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

该项目的目标包括设计网络化的移动的机器人传感器节点，其灵感来自于Gerridae家族中的昆虫，可以监测湖泊和河流的水质，本研究还将开发能量有效的算法，仔细选择传感器节点进行跳跃，以获得更长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户外环境中收集太阳能，以保持长期性能。传感器在湖泊或河流中漂浮时的定位新方法以及收集传感器数据并将其传递到可用于水文建模和预测的网络基础设施的有效算法将被开发。这项研究工作的结果将显着提高网络化移动的传感器系统对水质监测的能力，以应对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破坏地区。此外，应开发新的传感器技术，为行业和社会提供更多的商业和就业机会，并为学生提供一个学习和了解传感器开发和操作各个层面的平台。

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.