International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 4 Issue 4, June 2020 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Wireless Sensor Network Applications: A Survey

Rajni Kumari1, Mr. Akhilesh Kumar Maurya2
1Research
Scholar, 2Associate Professor,
1,2Department Electronics & Communication Engineering, BBDU, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Rajni Kumari | Mr.

This paper describes the thought of sensor networks that has been created by Akhilesh Kumar Maurya "Wireless Sensor
the representation of wireless communications, micro-machined devices, and Network Applications: A Survey"
digital electronics. First, the potential sensor networks applications and Published in
therefore the sensing tasks are search, and after the review of things International Journal
influenced to the planning of sensor network. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) of Trend in Scientific
consists of the many distributed devices spatially, using sensors to watch Research and
various conditions at various points, including temperature, sound, vibration, Development (ijtsrd),
pressure, motion or pollutants. Most of the many applications of Wireless ISSN: 2456-6470,
Senor Networks are described during this paper. Volume-4 | Issue-4, IJTSRD31037
June 2020, pp.1758-
KEYWORDS: Applications, Sensor, Wireless sensor network 1762, URL:
www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd31037.pdf

Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and

International Journal of Trend in Scientific
Research and Development Journal. This
is an Open Access article distributed
under the terms of
the Creative
Commons Attribution
License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by
/4.0)
I. INTRODUCTION
Wireless sensor network are a category of network where These sensor network collectively form a network called a
the nodes are sensor node which have Capability to sense wireless sensor network. Now a days Sensor network are
the physical phenomena that occur around them. These very fashionable thanks to this sensing reason they will be
sensing could be of various kind like: utilized in many application. Wireless sensor network are

Color key to the formation of internet of things (IOT) and Internet

Pressure of things Wireless Sensor Network are vital component for

Humidity building smart cities which became popular for previous

Vibration couple of years in our country and abroad. WSN are software

Background level based and Dependent on the applications. Fig.1 illustrates

Temperature the various applications of wireless sensor network.

Presence and absence of sort of Objects

Current Characteristic like Speed, Direction and size

Fig.1 Applications of WSN

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD31037 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 4 | May-June 2020 Page 1758
 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
II. APPLICATION OF WSN Tele-monitoring of patients and their physiological
1. Military Application information: The physiological data collected by the sensor
Wireless sensor networks are an important part of military networks may be kept for an extended amount of time, so
command, control, communications, intelligence, that it might be used for medical research .These small
surveillance, mission and targeting (C4ISRT) systems. The sensor nodes permit the subject a larger freedom of
rapid deployment, and fault tolerance characteristics of movement and permit doctors to spot predefined symptoms
sensor networks which make them a fully promising sensing earlier and facilitate a better quality of life for the subjects
technique for military C4ISRT.A number of the military compared to the treatment centers.
applications of sensor networks are equipment and
ammunition; battleground surveillance; reconnaissance Drug administration in hospitals: If sensor nodes may be
mission of opposing forces and terrain; targeting and target connected to medications, the probability of obtaining and
structure; and nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) attack prescribing the wrong medication to patients may be
detection and reconnaissance mission. reduced, because patient will have sensor nodes that may
determine their allergies and their type of needed
Equipment and ammunition: Each equipment and its medications.
significant ammunition may be connected to sensor which
give the report of each and every equipment status. 3. Environmental Applications
The capabilities of wireless sensor network are utilized in
Reconnaissance mission of opposing forces and terrain: the realization of wide variety of environmental applications.
Sensor network is deployed in very important terrain so that some application of wireless sensor network in environment
if it detect any attack occur from opposition force terrain include tracking the movement of birds, Insects ,small
may be meet before the opposition force can intercept them. animal; monitoring environment condition that effect on
crops and livestock; irrigation; chemical/biological
Targeting and target structure: Sensor network can be detection; Precision Agriculture, earth and environment
fixed on proper terrain so that it hit on the specific target. monitoring in marine, soil; forest fire detection, some
environment condition like Tsunamis, Storm and hurricane
Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) attack detection and flood detection.
and reconnaissance mission: Sensor network accordingly
use so that Reconnaissance mission after and NBC attack is Forest fire detection: By using radio frequency lots of
detected. sensor node element may be deployed in area where precise
origin of the fire to the end users before the fire is spread
Battlefield surveillance: Sensor network closely watched uncontrollable.
the activities of the opposing forces. As its continuous
operation new operation plan are prepared so that new Precision Agriculture: The ability to observe the pesticide
sensor network are deployed any time for the battlefield level the extent level of soil erosion, drinking water and level
surveillance. [19] of air pollution in real time observation.

