A Low-cost, Small-footprint Wireless Sensor for Container Integrity Monitoring

This paper outlines the design and development of a low-cost, small-footprint wireless sensor capable of sampling and transmitting sensory data at frequencies more than 6000 Hz. This sensor has been designed and developed in-house using off the shelf components and open source software for container integrity monitoring. The paper presents details of the various refinements that have been carried out to improve the default performance of the sensory unit. Laboratory tests indicate that while the developed sensor has comparatively higher power consumption than other commercially available sensory units, its small form factor and low cost make it attractive enough for several applications. The paper then describes how these sensors can be used to realize a reliable, round-the-clock system for monitoring the stability and integrity of cargo containers.