Video Sensor Node for Low-Power Ad-hoc Wireless Networks

A video sensor platform consisting of a smart image sensor with focal plane motion processing is presented. The camera node is intended for ultra-low bandwidth ad-hoc wireless networks with data rates of less than 2kB/sec. To meet the targets of low power consumption and low complexity, the CMOS image sensor (consuming 4.2 mW of power at 30 fps) autonomously monitors for scene changes, outputting full image data only when relevant. For this sensor node, several different operating configurations leveraging the analog processing and storage capability of the imager, including a full motion DCT based video compression algorithm are shown. The entire sensor module can operate from 3 AA batteries and consumes 225 mW at full operation.