ECS Workshop on Wireless Networked Sensor Systems

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

NSF ELECTRICAL AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS (ECS) WORKSHOP ON WIRELESS NETWORKED SENSOR SYSTEMS: PROJECT SUMMARY Wireless sensor network technology has expanded from its origins of over a decade ago to now include many new communities in both research and applications. New technology requirements have rapidly appeared along with many new applications. For example, whereas early sensors focused on seismic and acoustic sensing channels for event detection, the new applications in natural and urban environmental sensing now require new sensing channels for example, multispectral imaging for detailed understanding of phenomena and chemical sensing for detection of biological pathogens in water resources. Also, as applications have evolved, the requirements for precision have increased as well. Further, new applications may emerge in the future where bounded response time and distributed control present their requirements. While these new applications appear, the long standing problems of scarce energy resources and unreliable, energy-intensive wireless communication remain as challenges. A broad set of research can be developed opportunities for addressing these new requirements. In particular, the Electrical and Communications Systems (ECS) Division of the NSF can contribute to a vision of joint development of hardware and software architectures that uniformly consider sensing, signal processing, event detection, computing, and networking. This research can consider the unique areas of ECS expertise, for example in the development of jointly optimized hardware and software architectures, sensor systems, communication systems, and distributed, real-time control methods. This proposal describes an NSF Electrical and Communications Systems (ECS) Workshop on Wireless Networked Sensor Systems. This is intended to engage Grantees of the ECS Division as well as others to explore the new ECS opportunities, develop a series of new program concepts, and ultimately create new research avenues on urgent ECS problems. The topics of this workshop will include the examples of 1) Decentralized Detection and Control with Wireless Sensor Networks, 2) Wireless Sensor Node and System Energy Barriers and Solution Pathways, 3) Energy-Aware Networked Sensor and Instrument Systems, 4) Energy-Aware, Wireless Sensor Specific Hardware and Software Architectures, and others to be developed. The Workshop is proposed to take place over a two-day period in August 2003, and engage at least 50 investigators. The Workshop schedule will include brief orientation/discussion periods along with breakout sessions that are intended to not only produce guiding summary documents, but to also promote the development of this new community. Broad Societal Impacts: The wireless sensor research area has promising impact in science and engineering disciplines including natural environmental science and environmental engineering, industrial automation, physical security for homeland defense, and healthcare technology. Many new challenges are rapidly appearing that must be solved to support the wireless sensor network vision. This Workshop will provide guidance at many levels for the development of new innovations and research pathways that will have broad impact. Broad Education Impacts: Wireless sensor research has already demonstrated broad impact in education through the development of new courses and the direct benefits of engaging undergraduate and graduate student researchers with inherently multidisciplinary research programs. This Workshop will create a set of new such opportunities specifically in the ECS area, thus broadening the opportunities for identifying vital undergraduate and graduate student thesis research objectives and programs. Workshop results will be immediately valuable for student researchers and their advisors.