Masayuki Hirafuji

Field Monitoring Using Sensor-Nodes with a Web Server

In order to realize field and environment monitoring over long periods of time, we propose a new method of remote monitoring system that can flexibly and dynamically respond to changes. Field Servers are one of the small monitoring sensor-nodes that are equipped with a Web server to be accessed via the Internet and use wireless LAN to provide a high-speed transmission network differing from traditional sensor-nodes. The monitoring system with Field Servers allows for easy installation, monitoring field information, and remote operation in any field. By mounting the function of a Web server for all modules, we can treat them collectively via the Internet. In order to evaluate the monitoring system, we have managed numerous Field Servers installed in various countries using an agent program. The result of field experiments shows that the system is both safe and effective for remote monitoring applications.

Agent System for Operating Web-Based Sensor Nodes via the Internet

Web-based sensor nodes, which have a Web server for monitoring data and operating devices, could be used for their easy installation, monitoring, and management with small effort on the part of users. To realize a sensor network system with a high scalability, fewer legacy problems, and general versatility, we propose an agent system for operating Web-based sensor nodes via the Internet. In this agent system, we can handle many kinds of sensor nodes flexibly and uniformly with the agent program and the configuration file. By constructing all objects of the agent system based on the Internet, it is possible to enhance the expansion of operation, control, and scale. By making the agent architecture, algorithm, and implementation, we demonstrate the capabilities and reliability of this system as a useful sensor network.

A web-based sensor network system with distributed data processing approach via web application

We have proposed a Web-based sensor network constructed of Web-based sensor nodes and a remote management system. The Web-based sensor nodes consist of communication units and measurement devices with Web servers. The management system has intelligent processing and rule-based function to manage them flexibly via the Internet and performs various image analyses easily with Web application services. By distributing the image analyses to Web application services, our proposed system provides versatile and scalable data processing. We demonstrated that it can realize the desired image analyses effectively and perform complicated management by changing its operations depending on the results of analysis.

Data mining and wireless sensor network for agriculture pest/disease predictions

Data driven precision agriculture aspects, particularly the pest/disease management, require a dynamic crop-weather data. An experiment was conducted in a semi-arid region to understand the crop-weather-pest/disease relations using wireless sensory and field-level surveillance data on closely related and interdependent pest (Thrips) - disease (Bud Necrosis) dynamics of groundnut crop. Data mining techniques were used to turn the data into useful information/knowledge/relations/trends and correlation of crop-weather-pest/disease continuum. These dynamics obtained from the data mining techniques and trained through mathematical models were validated with corresponding surveillance data. Results obtained from 2009 & 2010 kharif seasons (monsoon) and 2009–10 & 2010–11 rabi seasons (post monsoon) data could be used to develop a real to near real-time decision support system for pest/disease predictions.

Field server: multi-functional wireless sensor network node for earth observation

1. Field Server Field Server is a small Web server, which can be installed globally for long term by using wireless LAN and the Internet. Field Server can monitor environmental conditions and ecosystems in real-time by high resolution camera, multiple sensors and LED lighting. Ad-hoc Wi-Fi mesh-network is created by Field Servers, and also Wi-Fi hotspots can be created around Field Servers for ubiquitous networking. Field Servers can be used also as a platform to use network devices and electroequipments in open fields. In Field Server’s case, all devices are connected by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, that is, inside of Field Server is also sensor-network, which can realize layout-free architecture, plug & play, robustness and various designs for Field Servers.

Field Server Projects

A field server is a sensor node which can create a wireless sensor network and simultaneously serve as Wi-Fi hotspots in open fields. Since 2001, we have been working on several Research and Development projects to develop field server technology and its applications. So far, three generations of field servers have been developed and are in use in more than a dozen countries for collaborative research and educational applications such as a global sensor network for Earth observation, food safety/IT-agriculture, advanced sensor technology in fields and image monitoring for urban areas. The field servers have proved to be quite robust for field applications. More work is in progress to develop applications for the field server and resolve issues with power consumption and increasing the communication range for certain applications

Present Status and Prospective of Agriculture Grid and Its Implementation

A framework to realize grid architecture for agricultural decision support is proposed and practically implemented in an IT research project supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery. This paper first describes how we design the framework, solving existing issues. Then, we clarify the advantages of such an approach, showing practical examples that run on the framework

GeoSense: A Multimode Information and Communication System

Recent technological developments allowed to envision the low-power (solar power) and low-cost (open hardware) sensor devices (Agrisens/FieldServer/Flux Tower/FieldTwitter) with multimode (ZigBee/WiFi/3G/WebGIS) information and communication technologies (ICTs), a model in which is christened as GeoSense. Integrating these multimode and multi-level communication systems with distributed ambient sensory network location-based service (LBS) is a challenging task, which could be a potential technology for monitoring various natural phenomena. This integrated model is introduced to provide and assist the rural stakeholders with real-time decision support system (DSS) with dynamic information and modeling services for precision agriculture through GeoSense cloud service. This GeoSense research has been experimented in semiarid tropics in India under Indo-Japan initiative on multi-disciplinary ICT program.

Image Processing and Interactive Selection with Java Based on Genetic Algorithms

Abstract Knowledge acquisition systems for image enhancement procedures have been developed using Java. Based on genetic algorithms (GAs), the systems can optimize procedures for enhancing target components in the digital images of plants in fields. Using rough objective images given by users as a standard image for evaluating fitness, it can provide appropriate filtering operations and their parameters. To improve convergence, interactive selection, which selects a promising individual by human intention instead of the fitness function, has been introduced. Consequently, the combination of the fitness function and interactive selection has contributed to rapid convergence of the processing.

Seamless Integration of Sensor Network and Legacy Weather Databases by MetBroker

Nowadays, we can use several meteorological databases through the Internet. They are, however, heterogeneous in access methods, data formats, available items etc., so that clients applications are generally tightly linked to particular databases. This causes inefficiency in developing client applications. To solve this issue, we developed a data broker named MetBroker that provides client applications consistent accesses to such heterogeneous databases, hiding the heterogeneity and virtually integrating distributed databases. The basic idea was to provide a remote wrapper application to each database that translates the heterogeneity to a standardized format. This paper describes the basic functions of MetBroker and seamless integration of legacy weather database with sensor network by MetBroker