2. Health Applications Tsunami Detection and Response: Due to geographical

Wireless sensor network are capable for interacting with the change altering the face of the earth tsunami become more
environment through sensor that why it is used for frequent. The intensity of tsunami can cause enormous
healthcare monitoring. [1].In medical science different financial as well as human loss. Whenever a tsunami strikes
wireless technology are used like WBAN, WPAN, WSAN, etc. an area their major infrastructure like bridge, road and
WBAN (wireless body area network) is a technology which hospital etc. are most affected which delay the rescue
continuously operate the sensor and widely used in medical mission and increase the probability of greater number of
science. It measure the patient physiological signal like heart mortality rate. To overcome from this problem a semantic
rate , blood pressure and sugar level etc.[3] In wireless sensor has been proposed that perform service like
sensor network there performance can be analysis by their generating alarms so that users can get knowledge of actual
work in that particular field. Sensor node monitoring chronic time changes. [4]
and serious such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Sensor network can be deployed in aged person and Volcano monitoring: Continuous human access to the
grownup children for continuously monitoring there daily environment is impossible so sensor network is used in that
activities. Facilities of tele-Healthcare in rural areas has been environment .Volcano monitoring is an example, where
researches in many countries India, Nepal and china but in sensor node can be easily deployed near to the active
urban areas have not been yet researches. Due to vastly volcano to continuously monitor their activities and provide
increasing number of patient emergency room in hospital at a scale and resolution not precisely possible with existing
are almost full all time to overcome this problem to facilitate tool .The main goal of the node is to collect the information
doctor’s opinion at their home without the need of physical based on the earthquake that occur near the volcanoes.
presence of doctor, a wireless sensor network that monitor
patient vital sign and continuously communicate the Flood Detection: It require a large area to be covered with
recorded information in the doctor office is a better solution. sensor. Due to limited communication range of each
If a patient is physically challenged can’t be able to move individual sensor node, A network topology sensor node is
from their place then a sensor is fixed to their body so that used having different types of node are used having different
their requirement and need can be easily detected. [4] function in the system these sensor node are Computation
Wireless sensor network can also monitor and detect the old node, Sensing node Government office interface node and
age people behavior like fall [7]. community interface node.[10]

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD31037 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 4 | May-June 2020 Page 1759
 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
4. Home application
As technology advances, smart sensor nodes and actuators
can be buried in appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, micro-
wave ovens, refrigerators, DVD player and VCRs. These
sensor nodes inside domestic devices can interact with one
another and with the external network via the internet or
Satellite. They all end users to manage home devices locally
and remotely. Wireless sensor network provides
interconnection of various devise at residential places with
control of various application at home.

