Supporting Autonomic Behaviour in Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks for the Internet of Things

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The term Internet of Things (IoT) has been coined to describe the future era of interconnected objects to the Internet. A significant feature of the IoT is Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. My research explores two areas related to the IoT, these are: policy system models that are able to support dynamic service management and autonomic behaviour in sensor networks in the IoT and improving and developing sensor network collector protocols for heterogeneous mobile sensor networks that inter-operate with the IoT.    The technology resulting from this research is important because all machines and devices connected in the IoT will require some form of manual or autonomic management and policies are a well-known approach for specifying behaviours, managing access, and enabling autonomic behaviour in networked devices but will need to be adapted for the heterogeneous, distributed, and embedded nature of M2M communications. Device capabilities and management will be simplified by leveraging the Policy Interface Description Language and policy distribution algorithms for the “Cloud” and sensor devices developed in this research. The result will be a simpler and more reliable management of M2M communications.    Many of these sensory devices will be mobile, so effective sensor collecting protocols need to be developed for the IoT. Mobile networks are very challenging requiring significant overhead to maintain the network topology. The technology developed in this proposal will reduce the overhead of maintaining the network and hence increase the data reception rate. The technology can be applied to large field multi-hop mobile sensor networks like field games, automotive networks, military platooning, and animal grazing.    Concerning the global market for M2M communications it is expected to be nearly $136 billion in annual revenues by the end of 2018. Rogers expects to see for Canada a 50 per cent growth in its M2M revenue per year and reach $700 to $800 million in annual revenue by 2015. Nearly all major telecom and IT companies have invested into this area with the expectation that sensory data will dominate our lives in the future. M2M communications will change our behaviour because information from connected sensors will be available to anticipate and help us on a day-to-day basis.