NeTS-NOSS: Imaging Sensor Nets: from Concept to Prototypes

拥有数万个节点的大规模无线传感器网络具有许多潜在的应用，包括国土安全、环境监测和行星探测。然而，传统的多跳无线网络无法扩展到如此多的节点，并且超低成本传感器的随机部署难以实现节点定位。这项研究为成像传感器网络提供了一个概念验证，它同时解决了规模和定位问题，采用类似于GPS， RFID和CDMA的思想。“智能”收集器节点发送射频信标，信标由信标照明的“哑”传感器进行电子反射和数据调制。采集器采用基带和雷达/成像算法来处理这些反射信号，以便同时估计传感器的位置和数据。为了提高传感器节点定位的分辨率，采用毫米波载波频率。研究活动包括在毫米波频率（比商用射频通信系统高一个数量级）下实现传感器硬件的低成本CMOS IC，采集器收发器的硬件布线，用于采集器时序采集和解调的创新基带信号处理算法的设计和软件实现，以及采集器成像算法的设计和软件实现的挑战性任务。除了通过出版物和互联网的标准途径传播成果外，还将向工业界和供资机构广泛宣传室内和室外技术演示，以便确定技术转让的明确途径。

Large scale wireless sensor networks with tens of thousands of nodes have a host of potential applications, including homeland security, environmental monitoring and planetary exploration. However, conventional multihop wireless networks do not scale to such large numbers of nodes, and node localization is difficult for random deployment of ultra low-cost sensors. This research provides a proof-of-concept for Imaging Sensor Nets, which address the problems of scale and localization simultaneously, employing ideas analogous to GPS, RFID and CDMA. A "smart" collector node sends an RF beacon, which is electronically reflected and data-modulated by "dumb" sensors illuminated by the beacon. The collector employs baseband and radar/imaging algorithms to process these reflected signals in order to simultaneously estimate the locations and data of the sensors. Millimeter wave carrier frequencies are employed in order to enhance resolution for localization of sensor nodes. The research activitiesinclude the challenging task of low-cost CMOS IC implementation of sensor hardware at millimeter wave frequencies (which are an order of magnitude higher than commercial RF communication systems), hardware brassboarding of the collector transceiver, design and software implementation of innovative baseband signal processing algorithms for timing acquisition and demodulation at the collector, and design and software implementation of imaging algorithms at the collector. In addition to the dissemination of results via the standard avenues of publications and the Internet, both indoor and outdoor demos of the technology will be widely publicized to industry and funding agencies in order to establish a clear path to technology transfer.