Introduction

Abstract

In the last years different technological fields have emerged in the broad context of embedded systems. Disciplines such as pervasive and ubiquitous computing, where objects of everyday use are endowed with sensing, computational and communication capabilities, have appeared. Also, nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) can collaborate together using ad-hoc network technologies to achieve a common mission of supervision of some area or some particular process using a set of low-cost sensors. The synergies among these technologies, and others such as robotics, have facilitated their convergence in what has been called Cooperating Objects. A new set of tools are required to support research in this emerging Cooperating Objects domain. Architectures, middleware, testbeds, simulators that have been developed for individual fields cannot be used to research in techniques that surpass beyond its field constraints. This book deals with testbeds for Cooperating Objects research.