What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Loren Schwiebert Wayne State University Department of Computer Science

loren@wayne.edu http://www.cs.wayne.edu/~loren

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Why Wireless Sensors Now?

Moores Law is making sufficient CPU performance

available with low power requirements in a small size. Research in Materials Science has resulted in novel sensing materials for many Chemical, Biological, and Physical sensing tasks. Transceivers for wireless devices are becoming smaller, less expensive, and less power hungry. Power source improvements in batteries, as well as passive power sources such as solar or vibration energy, are expanding application options.

Current State of the Art in Wireless Sensors

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Typical Sensor Node Features

A sensor node has: Sensing Material
Physical Magnetic, Light, Sound Chemical CO, Chemical Weapons Biological Bacteria, Viruses, Proteins

Integrated Circuitry (VLSI)

A-to-D converter from sensor to circuitry

Packaging for environmental safety Power Supply

Passive Solar, Vibration Active Battery power, RF Inductance

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Advances in Wireless Sensor Nodes

Consider Multiple Generations of Berkeley Motes

Model Date CPU Flash Memory RAM Radio

Rene 1999 4 MHz 8 KB 512 B

Mica 2002 4 MHz

Mica-2 2003 4 MHz

Mica-Z 2004 4 MHz 128 KB 4 KB

128 KB 128 KB 4 KB 4 KB

10 Kbps 40 Kbps 76 Kbps 250 Kbps

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Historical Comparison
Consider a 40 Year Old Computer

Model Date
CPU Flash Memory RAM

Honeywell H-300 6/1964

2 MHz None 32 KB

Mica 2 7/2003
4 MHz 128 KB 4 KB

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

A Rosy Future for Wireless Sensors?

Is the effort on wireless sensor protocols

a waste of time?? Can we just wait 10-15 years until we have sensors that are very powerful??

NO!! Will still face: Very limited storage Modest power supplies

Proposed Applications of Wireless Sensors

What does the Future hold for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Smart Home / Smart Office

Sensors controlling

appliances and electrical devices in the house. Better lighting and heating in office buildings. The Pentagon building has used sensors extensively.

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Biomedical / Medical
Health Monitors Glucose Heart rate Cancer detection

Chronic Diseases Artificial retina Cochlear implants Hospital Sensors Monitor vital signs Record anomalies

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Military
Remote deployment of sensors for tactical monitoring of enemy troop movements.

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Industrial & Commercial

Numerous industrial and commercial

applications:
Agricultural Crop Conditions Inventory Tracking In-Process Parts Tracking Automated Problem Reporting RFID Theft Deterrent and Customer Tracing Plant Equipment Maintenance Monitoring

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Traffic Management & Monitoring

Future cars could use

wireless sensors to:

Handle Accidents Handle Thefts

Sensors embedded

in the roads to:

Monitor traffic flows Provide real-time route updates

Driving Forces for Adopting New Technology

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Economic Factors
New technologies replace existing

technologies or fill new niches when there are economic advantages.

Wireless sensors will replace wired sensors
No wiring lower costs More flexible deployments

Wireless sensors will provide new services

Provide cost advantages or lower overhead Improve product quality or product features

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Novelty
Some early adopters use new technology simply for novelty or the fun of it. Examples include:

Java rings and internet watches. Maybe wireless sensors for dating or

meeting new people? Personal wireless sensors for fun a temperature monitor you carry around?

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Legal / Liability
New technologies are adopted

because of government mandates:

Air bags in automobiles Child safety seats

Companies employ new

technologies to avoid being sued!!

Temperature sensors to detect coffee that is too hot??

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Entertainment
New technology is adopted for

entertainment.
Playing games is major use of home PCs. So is Internet browsing. Games on cellular phones. 3D visualization for games. Games of tag using wireless sensors? Interactive role-playing games with sensors?

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Not Technical Superiority

Useful technologies may not dominate

the marketplace for several reasons.

Delay in getting to market. Lack of standardization. Limited applications. Consumer preference VHS vs. Betamax. Weaker marketing or capitalization.

Unusual that there are no alternative

technologies that can be used.

