Wireless Sensor Research at NIST

Overview

Wireless Sensor Node
Wireless Sensor Node

The field of wireless sensing has recently received a great deal of attention, promising the ability to monitor the environment around us in an easier and more affordable manner than is possible with conventionally wired sensors. Researchers across NIST are carrying out vital work in this emerging technological area by examining the fundamental physics that are involved in transmitting signals, by exploring new application areas for wireless sensors, by developing efficient means of transmitting messages through networks, and by developing standards to ease their use.

A sampling of the work underway at NIST related to wireless sensors is given here. Feel free to contact any of the principal researchers with questions. If you would like your work included on this web site, please contact the web administrator.

IEEE 1451 Standards for Smart Sensors

Laboratory: Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
Division: Manufacturing Metrology Division
Contact: Kang Lee

Wireless communication is an enabling technology for launching sensors into wireless applications. Wireless technologies not only ease the application of sensors (wireless sensors) in sensing systems, they also help to reduce system implementation and installation time and costs by eliminating the high cost of cabling. Various wireless communication protocols emerging in the marketplace are being used, sensor interface and data interoperability become a major problem. A wireless sensor communication standard that can addresses sensor integration and sensor data interoperability using popular communication protocols such as 802.11 (WiFi), 802.15.1 (Bluetooth), and 802.15.4 (ZigBee) could serve the sensor user community and industry well. Such a standard, namely, the IEEE 1451.5 Wireless Sensor Standard, is being developed for that purpose. The IEEE 1451.5 draft is going through the IEEE balloting process and is expected to be submitted to IEEE for approval as a full-use standard by the end of 2006.

Another member of the family of the IEEE 1451 standards, namely IEEE 1451.0, provides a common set of commands that allows the access of sensors connected in both wired and wireless networks. In addition, an IEEE 1451.0 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) API defined in the standard enables applications to gain access of sensors data and Transducer Electronic Data Sheets (TEDS) using the HTTP 1.1 protocol. Thus the IEEE 1451.5 and 1451.0 standards can be applied to access wireless sensors via a network or the world wide web.

More information on IEEE 1451.0 can be found at: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1451/0/

More information on IEEE 1451.5 can be found at: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1451/5/

 

Measurement and Characterization of RF Systems and Electronics

Laboratory: Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory
Division: Electromagnetics Division
Contact: Kate Remley

The Electromagnetics Division of EEEL conducts measurement and characterization of a wide variety of radio systems (narrowband, wideband, and UWB; RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave; analog and digital), RFID systems, ad hoc networks, and the electronic circuits and components that comprise these systems. We currently have projects in improving radio communication for emergency responders. We can also provide verification for sensors used to detect dielectric, magnetic, biological, and explosive materials through our materials characterization programs.

 

Real-Time Deployment of Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks

Laboratory: Information Technology Laboratory
Division: Advanced Network Technologies Division
Contacts: Nader Moayeri, Michael Souryal

The Wireless Communications Technology Group has an interest in the real-time deployment of wireless ad hoc networks, including sensor networks. We are investigating metrics and procedures for determining when a new node (or sensor) needs to be deployed in order to maintain communications connectivity as the network grows. One application of this work is extending the coverage of an incident area network as first responders enter a large building. In this application, sensors measure the vital signs of the first responder and relay them back to incident command over the deployed multihop network. The deployment mechanism automatically provisions nodes where needed to maintain connectivity for the multihop delivery of sensor measurements as well as other communications traffic.

 

Sensor Network Standards for Department of Homeland Security

Laboratories: Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Divisions: Manufacturing Metrology Division, Manufacturing Systems Integration Division, Building Environment Division
Contacts: Kang Lee, Al Jones, Bill Healy, Eugene Song, Steve Fick

Efforts are being made to identify and develop standards that can be used by the Department of Homeland Security in deploying sensor networks and in setting up a national alert system to detect Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive hazards. Data from a wide array of sensor networks, many of which will be wireless, will be used to pinpoint the source of a problem and to develop the correct response to the incident. In order to ensure that data from these sensor networks are available to those who need them, standards are needed for the physical connections that are used to transmit data signals, for the data formats used to transmit data from sensors, and for self-identification features to allow sensors to be easily recognized and incorporated into applications. Standards such as IEEE 1451, various XML schema, and Web Service guidelines are being investigated to ensure that data can get from wireless sensor networks to first responders and others in need of that data.

