Publications

Conference: Satellite Sensornet Gateway Technology Infusion Through Rapid Deployments for Environmental Sensing

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:47:25 -0800

Terry Benzel, Fabio Silva, Annette DeSchon, Wei Ye, and Young Cho - Satellite Sensornet Gateway Technology Infusion Through Rapid Deployments for Environmental Sensing. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2008

Abstract: The Satellite Sensornet Gateway (SSG) is an ongoing ESTO Advanced Information Systems Technology project, at the University of Southern California. The major goal of SSG is to develop a turnkey solution for building environmental observation systems based on sensor networks. Our system has been developed through an iterative series of deployment-driven design, build, test, and revise which maximizes technology infusion to the earth scientist. We have designed a robust and flexible sensor network called Sensor Processing and Acquisition Network (SPAN). Our SPAN architecture emphasizes a modular and extensible design, such that core building blocks can be reused to develop different scientific observation systems. To support rapid deployment at remote locations, we employ satellite communications as the backhaul to relay in-situ sensor data to a central database. To easily support various science applications, we have developed a unified sensor integration framework that allows streamlined integration of different sensors to the system. Our system supports heterogeneous sets of sensors, from industry-grade products to research- specific prototypes. To ensure robust operation in harsh environments, we have developed mechanisms to monitor system status and recover from potential failures along with additional remote configuration and QA/QC functions. Here we briefly describe the deployments, the key science missions of the deployments and the role that the SSG technology played in each mission. We first deployed our SSG technology at the James Reserve in February 2007. In a joint deployment with the NEON project, SDSC, and UC Riverside, we set up a meteorological station, using a diverse set of sensors, with the objective of validating our basic technology components in the field. This system is still operational and streaming live sensor data. At Stunt Ranch, a UC Reserve near Malibu, CA, we partnered with UCLA biologist Phillip Rundel in order to study the drought impact on deep and shallow rooted plants. Our system was deployed in December 2007 and monitors sap flow on various plant species, while using a satellite link for real-time data access. In April 2008, in a joint deployment with UCLA, UC Merced, and GLEON, our SSG technology was used to study the impact of agricultural run off in a series of salt lakes near Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Our system collected meteorological data that were combined with water quality measurements taken from boats and buoys. Our SSG technology was used at the PASI workshop in June 2008 at the La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica. As part of a two-week curriculum, students from throughout the americas used our system to collect measurements in the rain forest and later analyzed the data. La Selva plans to install several SSG nodes throughout the reserve and make mobile nodes available for visiting researchers to use in their research. We are currently planning a deployment with environmental engineer Tom Harmon from UC Merced to build an autonomous water quality flow path and reactive transport observation system near Merced, CA. SSG technology will be deployed to monitor soil, groundwater, and surface water parameters. In China's Guizhou Province, we are collaborating with researcher Sarah Rothenberg, who is studying mercury cycling in rice paddies. Our SSG system will collect soil parameters such as pH and ORP, in addition to environmental measurements such as PAR, and UV. This presentation will describe the SSG project, the SPAN prototype and our experience with technology infusion from the deployments.  

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Conference: AN End-to-end Solution for Environmental Sensing

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:41:40 -0800

Fabio Silva, Eric Graham, Annette DeSchon, Yeung Lam, Jeffrey Goldman, John Wroclawski, William Kaiser, and Terry Benzel - SensorKit: An End-to-End Solution for Environmental Sensing. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2008

