0548577 Akella This two-year long exploratory research proposal under NSF's SGER program requests funding to support development of new theory and algorithms that enable heterogeneous mobile sensor platforms with the capability for efficient responsiveness due to one-time, frequent, or sporadically occurring events. The theory and algorithm protocols derived as a result of the proposed study are expected to significantly impact a vast array autonomous wide-area sensor network applications that are currently being envisioned in various civilian and military fields. To help impart a strong focus for proposed activities and to validate the new algorithms, we plan to closely work with our collaborating partner at the US Navy's Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center in San Diego, CA on a problem of high importance and relevance - that of defending our homeland and national borders. Specifically, our SPAWAR partnership envisions applications of proposed research toward the task of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection and surveillance using infrastructure free wireless mobile sensor networks. The proposed activity will provide dedicated research training opportunities for two full-time graduate students.
