ABSTRACT
Wireless distributed sensor networks have gained importance in a wide spectrum of civil and military applications [1]. Advances in microelectricalmechanical systems (MEMS) technology, combined with low-power, low-cost DSPs and RF circuits have resulted in cheap wireless sensor networks becoming feasible. A distributed, self-configuring network of adaptive sensors has significant benefits. They can be used to monitor inhospitable and toxic environments remotely. Large classes of benign environments also require the deployment of a large number of sensors such as intelligent patient monitoring, object tracking, assembly line sensing, etc. Their distributed nature provides wider resolution as well as increased fault tolerance compared to a single sensor node. Several projects, such as the MIT μAMPS project [2], that demonstrate the feasibility of sensor networks are underway.