 

Wireless Sensor Networks for Monitoring Conditions in Buildings

Laboratory: Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Division: Building Environment Division
Contact: Bill Healy

The Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group in the Building Environment Division is aiming to encourage the use of wireless sensors in buildings as a means of improving indoor environmental quality, decreasing energy consumption in buildings, and alerting building managers of equipment problems or damage. Current efforts are aimed at developing standardized protocols for transferring data from wireless sensor networks to software applications, including those conforming to the BACnet standard. The role of Web Services in promoting this data exchange is being examined.

http://bfrl.nist.gov/863/heat_transfer_group/BESEL.htm

 

Wireless Technologies for the Industrial Environment

Laboratory: Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
Division: Intelligent Systems Division
Contact: Jim Gilsinn

I've been involved in wireless sensors work since 2001. My interest has been in keeping track of wireless technologies as they apply to the industrial environment. Projects that I've been involved and standards committees I've participated have required a basic understanding of the current trends and technology with wireless sensors. I've spent a great amount of time learning IEEE 802.11. I've also spent time learning about Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, and other non-standard technologies.

 

Emergency Responder and Occupant Locator Graphic
Emergency Responder and Occupant Locator Graphic

Emergency Responder and Occupant Locator Technology

Laboratory: Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Division: Fire Research Division
Contacts: Nelson Bryner, David Stroup

This research involves developing technology to monitor the status and environment of firefighters and occupants inside buildings from outside the building is critical for managing the firefighting effort and preserving life. This effort examines the capabilities and limitations of different technologies including multi-nodal distributed systems(ad-hoc networks), RFID tags, and ultrawide band radio (UWB) locators. Effort will provide performance metrics for non-line-of-sight localization of emergency responders using UWB systems and reate a comprehensive digital library of experimentally-derived building material electromagnetic penetration properties that will enable the development of accurate 3D tracking systems for emergency responders operating within buildings. The results from this research will allow incident commanders, both fire service and law enforcement, to track search, rescue, or fire suppression teams within structures.

This research effort extends work already underway to examine the capabilities and limitations of different technologies in a number of different scenarios. Each of the existing technologies have limitations, so currently, no system based on a single technology appears to address all scenarios and conditions. It may be necessary to combine multiple technologies, such as UWB and RFID or ad-hoc networks and RFID, in order to allow continuous tracking of teams in wood, steel, and concrete structures and differentiate between different elevations, floors and roofs. Are there additional technologies such as ultrasonic-based systems that may provide acceptable performance?


Tactical Decision Aids for First Responders

Laboratory: Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Division: Fire Research Division
Contacts: William Davis, Robert Vettori

This research is developing tactical decision aids to provide emergency responders with displays and tools that provide real-time information to improve situational awareness and response. Significant data/information is available from building sensors and monitors and if this information were made available to first responders, it would improve their effectiveness and safety.

First responders typically arrive at a building fire with little more than the knowledge that a sensor has gone into alarm. Over the past few years, efforts by BFRL personnel have provided the stimulation and assistance to energize members of NEMA to move toward the development of industrial standards that would culminate with products designed to provide substantial building information from either wired or wireless sensors to first responders. A demonstration conducted in Wilson N. C. in September, 2005 provided fire department evaluation of displays of information that could be used en route and on site by the incident commander. An optimal system would provide an incident commander with adequate information for staging prior to arrival and would provide detailed information of both the incident and the building systems on arrival.

 

RFID Sensors for the Construction Industry

Laboratory:  Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Division:  Materials & Construction Research Division
Contacts:  Alan Lytle, Kamel Saidi

NIST's Building and Fire Research Laboratory is evaluating the use of RFID to benefit the construction industry, for example to identify and track equipment and supplies at construction sites. One of the initial efforts in this area is to evaluate the use of RFID as part of a construction component tracking system to track steel beams that are manipulated using a robotic crane. Additional NIST efforts to evaluate and facilitate use of RFID in various industry sectors are anticipated as overall RFID use continues to grow in the future.

 


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Last updated: 12/15/2006