy for the deployment of cluster heads. Protocols for network initialization and seamless operations of the chain-type sensor networks are also developed to match the proposed hierarchical architecture and cluster head deployment strategy. Simulations have been carried out to verify the performance of the hierarchical architecture, the smart node deployment strategy, and the corresponding network initialization and operation protocols.

SIDnet-SWANS: a simulator and integrated development platform for sensor networks applications

Abstract: This work presents the SIDnet, a simulation-based environment for applications development in wireless sensor networks settings. It enables run-time interactions with the network for the purpose of observing the behavior of algorithms protocols in the presence of various conditions such as phenomena fluctuations, or a sudden loss of service both at an individual node, as well as a collection of nodes.

Wireless Sensor Network Industrial View? What Will Be the Killer Apps for Wireless Sensor Network?

Abstract: One of the key technologies associated with ubiquitous network society services is wireless sensor network (WSN). The WSN technology incorporates multiple technology components such as wireless, sensor, and embedded system. WSN was quoted by the MIT Technology Review as one of the technologies that will create giant impact to future life styles and various industrial segments. For WSN applications, the sensor device is the key since they need to be deployed to collect environmental data for further analysis. According to the analysis report by On World, the CAGR for sensor nodes deployed worldwide will be 216%, and the revenue of sensor chips will reach US$12.1 billions in 2010. Therefore it becomes one of the most important & potential technologies.Wireless sensor network enables connectivity and intelligence for sensor applications that will provide advanced monitoring, automation, and control solutions for a range of industries. There are nearly unlimited numbers of WSN markets that have different technology considerations such as frequencies, sampling rate, topologies, sensor to use, etc. In this panel section, it is our honor to invite experts in WSN applications or industries to discuss (1) what will be the killer applications for wireless sensor network, and (2) their associated technology requirements.

A survey on topology control in wireless sensor networks

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks have a wide range of potential, practical and useful applications. However, there are many challenging problems that need to be addressed for efficient operation of wireless sensor networks in real applications. One of the fundamental and important problems in sensor networks is the topology control problem since most sensors are equipped with non-rechargeable batteries and the density of deployed sensors is very high. Topology control needs to reduce the power-consumption and extend the lifetime of sensor networks while satisfying certain application requirements. To energy-efficient control the topology structure of sensor networks, the common approaches are to adjust the transmission power of sensors and to dynamically schedule sensor's cycles. In this paper, we survey the state-of-the art topology control techniques, present an overview and analysis of the solutions proposed in recent research literature.

Smart sensor architecture for mobile-terminal-centric ambient intelligence

Abstract: This study is about developing an open architecture platform for implementing mobile-phone-centric ambient intelligence. In the proposed sensor network architecture, a mobile phone acts as a central node hosting applications and connecting a local sensor network to back-end servers in the internet. The architecture includes a context awareness layer that abstracts sensor measurements into context atoms through rule-based reasoning and notifies changes in atoms to local and remote applications. The technologies used in the architecture include Simple Sensor Interface (SSI) protocol, nanoIP and low-power short-range radios. The architecture has been implemented and successfully demonstrated using several applications with a commercially available mobile phone with add-on electronics.

A framework for creating healthcare monitoring applications using wireless body sensor networks

Abstract: To aid development of Body Sensor Network (BSN) applications, we define a framework that manages common tasks for healthcare monitoring applications The framework allows for dynamic configuration and control of signal processing and sensing functions on the sensor nodes Using this framework, we create a healthcare monitoring platform upon which we implement applications for posture recognition as well as physical therapy We show how body sensor network resources can be dynamically allocated to support heterogeneous application requirements without hardware reconfiguration

Information services for smart grids

Abstract: Interconnected and integrated electrical power systems, by their very dynamic nature are complex. These multifaceted systems are subject to a host of challenges - aging infrastructure, generation availability near load centers, transmission expansion to meet growing demands, distributed resources, dynamic reactive compensation, congestion management, grid ownership vs. system operation, reliability coordination, supply and cost of natural resources for generation, etc. Other types of challenges facing the industry today include balancing between resource adequacy, reliability, economics, environmental constraints, and other public purpose objectives to optimize transmission and distribution resources to meet the needs of the end users. The goal is to provide a vision for a comprehensive and systematic approach to meeting the grid management challenges through new information services. These services will have as the heart of their data streams a sensor web enablement that will make the grid a part of the semantic Web.

