Virtual Lab Experiment - 2: Theory
Virtual Lab Experiment - 2: Theory
Virtual Lab Experiment - 2: Theory
OBJECTIVE:
1. Understand basic concepts about Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), types, applications of
WSN.
2. Gain familiarity with LEACH, a cluster based routing protocol for WSNs.
THEORY:
Wireless Sensor Networks
A Sensor network is composed of a large number of sensor nodes that are deployed in a wide area
with very low powered sensor nodes. The wireless sensor networks can be utilized in a various
information and telecommunications applications. The sensor nodes are very small devices with
wireless communication capability, which can collect information about sound, light, motion,
temperature etc. and processed different sensed information and transfers it to the other nodes. The
following figure-01 illustrated the Wireless Sensor Network scenario.
The applications of WSNs are innumerable, since each sensor node is capable of monitoring a wide
variety of ambient conditions such as temperature, humidity, lightning condition, pressure and noise
levels. Below, we have given some typical application areas for WSNs.
Military applications: Sensor nodes can be spread across a battlefield or enemy area and be
programmed to track and monitor enemy troop movements or movement of terrorists and can be
used to locate their exact positions.
Environmental applications: Sensor networks are being increasingly used for environmental
concerns. Examples include tracking the nesting habits of seabirds by monitoring a large geographic
region with human presence, or attaching the sensors directly to large mammals to monitor their
behavior.
Monitoring of river currents is another application of WSNs, to measure their water inflow and
mixture from various sources. Water-quality monitoring may also be useful to determine
contamination with bacteria or other harmful pollutants.
The spread of sensor nodes across a forest to monitor temperatures and give early warnings of fire
outbreaks. Weather prediction, climate monitoring, distributed computing, pollution tracking,
seismic detection, detecting ambient conditions such as temperature, movement, sound, light, or the
presence of certain objects, inventory control and disaster management are other similar
applications.
Medical applications: WSNs can be used in medical applications by using the sensor node as a
device that can reside on or within the human body and perform tasks that are currently done by
costly machines. These include glucose monitors for continuous reading of insulin levels in diabetic
patients; heart monitors for keeping track of the functioning of the heart, especially for patients with
irregular heartbeats or coronary diseases; and artificial retinal and cortical implants to electronically
transmit information to visually impaired persons.
Other medical applications include use in monitoring of human physiological data, tracking and
monitoring doctors and patients inside a hospital and insurance cards.
Industrial applications: For use in industrial applications, low-cost sensor nodes could be attached
to equipment to monitor performance. They could also be attached to parts as they move through an
assembly pipeline on the shop floor. Thus, inefficiencies in plant process flow can be recognized
quickly, rush orders could be expedited more easily and customer queries could be answered faster
and more accurately.
Urban applications: WSNs can be used for various urban applications like transportation and
traffic systems, auto-identification by driving license, parking availability, security monitors in
shopping malls, parking garages, city streets and home security.
Some of the real applications are:
Volcano Sensor-web: This system has been used to implement a global surveillance program to
study volcanoes. Sensor-web tests to study flooding, cryosphere events, and atmospheric
phenomena.
Wireless sensor network system for landslide detection: This system is already in place at
Anthoniar Colony, Munnar, Idukki, Kerala, India.
Features List
SUBMITTED BY:
HARSHIT GARG
9917102215
E7