Water Monitoring: The nonintrusive Autonomous water

monitoring system (NAWMS) for home is recently been
developed by using wireless sensor network. The main aim
of NAWMS is to control the wastage in water usage and Fig.2 Industrial use control system
inform tenants about more efficient usage. The operating
principle of NAWMS is based on the fact that the water flow Preventive maintenance: since it provide profitable
in a particular pipe can be estimated by measuring the solution for long term operation of expensive equipment’s
vibrations of that pipe because of the proportional preventive maintenance has been utilized in many large
relationship between the two. [10] industrial plants. The accelerometer sensor attacked to the
equipment that monitor the health through vibration
Smart environment: By two different views we can design analysis technique. Based on the established science that
the Smart environment first one is human centered and maps a particular signature for proper functioning device a
second one is technology-centered. For human-centered, a semiconductor fabrication hundred-thousand of sensor track
smart environment needs to adapt according to the the vibration of various equipment, the machine are monitor
requirement of the end users in terms of input/output continuously.
capabilities.[23]For technology-centered, new hardware
technologies, networking solutions, and middleware services Structural health monitoring: Wireless sensor network is
have to be compelled to be developed. How sensor nodes used in structural health monitoring (SHM) application
may be used to produce a smart environment, creates such where the distributed sensor track the temporal pattern of
circumstances. The sensor nodes can be embedded into vibration induced throughout the structure.
appliances and furnishing, so that they will communicate
with each another and also with the room server. {The room 6. Traffic Monitoring
/the space/the area} server also can communicate with Traffic monitoring systems generate huge amount of
other room servers to find out about the services they understanding where the systems must process these useful
offered, e.g. printing, scanning, and faxing. These sensor information, especially those systems that involve historical
nodes and room servers may be integrated with existing information to perfectly estimate current state of traffic. A
embedded devices to become self-organizing, self-regulated system that monitors and reports the physical condition of
and Adaptation-al systems. The sensing and computing roads such as slipperiness factor, humidity and road works
environment must be reliable, persistent, and transparent. etc.; Information generated from this system could be
[1][25] integrated with SMS based services that alert users about
congestion, automatic traffic light timers, geographic
Gas meter monitoring: Due to day by day development of information systems that suggest less congested paths or
urban areas, Natural gas parameter is installed at each house roads which are less damaged, systems that trigger road
which minimize the amount of time wasted.[4] natural gas maintenance work and analysis tools that help to manage
parameter are installed at each shop ,house or industries so traffic and plan extensions to the road network ,which will
that the billing procedure is depending on the amount of gas enhance the efficiency of traffic circulation , minimize risks
consumed by each user.[33] and time to take corrective actions both on design and
management levels.
5. Industrial
Wireless sensor network have long being used in industrial 7. Marine Monitoring
sensing, access control, control application and building In wireless sensor network various kind of sensor are used
automation. The applicability of these system is limited by to monitor and measure different physical and chemical
cost associated due to the deployment of sensor node. parameter like water temperature, pressure, wind speed,
Moreover, for upgrading this system if sensor are deployed wind direction ,pH, oxygen density, chlorophyll levels and
in and industrial plant then this system would cost almost as salinity so that we can easily collect data. Marine
much as a new system.in addition to sensor based environment system are vulnerable effect of human
monitoring system, manual monitoring has been used in activities related to industries, tourism and urban
industrial application for preventing maintenance. [10] development [6]. Marine environment is monitor by using
Manual monitoring is performed by using handheld oceanographic research vessels which is very expensive and
analyzers that collected from central location for analysis. time consuming process. For marine environment wireless
Wireless sensor network provide an alternative solution due sensor network based approach is access the real-time data
to their high accuracy, high granularity, ease of deployment covering large geographical area and for a long time
through battery power wireless communication system. [16] period.[29] The marine environmental monitoring system

