Wireless Sensor Networks

Recent advances in sensor and wireless communication technologies in conjunction with developments in microelectronics has made available a new type of communication network made of battery-powered integrated wireless sensor devices. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), as they are named, are self-configured and infrastructureless wireless networks made of small devices equipped with specialized sensors and wireless transceivers. The main goal of a WSN is to collect data from the environment and send it to a reporting site where the data can be observed and analyzed. Wireless sensor devices also respond to queries sent from a “control site” to perform specific instructions or provide sensing samples. Finally, wireless sensor devices can be equipped with actuators to “act” upon certain conditions. These networks are sometimes more specifically referred as Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks. This chapter provides a general view of wireless sensor networks describing the node and network architectures, examples of application domains, and the main challenges faced by WSNs with an emphasis on energy conservation.