CNS Core: Small: Toward a Dependable Network of Batteryless Intermittent Nodes

该项目探索了实现无电池传感器节点网络之间可靠通信的软件和硬件基础，这些网络完全由环境能源(能量收集)供电。这特别具有挑战性，因为这种无电池节点通常具有间歇性运行，根据周围的能源条件，花费很大一部分时间没有足够的电力来运行。该项目将探索两个方面：(1)开发在无电池节点之间建立初始通信的方法；(2)开发方法，通过在无电池节点之间建立共享时间感来有效地保持在无电期间的通信。启用无电池传感器节点之间的直接通信允许发展大规模的无电池间歇节点网络，其中任何位置的两个节点只要连接网络就可以可靠地相互通信。这样的无电池节点网络可以部署在大片区域(例如，田野、工厂、空间)，并且无需布线或更换电池即可自我维持以监控事件。这一结果使需要广泛、长期和自主的智能传感系统的应用程序得到了革命性的改进，包括工业自动化、基础设施监控、农业、环境科学、医疗保健、国防和太空探索。由此产生的软件和硬件系统以及收集的该项目的能源数据将公开提供给科学家、工程师、教育工作者和行业使用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project explores the software and hardware foundations that enable dependable communications between networks of batteryless sensor nodes powered solely by ambient energy (energy harvesting). This is particularly challenging since such batteryless nodes usually have intermittent operation, spending a large fraction of their time without sufficient power to operate, depending on the ambient energy conditions. This project will explore two thrusts: (1) developing approaches to establish initial communications between batteryless nodes and (2) developing methods to efficiently maintain communications across periods of no power by developing a shared sense of time between batteryless nodes.Enabling direct communications between batteryless sensor nodes allows development of large-scale networks of batteryless intermittent nodes where two nodes at any location can dependably communicate with each other as long as the network is connected. Such a network of batteryless nodes can be deployed across large areas (e.g., fields, factories, space) and self-sustain without wiring or battery changes to monitor events. The result enables transformative improvements to applications demanding pervasive, long-lived, and autonomous intelligent sensing systems, including industrial automation, infrastructure monitoring, agriculture, environmental sciences, healthcare, defense, and space exploration. The resulting software and hardware systems along with collected energy data of this project will be made publicly available for scientists, engineers, educators, and industry to use.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.