Cars To Form One Huge Sensor Network
Who said Wireless Sensor Networks had to be small personal area networks? According to Network World, researchers at Penn State University are developing a sensor that would be attached to cars that would allow it to talk to other cars, forming a large area sensor network.
The original concept being developed at Penn State is for the purpose of preventing car theft. It is geared towards parking lots and apartment buildings that might offer the additional anti-theft protection as an added perk. When a user parks their car, the tiny sensor would notify other cars around it that it is there and "joining the network". Periodically, the sensor will broadcast a message to other cars saying "I'm here and I'm safe". When the person unlocks their car to leave, the sensor would notify other cars in the network that it is leaving. If the car were to leave the network without issuing this "goodbye message", in the case of a theft for example, the other cars in the network would notice the car is missing and will notify the network controller to call the police.
The sensors are inexpensive and will eventually be about the size of a grain of rice, making them difficult for a would-be car thief to locate and disable. Even if they were able to tamper with the sensor, the other cars in the network would notice the missing "I'm safe" broadcasts and notify the base station that there is a problem. The wireless network approach will not only make anti-theft protection more affordable, but also more effective.
This concept is a perfect use of Wireless Sensor Technology. Why does it have to be limited to parking lots though? The biggest challenge for wireless sensors is their long term need of power. Cars have plenty of power! Why not put a sensor in every car? Think about what a selling point this could be for Ford or GM? Cars can form a huge wide area network over a large area, routing their information through other cars, until it reaches a controller strategically placed throughout the city. Now it doesn't matter if you car is in a parking lot, parked on the street, or being taken for a joy ride by some punk. A query can be sent through the network to find the exact location of the car, allowing the police to apprehend the thief in minutes.
As with most technological advances, the privacy advocates will have a field day with this one. But I personally believe the benefit would outweigh the potential for concern.
The original concept being developed at Penn State is for the purpose of preventing car theft. It is geared towards parking lots and apartment buildings that might offer the additional anti-theft protection as an added perk. When a user parks their car, the tiny sensor would notify other cars around it that it is there and "joining the network". Periodically, the sensor will broadcast a message to other cars saying "I'm here and I'm safe". When the person unlocks their car to leave, the sensor would notify other cars in the network that it is leaving. If the car were to leave the network without issuing this "goodbye message", in the case of a theft for example, the other cars in the network would notice the car is missing and will notify the network controller to call the police.
The sensors are inexpensive and will eventually be about the size of a grain of rice, making them difficult for a would-be car thief to locate and disable. Even if they were able to tamper with the sensor, the other cars in the network would notice the missing "I'm safe" broadcasts and notify the base station that there is a problem. The wireless network approach will not only make anti-theft protection more affordable, but also more effective.
This concept is a perfect use of Wireless Sensor Technology. Why does it have to be limited to parking lots though? The biggest challenge for wireless sensors is their long term need of power. Cars have plenty of power! Why not put a sensor in every car? Think about what a selling point this could be for Ford or GM? Cars can form a huge wide area network over a large area, routing their information through other cars, until it reaches a controller strategically placed throughout the city. Now it doesn't matter if you car is in a parking lot, parked on the street, or being taken for a joy ride by some punk. A query can be sent through the network to find the exact location of the car, allowing the police to apprehend the thief in minutes.
As with most technological advances, the privacy advocates will have a field day with this one. But I personally believe the benefit would outweigh the potential for concern.
Labels: anti-theft, car alarm, wide area network, wireless sensor