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD31037 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 4 | May-June 2020 Page 1760
 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
generally consists of two major parts: Wireless Underwater [5] Gang Zhao Digital Technology Laboratory Davis, CA,
Acoustic Networking and Wireless Aerial Networking 95618, United States- Wireless Sensor Networks for
Industrial Process Monitoring and Control: A Survey,
A. Wireless Underwater Acoustic Networking: This part Received: February 6, 2011
consists of underwater sensor nodes and autonomous
[6] Guobao Xu 1 , Weiming Shen 2,* and Xianbin Wang 2
underwater vehicles, which are deployed to bear out
Lab of Ocean Remote Sensing & Information
cooperative surveillance during a given area. [30]
Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang
B. Wireless Aerial Networking: This consists of a number
524088, 2 Department of Electrical and Computer
of wireless sensor nodes deployed on the water surface
Engineering, The University of Western Ontario,
that provide a proper communication between a base
London, Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks in
station and sensor node without any loss of
Marine Environment Monitoring: A Survey,Sensors
data.[31][32]
2014, 14, 16932-16954; doi:10.3390/s140916932
III. CONCLUSION [7] K. Premkumar1, S. Padmapriya2 R. Priyadharshani3,
The comprehensive survey of wireless sensor network Kapaganti Priyanka4 1,2,3,4 Department of Computer
program has been experienced in this paper. Wireless sensor Science Engineering, SMVEC - a survey on healthcare
network consists of sensor node with sensing data monitoring system using wireless sensor networks
processing with wireless component the wireless sensor (wsn),International Journal of Pure and Applied
network area monitoring, military applications, Mathematics Volume 118 No. 14 2018, 485-492
Environment applications, Health detection (how people
[8] Poonam Prasad CSIR-National Environmental
could benefit from home using wireless sensor technology
Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, India- Recent
for the betterment of life) and the Home application has been
trend in wireless sensor network and its applications: a
briefed here. The traffic network with the distrusted
survey, Sensor Review 35/2 (2015) 229 –236 ©
parameter will become more measurable and controllable.
Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0260-2288]
Monitoring of the marine environment is become a highly
[DOI 10.1108/SR-08-2014-683] Accepted 8 December
promising technique of wireless sensor network. Due to easy
2014
deployment ,actual-time monitoring , low cost with
automatic operation wireless sensor network for marine [9] Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks in Marine
environment monitoring including oceanographic sensor Environment Monitoring: A Survey Guobao Xu 1 ,
protection, energy harvesting system design and system Weiming Shen 2,* and Xianbin Wang 2 Lab of Ocean
stability and reliability. Remote Sensing & Information Technology, Guangdong
Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China; E-Mail:
REFERENCES [email protected] 2 Department of .Electrical and
[1] Ajaz Ahmed Khan 1, Mrs Himani Agrawal 2 Associate Computer Engineering, The University of Western
Professor, Dept. of Electronics and Telecommunication Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada - Survey on
Engineering, Shri Shankarcharya Group of Institutions application of wireless sensor networks for traffic
Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India2-A Survey Paper on monitoring, International Conference on
Applications and Challenges in Wireless Sensor Transportation Engineering 2007 (ICTE 2007)
Network International Journal of Innovative Research
[10] Wireless sensor network- Ian F. Akyildiz, Georgia
in Science, Engineering and Technology (An ISO 3297:
Institute of Technology, USA
2007 Certified Organization) Vol. 5, Issue 1, Januray
2016 [11] Padmapriya, V., Amudhavel, J., Gowri, V., Lakshmipriya,
K., Vinothini, S., PremKumar, K., “Demystifying
[2] Abhishek Pandey Indian Institute of Information
challenges, opportunities and issues of Big data
Technology, Allahabad R.C. Tripathi Indian Institute of
frameworks”, (2015) ACM International Conference
Information Technology, Allahabad- A Survey on
Proceeding Series, 06-07- March-2015
Wireless Sensor Networks Security International
Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887) [12] Karthikeyan, P., Deepika, P., Amudhavel, J., Saranya, M.,
Volume 3 – No.2, June 2010 Infanta, E., Nandhini, C., “Impact on self-organization in
Mobile AdHoc Networks: An comprehensive review”,
[3] B. P. Sreeja, 2L.Jayakumar, 3G. Saratha Devi 1,2
(2015) ACM International Conference Proceeding
Assistant Professor, Department of Information
Series, 06-07-March-2015
Technology, Karpagam college of Engineering,
Coimbatore, India 3Department of Computer Science [13] Jaiganesh, S., Jarina, S., Amudhavel, J., Premkumar, K.,
and Engineering, VFSTR, Vadlamudi, Andhra Pradesh, Sampathkumar, S., Vengattaraman, T., “Performance
India- WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK APPLICATIONS: analysis of collision avoidance frame works in
A STUDY International Journal of Pure and Applied VANETS”, (2016) Indian Journal of Science and
Mathematics Volume 118 No. 11 2018, 385-389 Technology.
[4] Bushra Rashid, Mubashir Husain Rehmani Institute of [14] W. Heinzelman, A. Chandrakasan, and H. Balakrishnan,
Information Technology, Wah Cantt, Pakistan- “An application-specific protocol architecture for
Applications of wireless sensor networks for urban wireless microsensor networks,” IEEE Transactions on
areas: A survey, Journal of Network and Computer Wireless Communications,
Applications Article history: Accepted 28 September
2015 [15] Yunus, E. A.; Ibrahim, K.; Özgür, U. A framework for use
of wireless sensor networks in forest fire detection and

