SENSORS: Optical Wireless Sensor Networks for Critical Infrastructure Surveillance

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There is a growing need, especially in light of Homeland Security, for surveillance of our critical infrastructure, including road, water, electrical, and rail systems. There is an equally compelling concern for a high level of effectiveness among first responders to incidents that may be terrorist related, but could also be the result of weather events or hazardous spills. In both cases, there is an urgent need for high quality video-based surveillance, advanced specialized sensors and high bandwidth communications, which are portable, secure, reconfigurable and offer high availability. Such sensor-communication (SC) networks will be extensive, must be compatible with legacy communication infrastructure, and must be able to transport large quantities of data, which could involve Gb/s data flows from systems of high-resolution cameras. They must be rapidly deployable, and provide in essence an instant communications infrastructure.The use of free space laser communication links, here called optical wireless, is emerging as an important solution to this problem. It is their belief that autonomous optical wireless communication nodes (locations where data are generated or relayed) have the ability to meet the requirements of portability, security, reconfigurability and availability. Will provide the data rates required, do not interfere with existing RF mobile communications, and provide a bridge from where data are generated to the nearest optical fiber connection.In this proposal it describe research on optical wireless in conjunction with other technologies to provide a robust, advanced SC network. A key focus is the development of autonomous (solar-powered) optical wireless transceivers, which have the ability to point and track, can handle continuous or bursty data, and can function in a dynamic, self-configuring network environment (instantaneous infrastructure). The ability of optical wireless communications to provide bursty data communication allows downloading of buffered data from moving nodes, mounted for example on rail cars, police vehicles, trucks, or barges. This permits dynamic adjustment of traffic flow within the communication network by intelligent exchange of detailed situation data between fixed and mobile nodes.Propose to (1) develop the hardware and software for multiple-connected, reconfigurable, SC networks; and (2) test key concepts, in real network demonstrations within a large existing development program, the Capital Area Wireless Integrated Network (CapWIN), using interoperable data communications systems now being implemented to support first responders in the 17 political jurisdictions surrounding the national capital.Intellectual merit of the proposed activity. The intellectual merit in this work lies both in the questions it raises through new modeling, and by the solutions it provides. Advancement of knowledge through the successful completion of this research will bring societal benefits in security, disaster recovery, and extension of SC networks to critical infrastructure, and it will pave the way for technology integrators to incorporate our innovations into deployable systems. Have assembled a strong, multidisciplinary team of electrical and civil engineers, and a computer scientist, with combined expertise in optical and laser engineering, parallel and distributed algorithms, transportation systems, communications, network operation and monitoring of civil infrastructures.Unaware of any technology that allows autonomous reconfiguration of a dynamic network (topology control) using optical wireless while maintaining assured connectivity. While an emerging technology exists for switching between optical wireless point-to-point links, there is no topology control in this internet-like context. The experiments in reconfigurable optical wireless networks suggest that significant improvements in data rate as well as autonomous reconfigurability of wireless networks are possible.Broader impacts of the proposed activity. The research proposed in SC networks for disaster recovery, and extensions of SC networks to critical infrastructure has promise for broad impact on society. This research will also make major contributions to the education of both graduate and undergraduate students from diverse populations. The University of Maryland is one of the most diverse of major American research universities. The PI's and co-PI's have an outstanding record of involving women and minorities in research. Both the Maryland Optics Group and the Maryland Transportation group have among the highest concentrations of women and minority graduate students of all graduate engineering programs within the University. Undergraduate students are involved with the work of the groups every semester. The students are deeply involved with all aspects of our research. Attend national and international conferences and present papers there. Several of the team's previous Ph.D. graduates have gone on to faculty positions and research positions in prestigious laboratories. The team members have also been heavily involved in the University of Maryland Gemstone Program, an NSF-funded program to involve undergraduate students in long-term team-based research. This program has been highly successful as a unique experiment in living/learning education.