Techniques for Improving Opportunistic Sensor Networking Performance

Abstract: A number of recently proposed mobile sensor network architectures rely on uncontrolled, or weakly-controlled mobility to achieve sensing coverage over time at low cost, an opportunistic sensor networking approach. However, this reliance on mobility also introduces a number of challenges. In this paper, we discuss the challenges inherent in this networking paradigm, and describe two composable techniques, sensor sharing and substitution, to make the system more robust in terms of data fidelity and delay. We present a numerical analysis of these techniques, separately and in combination, based on a simple Markov model of an opportunistic sensor network.

Wireless Sensor Networks: Architecture and Protocols

Abstract: In the interest of full disclosure, this book is published by a subsidiary of Taylor & Francis. This is a great book. It is hardware oriented, which is definitely outside my area of expertise. And ...

An Integrated GIS-Expert System Framework for Live Hazard Monitoring and Detection

Abstract: In the context of hazard monitoring, using sensor web technology to monitor and detect hazardous conditions in near-real-time can result in large amounts of spatial data that can be used to drive analysis at an instrumented site. These data can be used for decision making and problem solving, however as with any analysis problem the success of analyzing hazard potential is governed by many factors such as: the quality of the sensor data used as input; the meaning that can be derived from those data; the reliability of the model used to describe the problem; the strength of the analysis methods; and the ability to effectively communicate the end results of the analysis. For decision makers to make use of sensor web data these issues must be dealt with to some degree. The work described in this paper addresses all of these areas by showing how raw sensor data can be automatically transformed into a representation which matches a predefined model of the problem context. This model can be understood by analysis software that leverages rule-based logic and inference techniques to reason with, and draw conclusions about, spatial data. These tools are integrated with a well known Geographic Information System (GIS) and existing geospatial and sensor web infrastructure standards, providing expert users with the tools needed to thoroughly explore a problem site and investigate hazards in any domain.

An open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network for pervasive health monitoring.

Abstract: Objectives: Sensor networks constitute the backbone for the construction of personalized monitoring systems. Up to now, several sensor networks have been proposed for diverse pervasive healthcare applications, which are however characterized by a significant lack of open architectures, resulting in closed, non-interoperable and difficult to extend solutions. In this context, we propose an open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network (WSN) for pervasive health monitoring, with particular emphasis in its easy extension with additional sensors and functionality by incorporating embedded intelligence mechanisms. Methods: We consider a generic WSN architecture comprised of diverse sensor nodes (with communication and processing capabilities) and a mobile base unit (MBU) operating as the gateway between the sensors and the medical personnel, formulating this way a body area network (BAN). The primary focus of this work is on the intra-BAN data communication issues, adopting SensorML as the data representation mean, including the encoding of the monitoring patterns and the functionality of the sensor network. Results: In our prototype implementation two sensor nodes are emulated; one for heart rate monitoring and the other for blood glucose observations, while the MBU corresponds to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is used to implement both the sensor nodes and the MBU components. Intra-BAN wireless communication relies on the Bluetooth protocol. Via an adaptive user interface in the MBU, health professionals may specify the monitoring parameters of the WSN and define the monitoring patterns of interest in terms of rules. Conclusions: This work constitutes an essential step towards the construction of open, extensible, inter - operable and intelligent WSNs for pervasive health monitoring.

