This project focuses on the development of ALERT: An Architecture for the Emergency Re-tasking of Wireless Sensor Networks. The novelty of this work lies in the theoretical foundation of re-tasking independently-deployed sensor networks, leading to a fundamental understanding of the design principles of capability reallocation and sharing to best satisfy the needs of emergency applications. Both re-tasking and integration of sensor capabilities will be transparent to the emergency applications. The resource-constrained nature of sensors, the wireless communication medium, and the failure-prone networking environment, combined with the dynamic QoS requirements of the emergency applications pose formidable challenges for the design of ALERT. The understanding acquired from developing ALERT will promote a wider adoption of sensor network systems in support of guarding our national infrastructure and public safety. This project will result in significant scientific and technological advances that will provide invaluable help with disaster management and search-and-rescue operations. ALERT will have a broad societal impact as sensor networks are being integrated into the fabric of the society. The project will integrate research and education and will lead to the development of new graduate and undergraduate courses in sensor networks and embedded and distributed systems. In turn, these courses and their focus on information integration will introduce novel research topics to undergraduate and graduate students in computer science and engineering that fit within the overall missions of Old Dominion University and Clemson University. Focused efforts will be undertaken to stimulate interest and to facilitate the academic progress of women and underrepresented minorities.
