Sensor technology selection for environmental monitoring

In this paper we present the technology choices for implementing wireless sensor networks (WSN), which can be used for in-situ environmental monitoring. WSN is an embedded, massively distributed networking paradigm consisting of large number of intelligent, multitask sensor devices connected mainly via short-range wireless links. The unique features, requirements, and applications of WSN lead to many open design and implementation issues. In this paper, we survey the sensor network technology by focusing on its basic structure and usage. In addition, we define two problems in WSN (coverage and communication) that are the core of any WSN deployment. Finally, we present an initial experimental result of a simple WSN test-bed using our design methodology with applications to environmental monitoring.