ENVISENSE Centre for Pervasive Computing in the Environment

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ENVISENSE Centre for Pervasive Computing in the
Environment

• Hosted by University of Southampton
• Directed by David De Roure
• and Ian W Marshall

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Background

• Need to measure fractal variables (turbulent
  flow) with high spatial resolution
• Network traffic, road traffic
• Atmosphere, oceans, sediments, tectonics
• Epidemiology, logistics, agriculture, climate
• Cost of deployment AND maintenance must be low
• Users will have little interest in technology
• Hence, need to automate management

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Initial centre focus

• Autonomous pervasive data collection
• Low-cost (disposable), embedded intelligence,
  energy efficient, vs
• Explicit intelligence, more expensive, power
  hungry
• Probably need both
• 2 test platforms, 3 (linked) applications
• Relatively simple fusion, assimilation and
  modelling requirements
• Support for early exploitation and basis for
  ongoing research

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In addition

• Users need information not data
• Data collection
• Fusion, Assimilation
• Analysis
• And information must be disseminated
• Where, when and in format users require
• Integrated infrastructure is vital
• But what does it look like?
• And what stops us building it?

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System architecture

• This is the big picture of how sensor network
  technology would be integrated into other areas
  of information technology, to provide users with
  timely, relevant information.

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SECOAS project

• DTI/Link funded 2.5 year project involving BT,
  Plextek Intelisys in collaboration with UCL,
  UEA, Essex and Southampton Universities, with
  aims including
• Discover and demonstrate decentralised algorithms
  for data handling and transport
• Design lightweight, low power, ad-hoc wireless
  communication protocols
• To develop and test an appropriate control
  interface for scientific user communities
• To demonstrate and prove the new technologies in
  a realistic application context

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Test site
Scroby sands wind farm and its impact on the
surrounding environment
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Sensor network
This is a schematic to represent the way that the
prototype wireless sensor network will be
deployed at Scroby Sands, with some sensor
packages on the sandbank, some partially covered,
and others under water, linked to buoys carrying
radio antennae.
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Future strategy

• Link with e-science
• Complex system modelling (Birmingham)
• Environment (Southampton)
• Network (UCL)
• Middleware (Lancaster)
• FP6 embedded systems action line
• EPSRC Programmable networks (managed)
• Other related work (FPGA, autonomy) sponsored by
  BT IBM (includes US work e.g. Berkeley)
• Agency funding for additional applications
• UK-India collaboration
• Target self-sustaining activity with 5-10 year
  life

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Pointers

• www.adastral.ucl.ac.uk/sensornets/secos
• www.envisense.org
• www.nextwave.org.uk