No more than 10% for the next 10 years?

IDTechEx has released a new report “Wireless Sensor Networks 2009-2019″. While WSN can assist with many of the big issues of this century including security, safety, protecting the environment, animal and plant conservation, healthcare and efficient food production, among many others, 99% of sensors installed in the world nowadays are still wired. Over the next ten years, they argue, WSN will constitute no more than ten percent of the wireless sensors that are sold, mainly because of technical challenges.

There is much to go for, though. WSN already beats the wired alternative with 90% reduction in cost, even at current prices, and often WSN enables things to be done that are otherwise impossible. Little wonder that hundreds of research centers are pursuing the subject and there are already well over 100 suppliers of this or that part of the jigsaw puzzle. An early objective for most schemes is wireless replacing all or almost all wiring, not just power and not just control.

More of the insights from the report can be read on this article.

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No boring bits as animals’ wild life tracked

December 29th, 2008

A network of solar powered mini-computers that ”talk” to each other is tracking the return of rare frogs to Australia’s rainforests and will record the antics of Santa’s reindeer at a zoo in Lappland.

The world’s biggest outdoor wireless sensor network, developed by CSIRO, will be installed by Ume University at Sweden’s northernmost zoo at Lycksele.

”It’s not just a webcam in a tree. This is a complex system of cameras and microphones that monitor the animals’ behaviour, and save energy and time by filtering out the boring bits,” CSIRO wireless sensor research leader, Dr Michael Bruenig said.

The remote sensing system, developed to track cattle in Queensland’s outback rangelands, is revolutionising the way environmental scientists are gathering data.

At Lycksele, the network (called a Fleck system) will analyse video and audio data collected by 100 solar-powered sensor nodes which typically contain a mini-computer, radio transceiver, tiny camera and light and temperature sensors.