TASK: sensor network in a box

Sensornet systems research is being conducted with various applications and deployment scenarios in mind. In many of these scenarios, the presumption is that the sensornet will be deployed and managed by users who do not have a background in computer science. In this paper we describe the "tiny application sensor kit" (TASK), a system we have designed for use by end-users with minimal sensornet sophistication. We describe the requirements that guided our design, the architecture of the system and results from initial deployments. Based on our experience to date we present preliminary design principles and research challenges that arise in delivering sensornet research to end users.

I. Introduction

A standard vision of wireless sensor networks involves an end-user buying a collection of sensor nodes; powering them up, and sprinkling them-literally or figuratively-within an environment The devices automatically form an ad-hoc network, sense their environment, and report readings back to a central location over the course of months or years. In these early years of sensor network technology, things are not yet that simple. Most deployments today happen via a squad of computer science. researchers working hand-in-hand with a potential user to carefully deploy nodes, configure and even write software on the fly, observe network behavior and analyze incoming data, and return on a regular basis to monitor and maintain the health of the system [1].