Experimental investigation of distributed detection using a sensor network based on coupled oscillator arrays

This work presents a distributed detection system based on coupled oscillator arrays (COAs). The distributed detection is based on the synchronization phenomena. When the sensor elements detect an event they set the frequency of the oscillators to one value f₁. If the sensors do not detect any event then the oscillators are set to f₀. Due to the synchronization properties all the oscillator elements synchronize to a common frequency f_s which can be used to indicate detection or non detection of the event. Experimental set-ups formed by two element and three element nodes have been carried out to verify the capability of COAs to be used as distributed detection systems.