CPS: Medium: Collaborative Research: Physical Modeling and Software Synthesis for Self-Reconfigurable Sensors in River Environments

本研究的目的是在动态环境中从静态传感向移动驱动传感转变，重点研究潮汐强迫河流的传感。该方法是开发用于感知环境的逆建模技术，用于空间分布传感器的协调算法，以及使用感知到的环境数据使这些协调算法适应新的感知条件的软件。这项工作依赖于对环境的并发感知和基于感知数据的传感器的驱动。感知环境是一个两层优化问题。由于动态环境中的移动传感器即使在未驱动的情况下也可能移动，因此传感器协调和驱动算法必须保持传感器的连通性，同时确保这些传感器的位置适当。所开发的算法和软件考虑了被感知环境的时间尺度，以及移动传感器的运动能力。这关闭了从环境感知到执行该感知的设备的驱动的循环。这项工作解决了一个具有挑战性的问题：清洁水资源的管理。受潮汐影响的河流是数百万加州人供水的关键因素。通过涉及来自代表性不足群体的学生，本研究为学生提供了一个宝贵的机会，让他们培养对工程的兴趣，并第一手了解科学和工程在解决环境问题方面的作用。

The objective of this research is the transformation from static sensing into mobile, actuated sensing in dynamic environments, with a focus on sensing in tidally forced rivers. The approach is to develop inverse modeling techniques to sense the environment, coordination algorithms to distribute sensors spatially, and software that uses the sensed environmental data to enable these coordination algorithms to adapt to new sensed conditions. This work relies on the concurrent sensing of the environment and actuation of those sensors based on sensed data. Sensing the environment is approached as a two-layer optimization problem. Since mobile sensors in dynamic environments may move even when not actuated, sensor coordination and actuation algorithms must maintain connectivity for the sensors while ensuring those sensors are appropriately located. The algorithms and software developed consider the time scales of the sensed environment, as well as the motion capabilities of the mobile sensors. This closes the loop from sensing of the environment to actuation of the devices that perform that sensing. This work is addresses a challenging problem: the management of clean water resources. Tidally forced rivers are critical elements in the water supply for millions of Californians. By involving students from underrepresented groups, this research provides a valuable opportunity for students to develop an interest in engineering and to learn first hand about the role of science and engineering in addressing environmental issues.