From Networking at ODU-CS

Public: ALERT - An Architecture for the Emergency Re-tasking of Wireless Sensor Networks

Funding

CSR: An Architecture for the Emergency Re-tasking of Wireless Sensor Networks (ALERT), NSF - CNS 1116238, Aug 2011 – Aug 2014, $358,549 to ODU (total: $440,000).

Overview

This project focuses on the development of ALERT: An Architecture for the Emergency Re-tasking of Wireless Sensor Networks. The novelty of this work lies in the theoretical foundation of re-tasking independently-deployed sensor networks, leading to a fundamental understanding of the design principles of capability reallocation and sharing to best satisfy the needs of emergency applications. Both re-tasking and integration of sensor capabilities will be transparent to the emergency applications. The resource-constrained nature of sensors, the wireless communication medium, and the failure-prone networking environment, combined with the dynamic QoS requirements of the emergency applications pose formidable challenges for the design of ALERT.

The understanding acquired from developing ALERT will promote a wider adoption of sensor network systems in support of guarding our national infrastructure and public safety. This project will result in significant scientific and technological advances that will provide invaluable help with disaster management and search-and-rescue operations. ALERT will have a broad societal impact as sensor networks are being integrated into the fabric of the society. The project will integrate research and education and will lead to the development of new graduate and undergraduate courses in sensor networks and embedded and distributed systems. In turn, these courses and their focus on information integration will introduce novel research topics to undergraduate and graduate students in computer science and engineering that fit within the overall missions of Old Dominion University and Clemson University. Focused efforts will be undertaken to stimulate interest and to facilitate the academic progress of women and underrepresented minorities.

Participants

Faculty

• Dr. Michele C. Weigle, PI
• Dr. Stephan Olariu, Co-PI
• Dr. Jason Hallstrom, Co-PI, Clemson University

PhD Students

• Liang Chen
• Mat Kelly
• Shahram Mohrehkesh
• Syed Rizvi

Objectives

1. Formalize the discovery and reallocation of the available capabilities in individual sensor networks.
2. Provide formalism for specifying sensor missions and their attributes.
3. Develop techniques for retasking independently-deployed sensor networks.

Tasks

1. Theoretical framework for ALERT (Olariu and Weigle)
2. Extend previous work on virtual infrastructure (Olariu)
3. Develop a formalism for mission description and integration (Olariu and Weigle)
4. Develop a framework for retasking sensor networks (Olariu and Weigle)
5. Develop a middleware platform in support of retasking independently-deployed sensor networks (Weigle and Hallstrom)
6. Experimental evaluation: building a small-scale prototype (Hallstrom)

Publications and Presentations

1. Syed R. Rizvi, Stephan Olariu, and Michele C. Weigle, "An Architecture for the Emergency Retasking of Wireless Sensor Networks," Presented at Computer Science track of 90th Annual Meeting of Virginia Academy of Science, Norfolk State University, May 2012. (BibTeX)
2. Syed R. Rizvi, Chinmay Lokesh, Stephan Olariu, and Michele C. Weigle, "Bridging the Gap: Eliminating Inherent Deficiencies of Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network during Emergency Response through Retasking (poster)," Presented at 35th IEEE Sarnoff Symposium, Newark, NJ, May 2012. (PDF, BibTeX)
3. Syed R. Rizvi, Liang Chen, Stephan Olariu, and Michele C. Weigle, "ALERT: A Next-generation Emergency Response System for First Responders using Retasking of Wireless Sensor Networks (poster)," Presented at the Old Dominion University Annual Graduate Research Achievement Day, Norfolk, VA, April 2012. (poster, BibTeX)
4. Syed R. Rizvi, Chinmay Lokesh, Stephan Olariu, and Michele C. Weigle, "A Next-Generation Emergency Response System for First Responders using Retasking of Wireless Sensor Networks," Presented at the Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization Student Capstone Conference, Suffolk, VA, April 2012. (PDF, BibTeX)
5. Syed R. Rizvi, Stephan Olariu, and Michele C. Weigle, "Unity in Bad Times: Bringing Together Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks to Work for a Next-generation Emergency Response System (poster)," Presented at the 7th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum of the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools (VCGS), Charlottesville, VA, February 2012. (poster, BibTeX)
6. Mat Kelly, Syed R. Rizvi, Liang Chen, Chinmay Lokesh, Stephan Olariu, Michele C. Weigle, "ALERT: A Next-generation Emergency Response System for First Responders using Retasking of Wireless Sensor Networks (poster)," Presented at 13th Annual Tidewater Student Research Poster Session, Newport News, VA, November 2011. (poster, BibTeX)