Preeja Pradeep

A remote triggered wireless sensor network testbed

This paper presents a remote triggered wireless sensor network (WSN) testbed used to facilitate multi-user remote access to the WSN experiments for virtual learning of wireless sensor network concepts. This testbed provides multiset, multi-group of WSN experimental setup that is capable to provide opportunity to perform remote code editing using over the air programming mechanism. This testbed also provides an intuitive web-based interface to the registered users for running the experiments, accessing and editing the source code of the experiment from anywhere in the world by means of internet. This remote triggering mechanism offers the user a flexible environment for the experimentation. An experimentation setup of 150 wireless sensor nodes are developed to suit the design of both indoor and outdoor experiments. The outdoor lab setup allows the users to learn the wireless propagational effects in the real environment. The WSN indoor lab setup comprises of nine sensor network experiments which allows the users to learn the WSN concepts such as configuring a WSN, clustering mechanisms, time synchronization mechanisms and experience the practical implementation in real time. This test bed offers the researchers and students an opportunity to trigger their inquisitiveness by providing the access to remote equipments and materials needed for the experimentation, shared via virtual manner wherein the experiment conduction and output observation can be performed online through an effective visualization tool.

Consensual and co-ordinated vehicular headlight attenuation using wireless sensor networks

Driving at night causes approximately 50% of traffic fatalities; one of the primary causes being the usage of headlights on high beam. Courteous drivers usually lower their headlights from high to low beam when they see oncoming traffic. However, due to driver inertia, either inherent and/or caused by frequent switching between high and low beams, headlights are eventually left in high beam. This causes temporary blindness in drivers from on-coming traffic, leading to accidents, as well as permanent blindness in frequent nighttime drivers. In this paper, we propose a novel system to automatically attenuate the headlights of oncoming traffic and thereby reduce driver discomfort. We use a consensual and coordinated communication approach in order to request oncoming traffic to lower their headlights to low beam when necessary and lower our own headlights as well. Experiments conducted show that it is possible to automatically attenuate light intensity from on-coming traffic in fractions of a second, at significantly large distances, thereby reducing driver discomfort and mitigating accidents significantly.

Context aware wireless sensor system integrated with participatory sensing for real time road accident detection

According to World Health Organization, worldwide, every year, more than 12 million people are killed in accidents and more than 500 million people are injured. In this research work, we have designed a context aware wireless sensor system to detect and locate road accidents in real-time. Context acquisition is performed using onboard sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, flex sensor and sensors from Smartphone such as accelerometer, microphone, GPS etc. A learning algorithm is proposed to perform context modeling, inference, and context-based action initiation. Participatory sensing techniques are integrated with the proposed system to ensure system enhancement and reduce false alarms.

A Remote Code Editing Framework for AMRITA Remote Triggered WSN Laboratory

Our AMRITA remote triggered lab (RT Lab) for wireless sensor networks (WSN) offer the students and researchers, an easy, efficient, interactive and user friendly environment to trigger their inquisitiveness by providing them with the sensors, equipments, hardwares and study materials for conducting the lab experiments. RT Lab offers a web-based e-learning platform for the registered users to perform experimentation and coding remotely based on the provided study materials which are shared to them virtually. The users can learn nesC programming language and conduct the coding by means of the code editing interface. The sensor nodes in the WSN testbed, deployed in indoor and outdoor environment, undergoes remote reconfiguration and the sensor datas are collected by the WSN gateway. The users can observe the experimentation result such as the plotted sensor data and physical representation of the sensor network along with the remote video through the visualization tool. The paper details the design and implementation of remote code editing platform for RT Lab.

Parametric analysis of impact of jamming in wireless sensor networks

Jamming-based denial of service attacks are a real threat in wireless sensor networks. This paper studies and analyzes the impact of jamming on micaz motes running TinyOS and explores ways to mitigate the impact. Jamming is facilitated by disabling carrier sensing on the jammer nodes. Jamming attack is detected by tracking RSSI and PDR at the receiver. By varying several parameters at the sender such as power level, packet size, distance from the jammer etc., various jamming mitigation methods are explored and the results presented along with theoretical analysis.

