The dream that technology will be pervasive in our environments is already halfway here; rich sensors have arrived in our cars, homes, roads, farms, factories, and even in our shoes. Sensor Networks is a field that promises to provide the other half of this dream: the technology needed to turn many isolated sensors into a single, manageable computer system.

In this course, we analyze the process of getting information all the way from sensors to scientists. We analyze several existing applications from top to bottom, including its hardware, network protocols, programming abstractions, and data interpretation, and observe how subtly different applications need vastly different system designs. Then, we explore individual systems components, including calibration, routing, time synchronization, etc. Finally, we consider several applications that cannot yet be built with existing technology as motivation for new research projects. This course is oriented around helping students learn how to make a compelling research contribution to the area of sensor networks.

For this course, students will be expected to read articles from the literature and complete a significant project.

This course is suitable for graduate students with little prior experience in sensor networks. However, we will only briefly cover the basics of motes, sensors, nesC, and TinyOS, which must be learned from the online tutorials (www.tinyos.net). See CS451 for more rigorous coverage of these topics.

The Honor System and the School of Engineering and Applied Science

The School of Engineering and Applied Science relies upon and cherishes its community of trust. We firmly endorse, uphold, and embrace the University’s Honor principle that students will not lie, cheat, or steal, and we expect all students to take responsibility for the System and the privileges that it provides. We recognize that even one Honor infraction can destroy an exemplary reputation that has taken years to build. Acting in a manner consistent with the principles of Honor will benefit every member of the community both while enrolled in the Engineering School and in the future.

 If you have questions about your Honor System or would like to report suspicions of an Honor offense, please contact Justin Starr (jstarr@virginia.edu) or Alison Tramba (avtramba@virginia.edu).