Overview and Goals Wireless communication technologies are undergoing rapid advancements. The last few years have experienced a steep growth in research in the area of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In WSNs, communication takes place with the help of spatially distributedautonomoussensornodesequippedtosensespeci?cinformation. WSNs, especially the ones that have gained much popularity in the recent years, are, ty- cally, ad hoc in nature and they inherit many characteristics/features of wireless ad hoc networks such as the ability for infrastructure-less setup, minimal or no reliance on network planning, and the ability of the nodes to self-organize and self-con?gure without the involvement of a centralized network manager, router, access point, or a switch. These features help to set up WSNs fast in situations where there is no existing network setup or in times when setting up a ?xed infrastructure network is considered infeasible, for example, in times of emergency or during relief - erations. WSNs ?nd a variety of applications in both the military and the civilian population worldwide such as in cases of enemy intrusion in the battle?eld, object tracking, habitat monitoring, patient monitoring, ?re detection, and so on. Even though sensor networks have emerged to be attractive and they hold great promises for our future, there are several challenges that need to be addressed. Some of the well-known challenges are attributed to issues relating to coverage and deployment, scalability, quality-of-service, size, computational power, energy ef?ciency, and security.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the major aspects in designing, implementing, and deploying wireless sensor networks by discussing present research on WSNs and their applications in various disciplines. It familiarizes readers with the current state of WSNs and how such networks can be improved to achieve effectiveness and efficiency. It starts with a detailed introduction of wireless sensor networks and their applications and proceeds with layered architecture of WSNs. It also addresses prominent issues such as mobility, heterogeneity, fault-tolerance, intermittent connectivity, and cross layer optimization along with a number of existing solutions to stimulate future research.

Learn all you need to know about wireless sensor networks! Protocols and Architectures for Wireless Sensor Networks provides a thorough description of the nuts and bolts of wireless sensor networks. The authors give an overview of the state-of-the-art, putting all the individual solutions into perspective with one and other. Numerous practical examples, case studies and illustrations demonstrate the theory, techniques and results presented. The clear chapter structure, listing learning objectives, outline and summarizing key points, help guide the reader expertly through the material. Protocols and Architectures for Wireless Sensor Networks: Covers architecture and communications protocols in detail with practical implementation examples and case studies. Provides an understanding of mutual relationships and dependencies between different protocols and architectural decisions. Offers an in-depth investigation of relevant protocol mechanisms. Shows which protocols are suitable for which tasks within a wireless sensor network and in which circumstances they perform efficiently. Features an extensive website with the bibliography, PowerPoint slides, additional exercises and worked solutions. This text provides academic researchers, graduate students in computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering, as well as practitioners in industry and research engineers with an understanding of the specific design challenges and solutions for wireless sensor networks. Check out www.wiley.com/go/wsn for accompanying course material! "I am deeply impressed by the book of Karl & Willig. It is by far the most complete source for wireless sensor networks...The book covers almost all topics related to sensor networks, gives an amazing number of references, and, thus, is the perfect source for students, teachers, and researchers. Throughout the book the reader will find high quality text, figures, formulas, comparisons etc. - all you need for a sound basis to start sensor network research." Prof. Jochen Schiller, Institute of Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin

Infrastructure for Homeland Security Environments Wireless Sensor Networks helps readers discover the emerging field of low-cost standards-based sensors that promise a high order of spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy in an ever-increasing universe of applications. It shares the latest advances in science and engineering paving the way towards a large plethora of new applications in such areas as infrastructure protection and security, healthcare, energy, food safety, RFID, ZigBee, and processing. Unlike other books on wireless sensor networks that focus on limited topics in the field, this book is a broad introduction that covers all the major technology, standards, and application topics. It contains everything readers need to know to enter this burgeoning field, including current applications and promising research and development; communication and networking protocols; middleware architecture for wireless sensor networks; and security and management. The straightforward and engaging writing style of this book makes even complex concepts and processes easy to follow and understand. In addition, it offers several features that help readers grasp the material and then apply their knowledge in designing their own wireless sensor network systems: * Examples illustrate how concepts are applied to the development and application of * wireless sensor networks * Detailed case studies set forth all the steps of design and implementation needed to solve real-world problems * Chapter conclusions that serve as an excellent review by stressing the chapter's key concepts * References in each chapter guide readers to in-depth discussions of individual topics This book is ideal for networking designers and engineers who want to fully exploit this new technology and for government employees who are concerned about homeland security. With its examples, it is appropriate for use as a coursebook for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.

This book presents an in-depth study on the recent advances in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The authors describe the existing WSN applications and discuss the research efforts being undertaken in this field. Theoretical analysis and factors influencing protocol design are also highlighted. The authors explore state-of-the-art protocols for WSN protocol stack in transport, routing, data link, and physical layers. Moreover, the synchronization and localization problems in WSNs are investigated along with existing solutions. Furthermore, cross-layer solutions are described. Finally, developing areas of WSNs including sensor-actor networks, multimedia sensor networks, and WSN applications in underwater and underground environments are explored. The book is written in an accessible, textbook style, and includes problems and solutions to assist learning. Key Features: The ultimate guide to recent advances and research into WSNs Discusses the most important problems and issues that arise when programming and designing WSN systems Shows why the unique features of WSNs – self-organization, cooperation, correlation -- will enable new applications that will provide the end user with intelligence and a better understanding of the environment Provides an overview of the existing evaluation approaches for WSNs including physical testbeds and software simulation environments Includes examples and learning exercises with a solutions manual; supplemented by an accompanying website containing PPT-slides. Wireless Sensor Networks is an essential textbook for advanced students on courses in wireless communications, networking and computer science. It will also be of interest to researchers, system and chip designers, network planners, technical mangers and other professionals in these fields.

In this book, the authors describe the fundamental concepts and practical aspects of wireless sensor networks. The book provides a comprehensive view to this rapidly evolving field, including its many novel applications, ranging from protecting civil infrastructure to pervasive health monitoring. Using detailed examples and illustrations, this book provides an inside track on the current state of the technology. The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, several node architectures, applications and operating systems are discussed. In Part II, the basic architectural frameworks, including the key building blocks required for constructing large-scale, energy-efficient sensor networks are presented. In Part III, the challenges and approaches pertaining to local and global management strategies are presented – this includes topics on power management, sensor node localization, time synchronization, and security. At the end of each chapter, the authors provide practical exercises to help students strengthen their grip on the subject. There are more than 200 exercises altogether. Key Features: Offers a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical and practical concepts pertaining to wireless sensor networks Explains the constraints and challenges of wireless sensor network design; and discusses the most promising solutions Provides an in-depth treatment of the most critical technologies for sensor network communications, power management, security, and programming Reviews the latest research results in sensor network design, and demonstrates how the individual components fit together to build complex sensing systems for a variety of application scenarios Includes an accompanying website containing solutions to exercises (http://www.wiley.com/go/dargie_fundamentals) This book serves as an introductory text to the field of wireless sensor networks at both graduate and advanced undergraduate level, but it will also appeal to researchers and practitioners wishing to learn about sensor network technologies and their application areas, including environmental monitoring, protection of civil infrastructure, health care, precision agriculture, traffic control, and homeland security.

A concise and clear guide to the concepts and applications of wireless sensor networks, ideal for students, practitioners and researchers.