Locating and monitoring emergency responder using a wearable device

When a disaster occurs, activities like search, rescue, recovery, and cleanup are carried out by emergency responders. This paper proposes a new framework for supporting the safety and health of emergency responders by locating their position and monitoring their vital signs using a Wireless Wearable Device. As an initial step towards the development of a wireless wearable tracking and monitoring system for emergency responders, this system uses an iterative localization based scheme, which provides the exact position of each emergency responder, and monitors their vital signs like skin temperature and pulse rate. Any change in the vital signs can be easily sensed and tracked, and could be used to provide warnings when critical events are detected. The system could be used to send early warning alerts and for communication between emergency responders.

ER-Track: A Wireless Device for Tracking and Monitoring Emergency Responders

Abstract In this paper we present a wireless wearable body area system for locating, tracking and monitoring emergency responders in harsh and remote environments. Tracking an emergency responder and monitoring their vital signs using various medical sensors is important in supporting the safety of the emergency responder. This work is the preliminary step towards the development of a collaborative real-time tracking and monitoring system for emergency responders. In this paper, we propose a design of a wrist worn wireless wearable body sensor device for localizing, tracking and monitoring an emergency responder. Any change in the physiological parameters like blood oxygen level, blood pressure and pulse rate of the emergency responder can be easily sensed and tracked, and could be used to provide a warning when a critical event is detected. This system uses an efficient iterative localization scheme for locating the emergency responder. The system could be used to send early warning alerts, route proper medical supplies to the area required, and for communication between the responders.

Pedagogical Support for Collaborative Development of Virtual and Remote Labs: Amrita VLCAP

There is an explosive growth in e-Learning platforms, jointly developed by multiple institutions, which provide for virtual learning content. However, many are inadequate to support the complex requirements for collaborative development of distributed learning such as accommodation of wide-ranging technologies, servers, and remote equipment controlled by diverse software. Our solution is a multi-tier architecture that supports collaborative development, publishing in various online and print formats, security, audit, and access controls. Our design considerations include a highly scalable platform, use of open technologies, templates that provide pedagogical structure, multilingual functionality, and shared virtual availability of lab equipment from multiple geographic locations, along with secure access to remote equipment.

Over the Air Programming Method for Learning Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are small or tiny devices that consists of different sensors to sense physical parameters like air pressure, temperature, vibrations, movement etc., process these data and sends it to the central data center to take decisions. The WSN domain, has wide range of applications such as monitoring and detecting natural hazards like landslides, forest fire, avalanche, flood monitoring and also in healthcare applications. With such different applications, it is being taught in undergraduate/post graduate level in many universities under department of computer science. But the cost and infrastructure required to setup the WSN Lab for having the students getting hands on expertise on these devices is expensive. This paper gives overview about the Remote triggered lab that consists of more than 80 WSN nodes connected with various sensors, digital multimeters etc., that helps the students to remotely login from anywhere in the world using the World Wide Web, configure the nodes and learn the WSN concepts in intuitive way. The paper also proposes the application of over the air programming method to the remote triggered lab and the implemented protocol handshakes between processor and flash chip to store multiple images in micaz hardware. This helps to remotely program the nodes simultaneously and view the results with real time video streaming, without the nodes being physical connected to the computer system and thereby allowing for sparse deployment.

Underground Tunnel Detection Across Border Areas

Tunnels are considered as the oldest method of passageway. Underground tunnels are popular from olden eras for connecting places, travelling, and aid for various surface threats. They are also used for illegal activities like smuggling of unlicensed drugs, weapons, currency, gold, explosives, and even human trafficking is being done through these tunnels. These immoral activities are concentrated in national border areas in order to escape from the border security measures. Hence the detection processes of such tunnels in the national security border areas are necessary in order to protect our homeland security systems. The geology plays an important role in the detection of the underground tunnel system procedures. There is no perfect system for the tunnel detection and localization and even today the tunnels revealed in coincidence. The basic principle to find the hollow space (tunnel) is, by sending an ultrasonic frequency signal into the ground, and study the reflected beam from the tunnel or the hollow space. By analyzing the reflected signal characteristics, preliminary detection of a tunnel/void is possible. Basic idea of the detection is to perform the range estimation algorithm (REA) by pulse echo method. From these, we can estimate the depth of the tunnel. The characteristics of the signal at the soil-tunnel (air) reflection interface are to be investigated.