NeTS: Small: Generalized Submodular Optimization for Integrated Networked Sensing Systems

无线传感器网络正在从专门的平台向多应用的共享基础设施演进。共享传感器网络通过在不同应用之间动态分配资源来提供灵活性、自适应性和成本效益。共享传感器网络面临着在资源约束下优化监控质量(QOM)的迫切需求。共享传感器网络中新出现的QOM优化问题由于其非线性、离散和动态的特点，在计算上具有挑战性。这个项目利用了许多物理现象的QOM属性所展示的一个称为子模块的关键属性。该项目通过以市场为基础的方法中子模块优化的新集成，为QOM优化开发了高效且理论上合理的分布式方法。进一步研究了能够快速适应网络和应用动态变化的在线算法，能够有效扩展大规模网络的基于分区的算法，以及能够适应能耗和异构性网络优化的新的优化算法。该项目的预期成果包括用于管理和优化具有高社会和环境影响的新一代集成网络传感系统的理论、算法和软件。该项目还在华盛顿大学泰森研究中心部署了用于环境监测的集成传感器网络，用于环境和生态研究。这项研究促进了与环境和生物科学家的跨学科合作，以及针对高中生的外联活动。

Wireless sensor networks are evolving from specialized platforms to shared infrastructure for multiple applications. Shared sensor networks offer flexibility, adaptivity, and cost-effectiveness through dynamic resource allocation among different applications. Shared sensor networks face the critical need for optimizing Quality of Monitoring (QoM) subject to resource constraints. The emerging QoM optimization problems in shared sensor networks are computationally challenging due to their nonlinear, discrete, and dynamic nature. This project exploits a key property known as submodularity that many QoM attributes of physical phenomena exhibit. This project develops efficient and theoretically sound distributed approaches for QoM optimization, through a novel integration of submodular optimization in a market-based approach. It further studies online algorithms which can quickly adapt to network and application dynamics, partition-based algorithms that scale effectively for large-scale networks, and new optimization algorithms that can accommodate the optimization of energy consumption and heterogenous networks. Expected results of this project include theory, algorithms, and software for managing and optimizing a new generation of integrated networked sensing systems with high societal and environmental impact. The project also deploys an integrated sensor network for environmental monitoring in Tyson Research Center of Washington University for environmental and ecological research. This study promotes interdisciplinary collaboration with environmental and biological scientists, as well as outreach activities for high-school students.