Microcontroller, Wireless Opportunistic Sensor Network
Microcontroller, Sensor, Network
Opportunistic networks are (usually) asynchronous wireless networks, with nodes consisting (typically) of handheld devices carried by people. No infrastructure is required. Nodes discover each other automatically when the network is deployed and communicate directly with each other with no user intervention. Some opportunistic networks are also wireless sensor networks. One can get an idea of the power of opportunistic networks by looking at a recent example of research report published at the University of Cambridge, UK, http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/techreports/UCAM-CL-TR-617.html & http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/techreports/UCAM-CL-TR-617.pdf . This research relies on the use of the Intel i-Mote. However, it is possible to experiment with opportunistic networks for a low cost, with inexpensive nodes.
A possible
opportunistic network may consist of nodes able to measure temperature, light,
motion, etc, and collaborating to “identify” the state of a room. It is
possible to start with small existing wireless modules (e.g. eZ430-RF2500, http://focus.ti.com/docs/toolsw/folders/print/ez430-rf2500.html,
i.e. USB
stick interface and two 2.4GHz wireless target boards). There is actually an
application note documenting in some detail the wireless temperature-sensor
network demonstration application provided with the eZ430-RF2500 development
tool (http://www.ti.com/litv/pdf/slaa378a)
and some code example (http://www.ti.com/litv/pdf/slaa325).
Similarly, a motion detector example exists at http://www.designmsp430.com/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fsamples/Display.aspx%3fUserSampleId%3dc5eaea35-c5e8-4437-be7e-dc4495e3e980
and many other examples of simple functions for a node (http://www.designmsp430.com/View.aspx).
The existing proprietary wireless network is called SimpliciTI (http://focus.ti.com/docs/toolsw/folders/print/simpliciti.html?DCMP=hpa_rf_general&HQS=Other+OT+simpliciti
). It needs to be modified for use in an opportunistic network. Its current
operation is the one of a central node talking to many (about 100+) peripheral
nodes.
Design, build, and test a small, hand-held, wireless opportunistic network of 5 nodes capable of self configuration and reporting to a notebook computer. At power up each node must look for neighbouring nodes. Operation with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 nodes must be tested. Each node shall perform its task, e.g. measure temperature, measure presence/absence of light, detect motion, etc. Each node shall inform its neighbours of its own measurement. The node closest a chosen notebook computer shall report the results of all other nodes to the computer.
If this project is developed well, results could be publishable in a practical
magazine such as the “Circuit Cellar”, http://www.circuitcellar.com/,
or, if new theoretical results are achieved, in a conference such as the “International
Conference for Upcoming Engineers”. It should be a strong objective of the
student team to produce results of publishable quality.
As a minimum develop a small 5 node opportunistic, hand held, wireless sensor network capable of measuring temperature at up to 5 different points of a room and reporting to a notebook computer the results. It must operate with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 nodes. The network must function while the persons holding the nodes move in the room. The network must reconfigure itself when one or more nodes are turned off and on.
The work can be divided into the following tasks:
The
group is responsible for making the complete system working including the report
writing and meeting milestones.
To be defined.
To be defined.
To be defined.
Basic knowledge of sensors microprocessor based systems and small networks