Looking into the future of wireless sensor technology

In the near future, you will learn that wireless sensor networks are widely used in everything from the farm to the factory. So what is a wireless sensor network? The wireless sensor network consists of a microcomputer called "mote". These microcomputers usually refer to micro-independent energy-efficient computers with wireless links. Wireless links allow individual dust particles to form networks through self-reorganization, communicate with each other, and exchange information about the real world.

Wireless sensor technology has just begun to be adopted by many companies, and these companies did not envisage the use of wireless networks in the past. Think of companies that offer heavy machinery and construction equipment leasing: They can now use wireless sensor networks at the construction site to monitor and manage the company's tractors. For example, at the site of a new residential complex, one of the hired tractors had problems with coordination and caused the engine to vibrate abnormally. Irregular vibration indicates that the engine has failed and eventually it will not work properly. By adopting the wireless sensor technology deployed by the company on site, the sensor can detect irregularities in advance and inform the company's technical personnel via e-mail. Soon, the technicians will arrive at the scene and be repaired before the problem deteriorates. Even the customer will not find it necessary to make adjustments.

It is understood that the current research work on dust particles is conducted under the joint leadership of Intel and the University of California, Berkeley. They successfully created a full-featured sensor. Although these sensors are only cap-sized, they can perform functions such as calculation, detection and communication. You can imagine the great potential of this small sensor. They can be placed in paints to detect the integrity of the building structure after an earthquake!

How Sensor Networks Work

These sensors are connected to each other in a manner similar to how wireless laptops, desktops, and PDAs are connected to the Internet. They need very little power, and as their prices continue to fall in the coming years, related applications will be further promoted. They are like seeds everywhere in every corner and communicate with each other and can play an important role in environmental monitoring and information collection. The sensor network can tell you when the engine needs maintenance, monitors buildings or forests to prevent fires, or warns the use of dusty areas for dams that show signs of collapse.

These sensors provide a solid foundation for "active computing" and predict the real needs of humans through the collaboration of hundreds of small computers. David Tennenhouse, Intel Research Director, said: "Now, either computers will wait for us or we will wait for computers. In the active computing world, computers will be able to predict your needs and sometimes perform certain functions on your behalf."

Golden Gate Bridge, Hazardous Area and Agriculture

In San Francisco, 200 connected dust particles have been deployed at the Golden Gate Bridge. These motes are used to determine the swing distance of the bridge from one side to the other - accurate to a few feet in strong winds. When the motes detect a moving distance, it will pass the information through the microcomputer network. The information finally reaches a more powerful computer for data analysis. Any abnormal reading that does not agree with the current weather conditions may indicate that the bridge has hidden dangers. Based on this information, the system will inform the engineer to repair it to ensure that the bridge remains intact in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster.

Dust can be used to determine light, temperature, humidity, acceleration, magnetism, motion, and other physical conditions. Micro dust has many different applications in industrial production and manufacturing. Just as a normal engine sounds as long as the car engine is properly adjusted, signal vibration occurs as long as the heavy equipment is in normal operation. Currently, Intel is testing a wireless network in the factory. The network consists of 210 sensors installed on 40 machines in the factory. There are approximately 3,000 machines in each Intel semiconductor assembly plant, and this dust monitoring system will benefit the plant. This concept can be applied to almost any assembly line or engine. It can significantly reduce the cost of inspection equipment, and at the same time, it can reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and extend the use of equipment because it can detect problems in advance.

The application of sensor networks is not limited to the field of machinery. A study by the University of Rochester indicates that these computers can even be used for medical research. Scientists used wireless sensors to create a "smart medical home," a five-room apartment house where human research projects were used to test concepts and prototype products. The "Smart Home" uses dust to measure important signs of the occupants (blood pressure, pulse, and breathing), sleeping position, and 24-hour activity. The data collected will be used to conduct future medical research.

In addition, sensor networks are also used in hazardous work environments. Current employees working in oil drilling, nuclear power plants and assembly lines will be monitored at any time. These fine dust can tell you what employees are on the job site, what they are doing, and their safety and security.

Agriculture is another important area for the use of fine dust. To study this possibility, Intel pioneered the establishment of the first wireless vineyard in Oregon. Dust is distributed in every corner of the vineyard and the temperature of the soil is measured every minute to ensure that the grapes can grow healthily and have a great harvest. Soon, the researchers will implement a system for monitoring the humidity in each fine dust area, or the amount of harmful substances in the area. They even plan to use fine dust on livestock (such as dogs) so that the necessary information can be collected during patrols. This information will help to effectively irrigate and spray pesticides, which in turn will reduce costs and ensure high returns on the farm.

Commercial prospects

Although the technology is still in its initial application stage, the price of dust will gradually decline in the next five years and will be widely used. Crossbow Technologies is the first company to offer commercial dust particles. Their latest generation of devices has a microprocessor, memory, storage, and an internal analog-to-digital converter, all integrated in a device that is only a quarter of the size of the original device. These dusts can be used to detect acceleration, magnetism, light, temperature, and other factors, currently costing about $50 each. With the ever-increasing demand for fine dust and lower processor costs, this price will be greatly reduced.

Obviously, these microcomputers will be applicable to all fields that we can imagine. It is foreseeable that they may extend throughout Asia in the next few years.