NeTS: Small: Addressing Research Challenges in Low-Duty-Cycle Wireless Sensor Networks

节能无线通信对于长期传感器网络应用至关重要，例如军事监视、栖息地监测和基础设施保护。为了降低射频侦听的能量成本，节点必须通过非常短暂地采样无线信道并长时间关闭来减少其占空比。因此，低占空比网络的连通性变得依赖于时间。以前对这类网络的研究主要集中在物理层和链路层设计上。该项目旨在通过在覆盖大设计空间的广泛网络配置下进行网络层低占空比通信的首次系统研究，为这些早期成功的研究提供显著的附加价值。该项目解决的关键研究挑战是在存在睡眠延迟和其他实际考虑因素的情况下优化网络性能（例如，延迟，可靠性和成本），包括(i)不可靠的链路，（ii）动态能量可用性，以及（iii）移动性。随着该项目的成功成果，低占空比网络技术可以支持长期传感器应用，从而显著降低开发、部署和维护成本。这些应用，反过来，可以提高交通的安全性，教育和学习的质量，并在许多科学前沿的创新发展。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

Energy-efficient wireless communication is critical for long-term sensor network applications, such as military surveillance, habitat monitoring and infrastructure protection. To reduce the energy costs of RF listening, a node has to reduce its duty-cycle by sampling wireless channels very briefly and shutting down for long periods. Consequently, the connectivity of low-duty-cycle networks becomes time-dependent. Previous research in this type of networks predominately focused on physical and link-layer designs. This project is positioned to provide significantly added value to these earlier successful research by conducting the first systematic research at the network layer for low-duty-cycle communication under a wide spectrum of network configurations covering a large design space. The key research challenge addressed by this project is to optimize networking performance (e.g., delay, reliability, and cost) in the presence of sleep latency and other practical considerations including (i) unreliable links, (ii) dynamic energy availability, and (iii) mobility. With a successful outcome from this project, long-term sensor applications can be supported by low-duty-cycle networking technologies, leading to significantly reduced costs in development, deployment, and maintenance. These applications, in turn, can improve the safety of transportation, the quality of education and learning, and the development of innovations in many scientific frontiers. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).