ABSTRACT
The interface between a distributed sensor actuator network (DSAN) system and the physical world is the critical foundation that enables the nodes to acquire sensor data and effect actions in the environment. Rapid advances in a variety of disciplines offer us tiny devices—namely, microcontrollers, radio transceivers, sensors, and miniature actuators—that can be deeply embedded in applications. When coupled with advances in modeling, software, control theory, and real-time systems, such a collection of networked devices can sense and actuate the physical world to achieve novel system-level objectives. In a DSAN system, data from the sensors must be integrated to synthesize new information in a reliable manner within fixed timing constraints. In applications such as automation or critical infrastructure monitoring systems, the sensing tasks must be performed periodically while satisfying additional performance constraints. The efficient synthesis of information from noisy and possibly faulty data from sensors makes it necessary to better understand the constraints imposed by the architecture of the system and the manner in which individual devices are connected locally—with each other and with the environment. Architectural considerations also impact the reliable operation of one or a group of spatially distributed actuators. Once deployed, a DSAN system must organize itself, adapt to changes in the environment and nodes, and continue to function reliably over an extended duration of time. Since the available technology enables several architectures for a DSAN system, we propose a taxonomy that is useful for designing such systems and planning future research.
