The focus of the project is on the design and development of cross-layer solutions to improve the data gathering performance of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in the presence of correlated sensing information. The scope of the research spans the physical, the link, the routing and the transport layer functionalities, respectively. The project will be one of the first concerted efforts to develop multi-layer solutions with the goal of optimizing the gathering of correlated data in WSNs. The following are the different research components of the project:
Distributed source-channel coding for correlated data gathering: This involves the investigation of advance source-channel coding techniques to develop effective correlated data aggregation techniques for distributed sources.
Channel-based fusion of data: This involves the exploration of a unique channel-based technique for the fusion of data sent by micro-sensors at macro-sensors, that requires no MAC schemes.
Gathering infrastructure for correlated data: This involves the investigation of approaches for the construction of gathering infrastructures that are specifically targeted toward maximizing the aggregation probabilities for correlated data.
Reliable and robust information delivery: Finally, this element involves the investigation of a unique event to sink reliable transport layer solution that controls the rate at which sensors report information so as to optimize the trade-offs between reliability and other metrics in WSNs.
The final impact of the project will be at several levels, including: (i) advances in the performance of WSNs in terms of correlation efficiency; (ii) support of four graduate students working toward their masters or Ph.D. degrees; (iii) integration of research results from the proposed work in the syllabus for the classes taught by PIs; and (iv) publishing results and concepts developed, in premier communications and networking conferences and journals.
