CSR: Small: Collaborative Research: Bridging Reliability Analysis and Reality in Sensor Systems: Theories and Applications

从研究人员，开发人员，甚至消费者的角度来看，可靠性分析被认为是传感器网络系统可以广泛部署的关键任务应用程序之前的一个不可或缺的步骤。 然而，传统的网络可靠性分析理论与实际的传感器网络系统环境存在很大的差距。本研究的主要目标是通过新的度量标准，分析模型和方法来缩小这种差距，用于大规模传感器网络的可靠性分析。具体而言，研究有三个主要组成部分：1）概念，度量，和模型描述传感器网络的可靠性行为，2）新的算法和方法，有效的传感器网络的可靠性评估，和3）应用/案例研究，以证明所提出的理论方法的实际意义。通过该项目开发的新的可靠性理论和方法是对网络系统可靠性知识体系以及可靠传感器系统设计的基本贡献。此外，一个软件工具和原型传感器系统的铁路监测将建立验证所提出的研究，使理论研究的可操作性和适用性。该项目通过研究生和本科生教育，并通过综合推广和小组辅导方案，将促进招聘和留住工程学科的女学生，产生更广泛的影响。

From the viewpoint of researchers, developers, and even consumers, reliability analysis is recognized as an indispensable step before sensor network systems can be widely deployed for mission-critical applications. However, there is a big gap between traditional network reliability analysis theories and realistic sensor network system environments. The primary objective of this research is to close such gap through new metrics, analytical models, and approaches for the reliability analysis of large-scale sensor networks. Specifically, the research has three major components: 1) concepts, metrics, and models for describing the reliability behavior of sensor networks, 2) new algorithms and methodologies for efficient reliability evaluation of sensor networks, and 3) applications/case studies for demonstrating the practical significance of the proposed theoretical approaches. The new reliability theories and methodologies developed through this project are fundamental contributions to the body of knowledge on the network system reliability as well as to the design of reliable sensor systems. Additionally, a software tool and a prototype sensor system for railway monitoring will be built to validate the proposed research, and render the theoretical research operational and applicable. This project has broader impacts through graduate and undergraduate education, and through an integrated outreach and group mentoring program that will promote recruitment and retention of female students in engineering disciplines.