Advances in smart sensor technology

Rapid developments in semiconductor, computing, and communication technologies have led to a new generation of sensors called "smart" sensors which are capable of wireless communication with a remote site, communication among themselves, as well as automated data processing such as detection of regularities and correlations in raw data, extraction of relevant features, and the establishment of cause and effect relationships. Sensors are also being tied to radio frequency identification (RFID) devices to provide remote sensing capabilities for "smart environment" applications. This paper provides an overview of smart sensor networks and illustrates their use through a prototype application using the Berkeley smart sensor "Mote".