This project, establishing a wireless and sensor networking laboratory, supports the following research projects: Area Coverage in Wireless Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks, Efficient Broadcasting in Wireless Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks, and Topology control in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks with Hitch-Hiking. In the 1st project, an energy-efficient localized and distributed area coverage protocol will be designed that provides sensor network connectivity and a reliable retrieval mechanism. The performance of the protocol will be analyzed for a sensor network through simulation using the Opnet network simulator, and the protocol will be implemented and tested on the MICA mote sensor platform. This area coverage problem has applications in disaster recovery, environmental monitoring, and homeland defense. In the 2nd project, efficient broadcast protocols that fit the wireless sensor network characteristics will be designed, these protocols will be simulated for large networks using Opnet and implemented and tested on the MICS mote sensor platform. Broadcast, an important operation in wireless ad-hoc sensor networks, is often encountered, for example, in data diffusion and on-demand gathering. Because of transmission redundancy, a factor that increases heavily contentions and collisions, broadcast by flooding does not constitute a feasible solution. Thus, the forwarding node needs to be selected carefully, considering the basic characteristics of a wireless sensor network, such as lack of global sensor information and resource limitation. In the 3rd project, an efficient topology control protocol will be designed, simulated in large networks using Opnet, and implemented and tested in the lab, for a mobile ad-hoc network of laptop and palm computers. Moreover, a distributed topology control mechanism will be designed that assigns a transmission power to every wireless node such that the resulting topology is strongly connected and the total energy consumed is minimized. This last project addresses topology control in mobile ad-hoc networks needed, for example, in proactive routing protocols. A new energy-efficient mechanism proposed, the Hitch-hiking model, addresses this topology control problem. Exploring the advantage offered by this model, successfully decoding a packet by combining partial receptions, the investigators will strive to minimize the total power expenditure.
Broader Impact: This infrastructure provides a research facility in a minority serving institution for students to conduct research in wireless and sensor networking areas. The lab impacts the education mission, including course work, and student projects. Thus, new educational opportunities will open providing better training and motivation. Results will be disseminated via web pages, invited talks, conference, presentations and journal publications.
