Keynote speech 1: Wireless sensors networks: Challenges and opportunities

Computers, communication, and sensing technologies are converging to change the way we live, interact, and conduct business. Wireless sensor networks reflect such convergence. These networks are based on collaborative efforts of a large number of sensor nodes. They should be low-cost, low-power, and multifunction. These nodes have the capabilities of sensing, data processing, and communicating. Sensor networks have a wide range of applications, from monitoring sensors in industrial facilities to control and management of energy applications to military and security fields. Because of the special features of these networks, new network technologies are needed for cost effective, low power, and reliable communication. These network protocols and architectures should take into consideration the special features of sensor networks such as: the large number of nodes, their failure rate, limited power, high density, etc. In this talk the impact of wireless sensor networks will be addressed, several of the design and communication issues will be discussed, and a case study of a current project of using such networks in drilling and management off-shore oil and natural gas in the gulf region will be given.