Wireless Sensor Networks
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) research investigates the properties of networks of small battery-powered sensors with wireless communication.
For example, it is now possible to combine a wireless radio transceiver with a microprocessor, memory, and several micro-electro-mechanical sensors into a device smaller than a grain of rice.
At York, we focus upon developing network protocols to optimise their performance, lifetime, and energy efficiency.
The importance of wireless sensor networks arises from their capability for detailed monitoring in remote and inaccessible locations where it is not feasible to install conventional wired infrastructure.
Applications include:
- Disaster prevention and relief
- Environmental monitoring
- Navigation
- Logistics tracking
- Medical applications
- Military observation and intelligence gathering
There are a number of research challenges associated with wireless sensor communication arising from the limited capabilities of low cost sensor node hardware and the common requirement for nodes to operate for long time periods with only a small battery.
The distributed nature of wireless sensor networks makes energy-efficient protocol design particularly challenging. There are unique problems in self configuration, network discovery, medium access control and multi-hop routing. Cross-layer design is required to bring about stable and energy-efficient solutions.
Over the next few years we will be investigating:
- Energy-efficient medium access control protocol design, including contention-based and schedule-based schemes
- Cognitive routing methodologies for scalability enhancement
- Cross-layer protocol development, combining medium access control with routing functionality
- Security-conscious wireless sensor network design
- The use of aerial platforms to remove the communications burden from energy-constrained nodes within a wireless sensor network
- The deployment of wireless sensors within aircraft, as a replacement for wired infrastructure
- The feasibility of proposed communication protocols and techniques, through implementation in commercial hardware.
Useful Wireless Sensor Network Links
- Center for Embedded Networked Sensing
- Berkeley Wireless Embedded Systems
- TinyOS open-source operating system for wireless embedded sensor networks
- IEEE Conference on Sensor, Mesh and Ad Hoc Communications and Networks
- European Conference on Wireless Sensor Networks
- ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems
- ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks
- International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks
- International Journal of Sensor Networks
- Ad Hoc & Sensor Wireless Networks
- IEEE Sensors Journal
Wireless Sensor Networks: Projects
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Energy-Efficient Medium Access Control for Wireless Sensor Networks Realised through Aerial PlatformsMembers: Jian Qiu, Paul Mitchell, David Grace Energy efficiency is commonly accepted as the key design criterion for wireless sensor networks, given the limited power supply. The purpose of this project is to investigate how an aerial platform (AP) can be applied to improve the energy efficiency of medium access control (MAC) protocols for WSNs. |
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Low Power Medium Access Control Protocol Design for Wireless Sensor NetworksMembers: Kunyoung Lee, Paul Mitchell The aim of this research is focused upon an energy efficient medium access control (MAC) protocol for long life time of sensor nodes. This will involve improving the efficiency of MAC schemes by removing unnecessary executions and optimizing transmission algorithms for higher performance in real systems. |
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Medium Access Control for Wireless Sensor Networks Realised Through Aerial PlatformsMembers: Hengguang Li, Paul Mitchell, Tim Tozer Many wireless sensor networks use inefficient multi-stage routes to report their measurements, and non-optimal distributed MAC protocols than can result in collisions and wasted battery power. This project investigates the benefits of using aerial platforms to help co-ordinate wireless sensor networks. |
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Security Conscious Wireless Sensor Network ArchitecturesMembers: James Harbin, Paul Mitchell, Dave Pearce This project will investigate the field of security in wireless sensor networks. It will explore distributed techniques that can reveal malicious attackers in networks, and deploy appropriate countermeasures to ensure the network can cope with an ongoing attack with the smallest possible disruption to system objectives. |