Distribution strategies for collaborative and adaptive sensor networks

In this paper we describe the CASA project, an ambitious engineering research problem that is drawing on the expertise of a range of disciplines to create a next-generation meteorological sensor network. This new network, named NetRad, will be distributed across a wide area, and consist of a large number of sensors that are both collaborative in their behavior and adaptive in response to changing conditions. A closed-loop control scheme is needed to efficiently and quickly manage the network's complexity, but several barriers exist which confound a simple, centralized solution as the network scales. We will present a range of distribution strategies to cope with this problem, and compare and contrast the effects they will have on the system's performance.