SENSORS: Optical Wireless Sensor Networks for Critical Infrastructure Surveillance

特别是在国土安全部的情况下，对我们的关键基础设施进行监控的需求越来越大，包括道路、供水、电力和铁路系统。同样令人关注的是，对于可能与恐怖主义有关，但也可能是天气事件或危险漏油事件的第一反应人员具有高水平的效率。在这两种情况下，都迫切需要高质量的基于视频的监视、先进的专门传感器和高带宽通信，这些都是便携、安全、可重新配置并提供高可用性的。这样的传感器通信(SC)网络将是广泛的，必须与传统的通信基础设施兼容，并且必须能够传输大量数据，这可能涉及来自高分辨率摄像机系统的GB/S数据流。它们必须是可快速部署的，本质上是一种即时通信基础设施。使用自由空间激光通信链路，这里称为光无线，正在成为解决这一问题的重要解决方案。他们认为，自主光无线通信节点(数据生成或中继的位置)具有满足可移植性、安全性、可重构性和可用性要求的能力。将提供所需的数据速率，不干扰现有的RF移动通信，并提供一座桥梁，从那里产生数据到最近的光纤连接。在本提案中，它描述了将光无线与其他技术相结合的研究，以提供强大、先进的SC网络。一个关键的焦点是自主(太阳能供电)光无线收发器的开发，这种收发器具有指向和跟踪能力，可以处理连续或突发数据，并且可以在动态、自我配置的网络环境(即时基础设施)中运行。光无线通信提供突发数据通信的能力允许从例如安装在轨道车、警车、卡车或驳船上的移动节点下载缓冲数据。这允许通过固定和移动节点之间的详细情况数据的智能交换来动态调整通信网络内的通信流。建议(1)开发用于多连接、可重新配置的SC网络的硬件和软件；以及(2)在大型现有开发计划-首都地区无线综合网络(CapWIN)内的真实网络演示中测试关键概念，使用目前正在实施的可互操作的数据通信系统来支持首都周围17个政治管辖区的急救人员。这项工作的智力价值在于它通过新的建模提出的问题，以及它提供的解决方案。这项研究的成功完成带来的知识进步将在安全、灾难恢复和将SC网络扩展到关键基础设施方面带来社会效益，并将为技术集成商将我们的创新纳入可部署系统铺平道路。已经组建了一支由电气和土木工程师组成的强大的多学科团队，以及一名计算机科学家，他们拥有光学和激光工程、并行和分布式算法、交通系统、通信、网络运营和民用基础设施监控方面的综合专业知识。虽然存在一种用于在光无线点对点链路之间进行交换的新兴技术，但在这种类似互联网的环境中没有拓扑控制。在可重构光无线网络中的实验表明，无线网络的数据速率和自主可重构能力都有可能得到显著提高。在SC网络中提出的灾难恢复研究，以及SC网络向关键基础设施的扩展，有望对社会产生广泛影响。这项研究也将对不同人群的研究生和本科生的教育做出重大贡献。马里兰大学是美国最多元化的研究型大学之一。私人投资者和联合私人投资者在让妇女和少数民族参与研究方面有着出色的记录。马里兰光学集团和马里兰运输集团都是大学内所有工程学研究生课程中女性和少数族裔研究生密度最高的学校之一。本科生每学期都要参与小组的工作。学生们深入参与了我们研究的方方面面。参加国内和国际会议，并在那里发表论文。该团队之前的几名博士毕业生已经进入了著名实验室的教职和研究岗位。团队成员还大量参与了马里兰大学宝石计划，这是一个由NSF资助的计划，旨在让本科生参与长期的基于团队的研究。这项计划作为生活/学习教育的独特实验取得了极大的成功。

There is a growing need, especially in light of Homeland Security, for surveillance of our critical infrastructure, including road, water, electrical, and rail systems. There is an equally compelling concern for a high level of effectiveness among first responders to incidents that may be terrorist related, but could also be the result of weather events or hazardous spills. In both cases, there is an urgent need for high quality video-based surveillance, advanced specialized sensors and high bandwidth communications, which are portable, secure, reconfigurable and offer high availability. Such sensor-communication (SC) networks will be extensive, must be compatible with legacy communication infrastructure, and must be able to transport large quantities of data, which could involve Gb/s data flows from systems of high-resolution cameras. They must be rapidly deployable, and provide in essence an instant communications infrastructure.The use of free space laser communication links, here called optical wireless, is emerging as an important solution to this problem. It is their belief that autonomous optical wireless communication nodes (locations where data are generated or relayed) have the ability to meet the requirements of portability, security, reconfigurability and availability. Will provide the data rates required, do not interfere with existing RF mobile communications, and provide a bridge from where data are generated to the nearest optical fiber connection.In this proposal it describe research on optical wireless in conjunction with other technologies to provide a robust, advanced SC network. A key focus is the development of autonomous (solar-powered) optical wireless transceivers, which have the ability to point and track, can handle continuous or bursty data, and can function in a dynamic, self-configuring network environment (instantaneous infrastructure). The ability of optical wireless communications to provide bursty data communication allows downloading of buffered data from moving nodes, mounted for example on rail cars, police vehicles, trucks, or barges. This permits dynamic adjustment of traffic flow within the communication network by intelligent exchange of detailed situation data between fixed and mobile nodes.Propose to (1) develop the hardware and software for multiple-connected, reconfigurable, SC networks; and (2) test key concepts, in real network demonstrations within a large existing development program, the Capital Area Wireless Integrated Network (CapWIN), using interoperable data communications systems now being implemented to support first responders in the 17 political jurisdictions surrounding the national capital.Intellectual merit of the proposed activity. The intellectual merit in this work lies both in the questions it raises through new modeling, and by the solutions it provides. Advancement of knowledge through the successful completion of this research will bring societal benefits in security, disaster recovery, and extension of SC networks to critical infrastructure, and it will pave the way for technology integrators to incorporate our innovations into deployable systems. Have assembled a strong, multidisciplinary team of electrical and civil engineers, and a computer scientist, with combined expertise in optical and laser engineering, parallel and distributed algorithms, transportation systems, communications, network operation and monitoring of civil infrastructures.Unaware of any technology that allows autonomous reconfiguration of a dynamic network (topology control) using optical wireless while maintaining assured connectivity. While an emerging technology exists for switching between optical wireless point-to-point links, there is no topology control in this internet-like context. The experiments in reconfigurable optical wireless networks suggest that significant improvements in data rate as well as autonomous reconfigurability of wireless networks are possible.Broader impacts of the proposed activity. The research proposed in SC networks for disaster recovery, and extensions of SC networks to critical infrastructure has promise for broad impact on society. This research will also make major contributions to the education of both graduate and undergraduate students from diverse populations. The University of Maryland is one of the most diverse of major American research universities. The PI's and co-PI's have an outstanding record of involving women and minorities in research. Both the Maryland Optics Group and the Maryland Transportation group have among the highest concentrations of women and minority graduate students of all graduate engineering programs within the University. Undergraduate students are involved with the work of the groups every semester. The students are deeply involved with all aspects of our research. Attend national and international conferences and present papers there. Several of the team's previous Ph.D. graduates have gone on to faculty positions and research positions in prestigious laboratories. The team members have also been heavily involved in the University of Maryland Gemstone Program, an NSF-funded program to involve undergraduate students in long-term team-based research. This program has been highly successful as a unique experiment in living/learning education.