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD31037 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 4 | May-June 2020 Page 1761
 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
monitoring. Comput. Environ. Urban Syst. 2012, 36, [26] Nadimi, E. S.; Jørgensen, R. N., Blanes-Vidal, V.;
614–625. Christensen, S. Monitoring and classifying animal
behavior using ZigBee-based mobile ad hoc wireless
[16] Silva, I.; Guedes, L. A.; Portugal, P.; Vasques, F.
sensor networks and artificial neural networks.
Reliability and Availability Evaluation of Wireless
Comput. Electron. Agric. 2012, 82, 44–54.
Sensor Networks for Industrial Applications. Sensors
2012, 12, 806–838. [27] Bahrepour, M.; Meratnia, N.; Poel, M.; Taghikhaki, Z.;
Havinga, P. J. M. Distributed event detection in wireless
[17] Zhao, G. Wireless Sensor Networks for Industrial
sensor networks for disaster management. In
Process Monitoring and Control: A Survey. Netw.
Proceedings of the 2010 2nd International Conference
Protoc. Algorithms 2011, 3, 46–63.
on Intelligent Networking and Collaborative Systems
[18] Li, X.; Deng, Y.; Ding, L. Study on precision agriculture (INCOS), Thessaloniki, Greece, 24–26 November 2010;
monitoring framework based on wsn. In Proceedings of pp. 507–512.
the 2nd International Conference on Anti-
[28] Lacono, M.; Romano, E.; Marrone, S. Adaptive
counterfeiting, Security and Identification (ASID 2008),
monitoring of marine disasters with intelligent mobile
Guiyang, China, 20–23 August 2008; pp. 182–185.
sensor networks. In Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE
[19] Qian, H.; Sun, P.; Rong, Y. Design Proposal of Self- Workshop on Environmental Energy and Structural
Powered WSN Node for Battle Field Surveillance. Monitoring Systems (EESMS), Taranto, Italy, 9
Energy Proced. 2012, 16, 753–757. September 2010; pp. 38–45.
[20] Padmavathi, G.; Shanmugapriya, D.; Kalaivani, M. A [29] Albaladejo, C.; Sánchez, P.; Iborra, A.; Soto, F.; López, J.
Study on Vehicle Detection and Tracking Using A.; Torres, R. Wireless Sensor Networks for
Wireless Sensor Networks. Wirel. Sens. Netw. 2010, 2, Oceanographic Monitoring: A Systematic Review.
173–185. Sensors 2010, 10, 6948–6968.
[21] Tacconi, D.; Miorandi, D.; Carreras, I.; Chiti, F.; Fantacci, [30] Thiemo, V.; Fredrik, O. S.; Niclas, F. Sensor Networking
R. Using wireless sensor networks to support in Aquatic Environments-Experiences and New
intelligent transportation systems. Ad Hoc Netw. 2010, Challenges. In Proceedings of the 32nd IEEE
8, 462–473. Conference on Local Computer Networks, Dublin,
Ireland, 15–18 October 2007; pp. 793–798.
[22] Tubaishat, M.; Zhuang, P.; Qi, Q.; Shang, Y. Wireless
sensor networks in intelligent transportation systems. [31] Tateson, J.; Roadknight, C.; Gonzalez, A.; Khan, T.; Fitz,
Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput. 2009, 9, 287–302. S.; Henning, I. Real World Issues in Deploying a
Wireless Sensor Network for Oceanography. In
[23] Lee, H.; Wu, C.; Aghajan, H. Vision-based user-centric
Proceedings of the Workshop on Real-World Wireless
light control for smart environments. Pervasive Mob.
Sensor Networks, Stockholm, Sweden, 20–21 June
Comput. 2011, 7, 223–240.
2005; pp. 20–21.
[24] Bangali, J.; Shaligram, A. Energy efficient Smart home
[32] Boonma, P.; Suzuki, J. An Adaptive, Scalable and Self-
based on Wireless Sensor Network using Lab VIEW.
Healing Sensor Network Architecture for Autonomous
Am. J. Eng. Res. 2013, 2, 409–413.
Coastal Environmental Monitoring. In Proceedings of
[25] Handcock, R. N.; Swain, D. L.; Bishop-Hurley, G. J.; the IEEE Conference on Technologies For Homeland
Patison, K. P.; Wark, T.; Valencia, P. Monitoring Animal Security, Woburn, MA, USA, 16–17 May 2007; pp. 1–8.
Behaviour and Environmental Interactions Using
Wireless Sensor Networks, GPS Collars and Satellite
Remote Sensing. Sensors 2009, 9, 3586–3603.

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD31037 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 4 | May-June 2020 Page 1762