Australian smart Fleck agents for gathering data
The smart agents, known as Flecks, were created by the Australia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) which has some performing their intelligence gathering at homes and offices across the Australian continent. CSIRO had found that existing wireless sensor network (WSN) devices failed to meet its research requirements so it set about developing them in house at CSIRO four years ago.
"This technology was created to meet our need for a low-cost WSN device which was small, rugged, reliable, had good communication capabilities, flexible architecture and could be solar powered if required," says Dr Tim Wark, project leader for WSNs at the CSIRO ICT Center. According to Dr Wark there were no compact, low-cost, low-power sensor devices suitable for deployment in large numbers in remote wireless networks. So CSIRO researchers took up the challenge and designed the Fleck, which typically includes an 8-bit microprocessor, a radio transceiver and multiple sensors.
Since that time newer models have been developed but all have been designed around the same components as the original model, with features such as long-range radio up to 500m; screw terminals and a serial interface connector for quick connection; low operating power of 1.3V; an onboard solar cell battery charger; improved connectors for sensor interface boards with increased mechanical stability; and an SPI-bus master CPU that eliminates the need for a software SPI-bus.
For outdoor deployment, significant advantages Flecks offer over other devices in the market include their ability to run off solar power, their built in temperature and light sensor, as well as their ability to connect two analog, four digital and one serial sensor.
For more complex applications an expansion interface can be applied. The team have developed expansion boards for greenhouse monitoring and for agricultural soil moisture measurement. Other interfaces include audio and video capability for biodiversity monitoring.
According to CSIRO ICT researcher Peter Corke, Fleck technology revolutionises the way natural scientists gather data. "Remote sensing and GPS tracking devices were revolutionary data gathering technologies in their day; WSNs are the next wave," he said. "They can provide direct measurement of many physical and chemical variables at arbitrary temporal and spatial scale, and naturally complement what can be achieved by remote sensing."
Flecks have a radio range of at least 500m, when deployed in a straight line they can stretch out to over 50km. Set out in a grid they can cover a region 5km2 in area and they have also proved their worth in the wet.
Having established their scientific credentials across a range of different outdoor terrains, the latest role for Flecks brings the devices into homes and offices in the cause of energy management.
"Previously CSIRO researchers have generally used Flecks for external environmental sensing," said Dr Geoff James, principal research scientist with the CSIRO ICT Center. "However we have used Flecks for the monitoring of humidity, temperature and presence of occupants in buildings as part of an energy management application."
CSIRO ICT Center researchers are trailing a range of intelligent, self-learning, interconnected controllers to manage energy demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by homes and businesses. The goal is optimal management of energy demand and consumption, taking into account individual consumer preferences such as comfort levels as they relate to the energy costs of heating and cooling.
Web:http://www.csiro.au/
Source:http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp