Auto-configurable, self-healing distributed wireless sensor-networks supporting high dependability for critical applications

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Rolf Kraemer; Professor Dr.-Ing. Robert Weigel
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2014 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 248908590

The proposed project shall be conducted by a group of researchers from Columbia and Germany. These groups agreed on their cooperation during the first Columbian/ German workshop on cooperation in the field of wireless systems held in Bogota in November 2012. Colciencias (the Columbian organization to support basic research) and DFG agreed to set up common research projects in the mention area. Colciencias started a call for proposals that terminates on May 15th 2013.Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are becoming popular in more and more areas of monitoring and control. Especially in developing countries they can contribute to a better environmental observation to avoid pollution and they can contribute to secure critical infrastructures. To that end some properties -especially resilience, performance and security- of the network must be ensured during the total lifetime of the WSN. Resilience contains beside other the property of safety and dependability which are especially required in critical control and monitoring applications. The research topic of the proposed project addresses open questions in resilience and performance properties of WSNs for critical applications. Critical here means time-critical and/or mission critical. Especially also applications for safety related applications are addressed. Additionally, one of the cooperating parties will also dive into energy consumption properties and investigate resilience enabled node concepts.The project research approach addresses especially four aspects of the WSN topology and management:1. Topology formation and control to enable dependability, safety and performance (and indirectly longevity by energy management of residence enabled nodes)2. Sensor coverage topologies and their management which addresses the impact area of individual sensors in sensor nodes3. Property insurance and management which addresses the dynamic proof of the required properties during operations and in the presence of node and/or kink failures.4. Investigation of an ultra-low power sensor-node and support means for resilient sensor networksAll four parts contribute to the investigation and understanding of reliable sensor networks that shall be used for critical applications. Security questions will not be addressed. The different parts of the investigation will result in an innovative sensor node and software to realize sensor networks for critical applications.The two German participants will not claim any funds for scientific staff but only for travelling and some student workers support. They finance their contributions from available funds within other projects and the basic financial support.The two Columbia partner will request 75% funding of their efforts from Colciencias within the mentioned call. The project shall, besides challenging the scientific work, contribute to the establishment of a closer scientific cooperation between Germany and Columbia.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Colombia
• Partner Organisation: Colciencias ; Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación