Multipurpose Wireless Sensor Network Platform for Research and Training in Data Fusion, and Multi-feature Target Tracking

This paper introduces a multipurpose wireless sensor network (WSN) platform for education and research. The WSN platform is designed with state-of-the-art multiple sensor modules with high processing capability and can support a variety of research and education projects in sensor/data fusion and target tracking algorithms. The modules comprise of odor sensors in combination with different motion, sound, and temperature sensors to address multi-level research and education projects in plume source localization (for odor and/or temperature), and non-odor based target detection and tracking, as well as efficient communication strategies in WSNs. A novelty of the platform is that it offers a combination of odor, and non-odor based sensors, which facilitate research in mobile odor source tracking. The platform has been established as part of a MS thesis project, and is currently under development with the addition of odor sensors to allow for an increased variety of graduate studies as thesis projects and in sensor fusion courses.