NSF Workshop on Distributed Communications and Signal Processing for Sensor Networks

利用分布式传感器网络进行数据采集和分析是世纪初的关键新兴技术之一。这种网络由可能大量的装备有多个传感器（声学、成像、视频、地震、磁、红外、微型雷达等）的设备（节点）组成，分布式传感器网络为许多应用提供了许多令人兴奋的可能性，从环境监测到工业过程控制，到军事和安全应用，再到健康监测。它们也为研究提出了许多具有挑战性的问题，这些问题来自网络的分布式性质、传感器收集的信息的多模态性质、单个节点的可靠性、通信链路的带宽和损伤、功耗约束以及整个系统的动态性质。存储容量、网络化和小型化使该项目成为可能，并为重大突破奠定了基础。关于这个问题的各个方面的大量研究工作已经在进行中。最近一期的IEEE信号处理杂志总结了信号处理领域正在进行的一些研究。DARPA传感器信息技术（SensIT）计划协调了大量工作，其使命是为联网的微型传感器开发所有必要的软件。SensIT的概念是建立一个廉价的、普及的联合收割机平台的网络系统，它结合了多种传感器类型、嵌入式处理器、定位能力和无线通信。研讨会将在西北大学埃文斯顿校区的艾伦中心举行，为期两天。拟议的讲习班的目标是确定信号处理和通信领域的基本研究方向，这些方向的推进将导致在具体重点领域取得重大突破，并在总体上取得重要的科学进展。在分布式传感器通信和信号处理领域的近期和长期研究方向上，将产生一份报告，向美国国家科学基金会提供建议网络.该报告还将用于澄清即将宣布的题为“传感器和传感器网络的信息，决策和行动”的提案。"

ABSTRACT0308197Thrasyvoulos PappasNorthwestern UnivThe use of distributed sensor networks for data gathering and analysis is one of the key emerging technologies at the beginning of the 21st century. Such networks consist of a possibly large number of devices (nodes) equipped with multiple sensors (acoustic, imaging, video, seismic, magnetic, infrared, micro-radar, etc.), storage and processing capability, and wireless communication links to neighboring nodes and/or a central location.Distributed sensor networks offer a lot of exciting possibilities for a number of applications, ranging from environmental monitoring, to industrial process control, to military and security applications, to health monitoring. They also pose a lot of challenging problems for research that derive from the distributed nature of the network, the multimodal nature of the information collected by the sensors, the reliability of the individual nodes, the bandwidth and impairments of the communication links, the power consumption constraints, and the dynamic nature of the overall system.Recent advances in several domains, including sensor technologies, computational speed, storage capacity, networking, and miniaturization, make the project possible and set the stage for significant breakthroughs. A substantial research effort on various aspects of the problem is already under way.A recent issue of the IEEE Signal Processing magazine summarizes some of the ongoing research in the area of signal processing. A substantial effort is coordinated by the DARPA Sensor Information Technology (SensIT) Program, whose mission is the development of all necessary software for networked micro-sensors. SensIT was founded on the concept of a networked system of cheap, pervasive platforms that combine multiple sensor types, embedded processors, positioning ability and wireless communication.The workshop will take place at the Allen Center on Northwestern University's Evanston campus and its duration will be two days. The goal of the proposed workshop will be to identify fundamental research directions in the signal processing and communications areas, the advancement of which will lead to major breakthroughs in the specific focus areas as well as important scientific progress, in general.Based on the discussions of the workshop, a report will be generated that will provide advice to NSF on promising directions for near and long term research in the area of distributed communications and signal processing for sensor networks. The report will also be used to clarify the soon to be announced call for proposals under the title "Sensors and Sensor Networks for Information, Decision and Action."