Abstract: Modern day sensor network technology has shown great promise to transform environmental data collection. However, despite the promise, these systems have remained the purview of the engineers and computer scientists who design them rather than a useful tool for the environmental scientists who need them. SensorKit is conceived of as a way to make wireless sensor networks accessible to The People: it is an advanced, powerful tool for sensor data collection that does not require advanced technological know-how. We are aiming to make wireless sensor networks for environmental science as simple as setting up a standard home computer network by providing simple, tested configurations of commercially-available hardware, free and easy-to-use software, and step-by-step tutorials. We designed and built SensorKit using a simplicity-through-sophistication approach, supplying users a powerful sensor to database end-to-end system with a simple and intuitive user interface. Our objective in building SensorKit was to make the prospect of using environmental sensor networks as simple as possible. We built SensorKit from off the shelf hardware components, using the Compact RIO platform from National Instruments for data acquisition due to its modular architecture and flexibility to support a large number of sensor types. In SensorKit, we support various types of analog, digital and networked sensors. Our modular software architecture allows us to abstract sensor details and provide users a common way to acquire data and to command different types of sensors. SensorKit is built on top of the Sensor Processing and Acquisition Network (SPAN), a modular framework for acquiring data in the field, moving it reliably to the scientist institution, and storing it in an easily-accessible database. SPAN allows real-time access to the data in the field by providing various options for long haul communication, such as cellular and satellite links. Our system also features reliable data storage and transmission, using a custody transfer mechanism that ensures data is retained until successful delivery to the scientist can be confirmed. The ability for the scientist to communicate in real-time with the sensor network in the field enables remote sensor reconfiguration and system health and status monitoring. We use a spiral approach of design, test, deploy and revise, and, by going to the field frequently and getting feedback from field scientists, we have been able to include additional functionality that is useful to the scientist while ensuring SensorKit remains intuitive to operate. Users can configure, control, and monitor SensorKit using a number of tools we have developed. An intuitive user interface running on a desktop or laptop allows scientists to setup the system, add and configure sensors, and specify when and how the data will be collected. We also have a mobile version of our interface that runs on a PDA and lets scientists calibrate sensors and "tune" the system while in the field, allowing for data validation before leaving the field and returning to the research lab. SensorKit also features SensorBase, an intuitive user interface built on top of a standard SQL database, which allows scientists to store and share their data with other researchers. SensorKit has been used for diverse scientific applications and deployed throughout the world: from studying mercury cycling in rice paddies in China, to ecological research in the neotropical rainforests of Costa Rica, to monitoring the contamination of salt lakes in Argentina.

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Deployment: SensorKit Selected for environmental monitoring in China

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 13:39:24 -0700

SensorKit travels to China and is used in post-doc study to examine mercury contamination in rice paddies. To learn more about the deployment, visit the China deployment page.

Conference: Sensorkit: An Integrated Sensor Data Collection System for Field Ecologists

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:41:37 -0700

Fabio Silva, Eric Graham, Annette DeSchon, Yeung Lam, Thanos Stathopoulos, Wei Ye, Jeffrey Goldman, Terry Benzel, William Kaiser, and John Wroclawski – SensorKit: An Integrated Sensor Data Collection System for Field Ecologists. Ecological Socienty of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2008

Conference: Using Wireless Sensor Networks and a Satellite Gateway for Real-Time Sap Flow Measurements

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Eric Graham, Fabio Silva, Annette DeSchon, Spundun Bhatt, Phillip Rundel, and Wei Ye – Using Wireless Sensor Networks and a Satellite Gateway for Real-Time Sap Flow Measurements. Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2008

Deployment: Merced researchers use sensorkit to build autonomous water quality flow

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 13:41:28 -0700

Merced, CA researchers use SensorKit technologies to build an autonomous water quality flow path and reactive transport observation system.

Paper: Architecture of a Satellite-Based Sensor Network For Environmental Observation

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:44:04 -0700

Wei Ye, Fabio Silva, Annette DeSchon, and Spundun Bhatt. Architecture of a Satellite-Based Sensor Network for Environment Observation. In the NASA Earth Science Technology Conference (ESTC2008), Adelphi, Maryland, June 24-26 2008

Deployment: SensorKit chosen to power nature observatory in the rainforest of costa rica

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 13:43:29 -0700

SensorKit deployed in La Selva, Costa Rica--The SensorKit team integral in constructing a nature observatory with rapidly deployable and configurable environmental sensor network system supporting power and data infrastructure. To learn more about the deployment, visit the Costa Rica deployment page.

Deployment: SensorKit deployed in Argentina to monitor agricultural runoffs in lago epecuen.

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 13:45:27 -0700

April 2008: SensorKit used by UC Merced researchers at Lago Epecuen in Argentina to study agricultural runoffs in a series of salt lakes. To learn more about SensorKit in Argentina, visit the deployment page for Lago Epecuen.

Deployment: Researcher deploys sensorkit to monitor California’s drought impacts

Sat, 1 Dec 2007 13:47:31 -0800

UCLA researchers employed SensorKit to study the drought impact on shallow and deep-rooted plants at Stunt Ranch in Malibu, CA. To learn more about this study, please visit the deployment page for Stunt Ranch.