NeTS: Small: Networked Robotic Gerridae for Sensing and Communications in Aquatic Environments

该项目的目标包括设计网络移动机器人传感器节点，该节点的灵感来自gerridae中的昆虫，可以监测湖泊和河流的水质，并提前跳跃以增强通信能力，以克服水对无线电信号传播的影响。这项工作还将开发节能算法，仔细选择传感器节点进行跳跃，以获得更远距离通信的好处，同时管理跳跃所需的能量。机器人传感器可以在室外环境中收集太阳能，以保持长期性能。当传感器漂浮在湖泊或河流中时，将开发传感器定位的新方法，以及有效的算法来收集传感器数据并将其传递给可用于水文建模和预测的网络基础设施。这项研究工作的结果将大大提高网络移动传感器系统的水质监测能力，以响应水污染或其他环境条件。这些担忧可能来自石油泄漏、细菌水平问题，甚至是核电站灾难辐射水平的检测。这项研究应该为水质监测提供一种具有成本效益的方法，可以保护健康和应急管理，例如建议人们撤离环境受损地区。此外，应该开发新的传感器技术，为行业和社会提供更多的商业机会和就业机会，为学生提供学习和了解传感器开发和运营的各个层面的平台。

The objectives of this project include the design of networked mobile robotic sensor nodes, which areinspired by insects within the family gerridae, that can monitor water quality in lakes and rivers, and jumprepeatedly to enhance communication capability to overcome the effect of water on radio signal propagation.This work will also develop energy efficient algorithms that carefully select sensor nodes to jump to gain thebenefit of longer distance communication while managing the energy required to jump. The robotic sensorcan harvest solar energy in a outdoor environment to maintain long term performance. New methods forsensor localization as the sensor floats within a lake or river will be developed as well as efficient algorithms to collect sensor data and deliver it to the cyber infrastructure that could be used for hydrology modeling and prediction.The results of this research effort should significantly enhance the capability of networked mobile sensorsystems for water quality monitoring in response to water pollution or other environmental conditions. Theseconcerns can be from oil spills, issues of bacterial levels, or even detection of levels of radiation from nuclear power plant disasters. This research should provide a cost-effective approach for water quality monitoring that can protect health and emergency management such as advising people to vacate areas of environmental damage. Furthermore, new sensor technology should be developed that provides enhanced opportunities for business and job opportunities to industries and society and provides students with a platform to learn and understand all levels of sensor development and operation.