Smart Dust Scenario 1
The simplest SmartDust scenario is one in which a single sensor records some information
which can later be read back from it. There are a number of applications:
- Temperature Sensor. Records the maximum temperature some food product was exposed to, can
be interrogated by consumers to determined if product is likely spoiled.
- Breakage Sensor. Records maximum acceleration product was exposed to, to check for
mishandling during shipping.
- Product Tracking. Records (short) list of checkpoints a product went through, to determine
where it has been and who has had access to it.
Notice that these applications don't require smart dust per se, although smart dust is
attractive because it is potentially very inexpensive. The architectural requirements of these
motes are very modest, consisting of:
- A very low power microprocessor
or
connected to a simple sensor. The sensor needs to sample frequently enough to record relevant
data (~1/min for temperature, ~10/s for breakage). A microprocessor can be in a sleep mode
until some alert condition occurs (e.g. temperature > 50 deg or interrogation). These devices
must be able to be powered for long periods of time (potentially months). Wireless
communication is desireable -- CCR with laser based interrogation is suitable and most viable.
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This page last updated 3.7.2000 Sam Madden