Uses of New Technology

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Unexpected Killer Applications

Useful applications often follow

available technology. For example,

PCs were available and people looked for a killer app Visicalc. The Internet was not created with these current applications in mind:
World Wide Web E-Commerce Peer-to-Peer Digital Music Sharing

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Unanticipated Uses Arise

Once technology is available, creativity

leads to new applications:

Sims Internet world E-Bay auctions Mirror for the Palm Pilot Digital cameras with PC interface

What surprising applications for wireless

sensor networks?
Depends on sensor technology/form factor

Some Technical Challenges

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Noisy Sensors
Sensor readings can be inaccurate. Protocols need to recognize this. GPS Sensor Accurate within 2.8 meters Relative Humidity Sensor
Accuracy of 5% 8% at 90% Relative Humidity 2% with calibration

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Wireless Channel Conditions

Limitations of wireless channels Noisy Interference Link Contention Unidirectional Links

But inherently a broadcast medium

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Environmental Factors
Wireless sensors need to operate in

conditions that are not encountered by typical computing devices:

Rain, sleet, snow, hail, etc. Wide temperature variations
May require separating sensor from electronics

High humidity Saline or other corrosive substances High wind speeds

What will Wireless Sensor Networks Look Like in the Near Future?

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Large-Scale Deployments
Sensor networks

will grow in size because of:

Lower cost Better protocols Advantages of dense networks

Sensing Zone with sensor-coordinator, sensing-collaborators, and backbone nod

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Heterogeneous Sensors
Homogeneous network of sensors has

been the typical assumption, but not the future!!

Combining sensors with different functions Hierarchy of sensors a few expensive powerful sensors with more cheap sensors
Useful for special communication nodes

A few sensor nodes with expensive sensors, such as GPS-equipped sensors

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Mobile Sensors
Sensors with Micromachines Low-Power Motors that Support Mobility

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General Purpose Sensors

Single-purpose network is the typical

assumption, but not the future!!

Sensors for evolving applications Sensors that can adapt to changing objectives More memory and CPU will allow more complex applications Flexibility increases marketability

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Overlapping Coverage Areas

Sensors will be deployed for specific

applications, but
These deployments will overlap physically Sensors will have different properties Users will want to combine these different sensors for new applications:
Temperature sensors for HVAC control Location tracking of employees Combine these for fire rescue operations

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Mixture of Wired and Wireless

Wireless sensors will become a

seamless part of larger networks!

Combining wired sensors with wireless sensors
Wired sensors can have more power Wired sensors can run TCP/IP

Accessing wireless sensors through the Internet

Need a gateway to translate requests Uploading/downloading information remotely Modifying wireless sensor tasks remotely

Increased direct user interaction

Some Impediments to Creating Future Applications

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Need a Standardized Interface

Automated interaction between

sensors implies some standard mechanism for communication!

Requires compatible wireless technology Standardization a common theme
TCP/IP for the Internet Java for Internet programming Jini, SLP, etc. for 802.11 wireless devices

Need a service discovery protocol Enables standard interface among sensors above the physical layer

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Service Discovery Protocol

Anyone need a printer?

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Service Discovery Protocol (cont.)

For a wireless sensor network, service

discovery provides:
Automated calibration of new devices Highly dynamic system configurations Cooperation among resource poor devices Resource sharing device solutions
Storage and long-range networking services can be obtained from a nearby server

Less duplication of functionality

Supports novel interactions in the future

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Security Issues
Concerns about misuse and privacy Privacy issues may slow consumer adoption of technology
User tracking RFID concerns Has not proved true on the Internet!

Authentication and privacy are not always complementary objectives Do not want your medical sensor hacked!! Data tampering and computer viruses could be a nightmare!

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Liability and Safety Concerns

Companies may adopt wireless sensors

to reduce liability, but wireless sensors could also increase liability:

Use in critical applications could be limited
Imagine a medical sensor fails!! Or an automotive theft deterrent system failure

Companies will be slow to adopt technology that increases their legal exposure
May delay adoption

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Software Engineering
Imagine a heterogeneous wireless

sensor network with complex tasks and high levels of interaction

End-user level products easy to use Software design?? Debugging?? Remote software updates??

Example: Send a request over the

Internet to turn on lights when your car reaches home. The request fails.

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Summary and Conclusions

Wireless sensor networks have a bright future Many applications have been proposed Potential to revolutionize human-computer interactions Availability of sensors will lead to new and exciting applications A lot of research remains to be done Wireless sensors will not evolve into traditional computers Many obstacles to overcome Allow realism to guide research efforts

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Acknowledgments
THANK YOU Research collaborators (and for slides):
Professor Gregory Auner Professor Sandeep K. S. Gupta Professor Golden G. Richard III Manish Kochhal

Technical Assistance: Joel Schwiebert