MRI-R2: Development of a Second-Generation Applications-Driven Wireless Sensor Networking Instrument

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"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." Proposal #: 09-59584PI(s): Noubir, Guevara Basagni, Stefano; Desnoyers, Peter; Vona, Marsette A.Institution: Northeastern University Title: MRI-R2/Dev.: Second-Generation Applications-Driven Wireless Sensor Networking InstrumentProject Proposed:This project, developing a multi-purpose wireless sensor networking instrument, supports the specific experimental research needs of cross-layer protocols for heterogeneous sensor networks and key applications such as search and rescue by swarms of robots, buildings structure health monitoring, and hand and patient motion tracking. The instrument enables- Research and education for developing and experimenting with protocols and algorithms for a future generation of wireless sensor networks,- Cross-cutting research and education in application areas of key interest to the society and the institution.This work enhances the support of existing mechanisms of today's wireless sensor networks such as security, energy efficiency, and reliability by using a more capable second systems on chips at an order of magnitude lower cost and within a significantly smaller package than today's solution. Additionally, inexistent capabilities that enable research are designed and integrated in the target multi-disciplinary application areas; these include:- Directional antennas for localization, and interference-cancellation, using a combination of low-cost mechanical and electronic beam-forming techniques (outperforming purely electronic smart antennas). This improves communication capacity and robustness against unintentional and malicious interference. It will be fitted on mobile robots and combined with ultra-sound transceivers for faster localization of transmission sources in search and rescue missions.- Ultralow-power with multi-radio support including wakeup-radios, enabling asymmetric communication architectures, and allowing deployed sensor nodes to last for over a decade without battery changes.- Nodes hardware, software, and network design architected for ease of composability to quickly integrate specific hardware components of new applications such as wideband reduces personnel in the development microelectronic mechanical systems (MEMS) ultrasound transceivers, MEMS accelerometers, flash storage, and also interfaces with a variety of robots and off-the-shelf components (e.g., miniSD GPS).Broader Impacts: This project fosters a wider use of wireless sensor networks in application areas of national importance, namely, emergency preparedness and health science. All the instrument components are open-sourced including the schematics, printed circuit board (PCB) layouts, and software with adequate documentation, thus enabling other institutions to easily extend and build copies of the instrument at low cost. The work fosters the development of the next generation application-driven wireless sensor networks widening the use of such networks both in research and education. Several education kits and evaluation systems will be made available to other academic groups. Dissemination workshops will also be organized for application and module developers. The instrument will be used in several multi-disciplinary courses bridging CS, EE, ME, and CE.