A client for distributed geo-processing and workflow design

Abstract: The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web processing service interface specification provides a means to perform web-based processes on distributed geodata and to produce thereby web-based geoinformation. However, the complexity of geodata often requires multiple processing steps. These complex scenarios can be addressed by chaining multiple web processing services to a geo-processing workflow. The Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) as the de-facto standard will be used for these workflows. The special nature of standardised OGC web services has to be taken into account for modelling these workflows. A client is missing which allows the integration of existing OGC web services without specifying additional descriptions such as WSDL documents for all participants in BPEL workflows and thereby bridging the OGC and 'mainstream' IT world. This leverages the fully web-based integration of distributed OGC services and data. These facts were the starting point for this study to build a client, which is able to model and execute BPEL-based workflows and to integrate multiple standardised and web-based data and processing services. The applicability of the client for web-based information integration will be demonstrated for a real-time risk management scenario in the context of location-based services.

A Wireless Sensor Network Application Requirements Taxonomy

Abstract: Traditional data networks have a relatively clear role to play in modern life. Sensor networks on the other hand are a polymorphous species destined for a world of diverse applications. We argue that it is timely to produce a systematic classification of sensor network application classes and accordingly do so. Two major application classes are described and their similarities and differences are elucidated by the taxonomy. This taxonomic work is designed to improve requirements capture for sensor network applications by facilitating solution to scenario matching. It also indicates some challenging aspects of wireless sensor networks in precision agriculture and wild fire management - our sample application domains.

Optimized Autonomous Space In-situ Sensor-Web for Volcano Monitoring

Abstract: In response to NASA's announced requirement for Earth hazard monitoring sensor-web technology, a multidisciplinary team involving sensor-network experts (Washington State University), space scientists (JPL), and earth scientists (USGS cascade volcano observatory (CVO)), is developing a prototype dynamic and scaleable hazard monitoring sensor-web and applying it to volcano monitoring. The combined optimized autonomous space - in-situ sensor-web (OASIS) will have two-way communication capability between ground and space assets, use both space and ground data for optimal allocation of limited power and bandwidth resources on the ground, and use smart management of competing demands for limited space assets. It will also enable scalability and seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensor-web. The prototype will be focused on volcano hazard monitoring at Mount St. Helens, which has been active since October 2004. The system is designed to be flexible and easily configurable for many other applications as well. The primary goals of the project are: 1) integrating complementary space (i.e., Earth observing one (EO-1) satellite) and in-situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensor-web; 2) advancing sensor-web power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enabling scalability for seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensor-web. To meet these goals, we are developing: 1) a test-bed in-situ array with smart sensor nodes capable of making autonomous data acquisition decisions; 2) efficient self-organization algorithm of sensor-web topology to support efficient data communication and command control; 3) smart bandwidth allocation algorithms in which sensor nodes autonomously determine packet priorities based on mission needs and local bandwidth information in real-time; and 4) remote network management and reprogramming tools. The space and in-situ control components of the system will be integrated such that each element is capable of autonomously tasking the other. Sensor-Web data acquisition and dissemination will be accomplished through the use of the open geospatial consortium sensor-web enablement protocols. The three-year project will demonstrate end-to-end system performance with the in-situ test-bed at Mount St. Helens and NASA's EO-1 platform.

Analysis of Hardware Encryption Versus Software Encryption on Wireless Sensor Network Motes

Abstract: Due to the sensitive and often personal nature of sensor data that many wireless sensor networks collect, the security of this data must be guaranteed. This is fast becoming an important concern for sensor networks which are finding applications in the military and home health domains. The best and often the only way to secure this data is to encrypt it using a secure encryption algorithm before it is transmitted over the air ways. Due to the constrained nature of the resources, memory and clock speeds, available on sensor nodes however, the cost, both in terms of power consumption and speed of encryption, of a software based encryption procedure can often outweigh the risks of the transmission being intercepted. This paper presents a solution to reduce this cost of employing encryption by taking advantage of a resource already available on many sensor nodes, including the Crossbow MICAz and MoteIV’s TmoteSKY; this resource being the AES encryption module available on the Chipcon CC2420 transceiver chip. The performance of using this method of securing data on a sensor network against using software implementations of some of the most popular cipher algorithms suitable for WSN is then analysed for both hardware platforms.