Wireless Sensors

We have many projects that deal with different aspects of the design and application of multimodal wireless sensor arrays. Examples include:

The Sensor Stack Platform

We have developed a simple modular platform for wireless sensing. This system allows for easy prototyping and testing of embedded sensor applications, and encapsulates much of the wireless system design and makes it reusable. All boards in the system are 1.4 inch square; the master board contains a 22 MIPS microcontroller with 12-bit ADC and a 115.2 kBps wireless link with TDMA channel sharing. Sensor boards can be attached to the master via a 26-pin fixed link, which provides for both direct and multiplexed connections, as well as a variety of other data protocols and power distribution. So far, constructed sensor boards include a six degree of freedom inertial measurement unit, a tactile (e.g., bend and pressure) sensor signal processing board, and a distance- and angle-finding sonar board that also measures capacitive proximity. Currently in testing are visual sensor (camera, IR, heat) and flash memory boards.

Groggy Wakeup: Power-Efficient Wakeup in Smart Sensor Systems

Wireless sensors systems are currently being deployed in a wide variety of lightweight mobile applications such as the detection of degenerative diseases, the monitoring of remote wildlife habitats and the tracking of the safety of housebound elders. However, current implementations suffer from short lifespans due to high energy use and limited battery size. For such applications to enter the consumer mainstream, it is necessary for them to be far more energy efficient. This project explores adaptable sensor-driven power management for wireless sensor systems as a means of increasing efficiency. Rather than fully activate the nodes either on a schedule or in response to very simple stimuli, this project explores what we term "groggy wakeup," where the system is activated at various levels in response to an evolving stimulus. This way, the system only comes full on when an interesting phenomenon is encountered, and resources are appropriately conserved.

Legacy and Related Projects:

The Gait Shoe: A wearable Biomotion Laboratory

Expressive Footwear: A compact wearable sensor node for interactive dance

Power Harvesting and Energy Scavenging

The Pushpin Computer: A dense sensor network testbed on a smart wall.

UltraLowCost Motion Sensors: Disposable wireless sensors for group interaction

The UberBadge and RF-RAIN Card

Return to the Responsive Environments Group Projects Page

Joe Paradiso
Ari Benbasat
Mark Feldmeier
Ryan Aylward