Sensors: Field-Gathering Wireless Sensor Networks

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT 0329715 David Neuhoff U of Michigan, Ann Arbor Field-Gathering Wireless Sensor Networks This project develops the theory and practice of wireless sensor networks for measuring a two-dimensional field and transporting it to a collector site, where it can be displayed for interpretation or used to perform automatic object recognition, object tracking or some other form of estimation or detection. The significance of this research lies in the establishment of theory and the development of technology in the emerging area of sensors and sensor networks, and the applicability of this effort to a wide range of scientific studies and social issues. This project also contributes to the training of graduate students, undergraduate students, and the recruitment of women and underrepresented minority students. This research, which builds on the prior work of the investigators, explores both fundamental limits and practical methodological issues. The fundamental limits have principally to do with network efficiency, as measured by the accuracy of the field reconstruction vs. the required quantity of costly resources such as energy and bandwidth, and how the efficiency scales with the number and density of the sensors. The practical issues have to do with the development of concrete methods that approach or attain the fundamental limits. The typical field to be measured and transported is highly correlated at neighboring locations. This project explores two approaches to exploiting this correlation to substantially increase efficiency. In one approach, the data compression and network routing are jointly designed to complement one another. In the second approach, Slepian-Wolf distributed coding is used. This permits the data compression and data dissemination functions to be independently designed and operated. It also considers both flat and clustered or hierarchical network organizations.