NeTS: Small: Algorithmic Foundations for Joint Information Processing and Optimization in a Hybrid Mobile Sensor Network

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this project is to develop efficient distributed algorithms for joint information processing, optimization and coordination of static, pervasive sensor nodes and mobile, autonomous agents that altogether monitor and act on the environment. The application scenarios include tracking, searching and planning mobile agents with the underlying sensor network as a supporting communication infrastructure, and online resource management and allocation guided by real-time sensor detections. This project focuses on three research problems: distributed min-cost bipartite matching, kinetic minimum Steiner tree, and facility location for mobile nodes, by using two non-trivial technical approaches, namely, embedding of the network metric into tree metrics, and distributed primal dual framework. There are two central intellectual questions investigated in this project. 1) How to make use of the sensor data to best serve user requests? This involves developing communication efficient schemes for sensors detecting interesting local events and the mobile users seeking such information to find each other. 2) How to best make use of the continuity and coherence in mobility, either in the presence of mobility enabled sensor data (e.g., detections of continuously moving targets), as well as the locations of mobile users? The project provides solutions that adapt to the system configuration with low update cost, avoiding drastic sudden changes or any level of reconstruction. This project helps to extend the current Internet to the physical world, encouraging seamless integrations of sensing and control of the physical environment. The PI integrates the research agenda with new and existing curriculum development for both undergraduate and graduate education, and continues her efforts in improving female presence in computer science and exposure of research for high school students.