Communication and signal processing in sensor networks

Sensor networking combines the technology of modern microelectronic sensors, embedded computational processing systems, and modern computer networking methodology. However, due to its limited power and energy from the battery, hostile radio propagation environment, constrained radio and processor capabilities, and random/unknown sensor placements, the analysis, design, and implementation of sensor networks to perform meaningful tasks remain challenging. At the end of the 20th century, the Internet has been able to provide a large number of users with the ability to move diverse forms of information readily and thus revolutionized business, industry, defense, science, education, research, and human interactions. It is believed that sensor networking in the 21st century will be equally significant by providing measurement of the spatial-temporal physical phenomena around us, leading to a better understanding and utilization of this information in a wide range of applications. Sensor networking will be able to bring a finer-grained and fuller measurement (using acoustic, seismic, magnetic, infrared, imaging, etc. data) and characterization of the world around us to be processed and communicated, so the decision makers can utilize the information to take actions in near-real-time.