Compared to the past, the concept of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has significantly evolved from simple monitoring system architecture that can adapt and interact intelligently with the environment. The characteristics of the WSNs are such that they can be considered among the reference systems in the nascent Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, WSN technologies are gradually more and more integrated with the Vanet (Vehicular Ad-hoc NETwork) technologies. Indeed, the sensors (speed, position, and concentration of the carbon particles and CO2) installed in the vehicles represent a valuable tool for the collection of status information (traffic, pollution) of urban environments. Moreover, Vanets represent a key technology for the implementation of support services to the security, by enabling messaging for danger and emergency notifications to the user, or even to trigger automatic actions in the vehicle to prevent the occurrence of accidents or dangerous scenarios.
As part of the project, VANETs / WSN will be integrated into a broader and heterogeneous architecture through the paradigm of the IoT, characterized by the interaction between devices that communicate over protocols completely different from each other – such as ZigBee nodes, 802.11p and 4G modules – through abstraction and description of the same devices as Virtual Objects (VOs). By implementing a suitable messaging system between the VO, the framework described so far can easily adapt to changing networks, by dynamically assigning tasks to VO with the aim of improving network performance.
Duration: 2012-2015
Funding: Telit Communications S.p.A.
Research Area: Internet of Things
Principal Investigator: Luigi Atzori