Sensor Networks: From Smart Dust to Multi-scale, Multi-modal, Multi-user Observing Systems

Large-scale networks of wireless sensors are becoming an active topic of research.. We review the key elements of the emergent technology of “Smart Dust” and outline the research challenges they present to the mobile networking and systems community, which must provide coherent connectivity to large numbers of mobile network nodes co-located within a small volume. Smart Dust sensor networks – consisting of cubic millimeter scale sensor nodes capable of limited computation, sensing, and passive optical communication with a base station – are envisioned to fulfil complex large scale monitoring tasks in a wide variety of application areas. RFID technology can realize “smart-dust” applications for the sensor network community. RFID sensor networks (RSNs), which consist of RFID readers and RFID sensor nodes (WISPs), extend RFID to include sensing and bring the advantages of small, inexpensive and long-lived RFID tags to wireless sensor networks. In many potential Smart Dust applications such as object detection and tracking, fine-grained node localization plays a key role.

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An ultra-low energy microcontroller for Smart Dust wireless sensor networks

2004 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37519) ◽

10.1109/isscc.2004.1332721 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

B.A. Warneke ◽

K.S.J. Pister

Keyword(s):

Wireless Sensor Networks ◽

Sensor Networks ◽

Low Energy ◽

Wireless Sensor ◽

Smart Dust

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Multi-Scale Transects of Three North American Drylines

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11080854 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 854

Author(s):

Loren D. White ◽

Duanjun Lu

Keyword(s):

North American ◽

Mountainous Terrain ◽

Moist Convection ◽

Convective Storms ◽

Multi Scale ◽

West Texas ◽

Deep Moist Convection ◽

Using Data ◽

Over Time ◽

Observing Systems

North American drylines are distinct air mass boundaries that have often been examined for their relation to the initiation of severe convective storms. Three cases of drylines occurring in synoptically quiescent environments are analyzed using data obtained from a single mobile platform in concert with data from operational synoptic and mesoscale observing systems. Very distinct moisture contrasts were noted in a nocturnal April case in mountainous terrain in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. The other two cases revealed multi-step moisture transitions within synoptically diffuse moisture gradients. Their evolution over time suggests that such multi-step patterns may be associated with diurnal and geographic forcing transitions, as well as positioning of deep moist convection.

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