SBIR Phase I: Developing an Ultra Energy Efficient Sensor Node Using RFID Technology

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project proposes to develop an ultra-energy efficient wireless sensor node using RFID technology. By providing ultra energy efficiency and hence extended network life time, the proposed solution can significantly reduce recurring maintenance cost due to replacing/recharging batteries and interruption of normal operation for networks with long deployment lifetime. The outcome of the proposed tasks is a prototype of a wireless sensor platform that will provide ultra-energy efficiency, at least 5-10 times improvement as compared to existing solutions. The approach is to uniquely combine wireless sensor platform with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. In contrast to conventional designs where synchronized, periodic sleep/wakeup of sensor nodes are used as the dominant strategy for energy conservation, we employ an innovative asynchronous communication architecture, where sensor nodes are allowed to independently transmit without requiring any synchronization. The approach is fundamentally different from existing design paradigms; the innovative asynchronous communication architecture allows a sensor node to directly write data into a special, reactive module residing on the receiving node while its main platform is asleep. In this way, each individual sensor can schedule its own transmission without demanding any network-wide or local synchronization, thus resulting in a store-and-forward, asynchronous communication pattern in the network. Owing to the low duty cycle of a sensor node, the proposed asynchronous architecture will liberate the network from collisions and idle listening by fully exploiting time as one dimension of resource. The result is a design achieving order of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency. The extension of a wireless sensor network's life time will have significant commercial potential in saving recurring maintenance cost due to replacing/recharging batteries and disruption of normal operation for a technology with exploding market. Moreover, the technology can enable a plethora of applications, infeasible under existing designs, which demand extremely large scale sensor networks and ultra energy efficiency for long term operation. These include habitat, oceanic and planetary monitoring and surveillance of infrastructures. Furthermore, this integrative, and cutting edge project demands a systematic and synergistic approach that combines wireless networking, embedded system design, and lower power radio, and should also promote the fusion of knowledge in various domains by focusing on a mutual and challenging objective.