ULC-WSN: Workshop on Ultra-Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Networks and their Applications at the INSS'10
Website at http://www.duslab.de/ulc-wsn/

June, 2010

in conjunction with

7th International Conference in Networked Sensing Systems (INSS)
Kassel, Germany, June 15 - 18, 2010



organised by the Department of Distributed and Ubiquitous systems (DUS)


ToC:

* Topics and Introduction

* Workshop Format

* Desired Outcome

* Call for Papers

* Organisation


Topics and Introduction:

The wireless sensor network (WSN) community is approaching its 10th birthday and still the killer application which will make these devices ubiquitous has eluded researchers and developers. One approach which will be investigated is that it is possible to create ingenious applications using simple technology, and that these applications can have a great impact because the technology is relatively simple.

Most of the WSN literature displays great applications based on cutting-edge technology, but these applications are often prohibitively expensive due to their nature. The status quo of a networked sensing system has been based on high-cost nodes ()100 USD) and time and effort-intensive development, all of which leads to highly functional yet highly complex and expensive WSN applications. A new approach to the field is the concept of ultra-low-cost wireless sensor networks (ULC WSN) which would allow for applications of miniature ultra-low-cost wireless sensor nodes ((20 USD) as well as low-cost rapid development.

These qualities come naturally at a price, which is low resources available on the nodes. As any developer knows, the most expensive part of any WSN application is the time-intensive development. Here again the ULC WSN approach foresees low-cost light-weight rapid development ((2 hours), but at the cost of application complexity (comparable to a restricted instruction set). Although low-cost sensor nodes and rapid development environments exist, application scenarios for a combination of both of them have not yet been explored.

This workshop will try to explore what can be done with WSN technology designed with cost as the primary design factor. Recent developments have created the basis for unprecedentedly affordable WSN development tools which open new application spaces previously inaccessible due to the prohibitive cost of development and technology. These scenarios will be explored by encouraging participants to come up with applications based on and enabled by ultra-low-cost wireless sensor network technology. Participants will be asked to submit ideas for applications which can be implemented quickly (15 minutes or less with a configurable WSN platform) on a miniature simplistic ultra-low-cost wireless sensor network.


Workshop Format:

The workshop will be divided into three distinct portions. In the morning, the contributions to the workshop will be presented to the group by the authors. This will be followed by a brief evaluation of the contributions by the group and discussion based on the impact and potential of the different ideas presented, as well as resources and development effort required. After lunch, the Akiba platform will be introduced to the participants as a basis for evaluating ultra-low-cost WSN applications and a short tutorial will be given, followed by a period of hands-on wireless sensor network rapid development examples and tools. The participants will then be broken into groups, each with the task of implementing one of the ideas presented in the participant contributions.

Each implementation will be evaluated by all groups to ascertain if the goal of the application could be accomplished by the developers with the restricted resources and time frame. Finally, the groups will be brought back together to share their experiences and for a discussion on the plausibility of an ultra-low-cost wireless sensor network to close the workshop.

Timetable:

* 09.00 - 09.30 Registration, welcome & introductions
* 09.30 - 12.45 Author presentations
* 12.45 - 02.00 Lunch Break
* 14.00 - 15.30 Akiba platform development tutorial
* 15.30 - 16.00 Coffee Break
* 16.00 - 17.30 Application implementation
* 17.30 - 18.00 Evaluation & wrap-up


Desired Outcome:

The desired outcome of this workshop is a concise statement on whether or not something along the lines of an ultra-low-cost wireless sensor network makes sense as a development tool. In order reach this point, the scenario properties must be identified which allow or prevent the use of an ULC WSN. The desired result will indicate under which conditions an ULC WSN is appropriate, in which scenarios an ULC WSN will be able to achieve satisfactory results, and which scenario parameters are prohibitive of a low-cost, low-resource, low-complexity wireless sensor networks.




Call for Papers, Selection Process and Publication:

Submissions are requested on the topic of ultra-low-cost wireless sensor networks and their applications. Submissions should address the questions of available platforms, potential for improvement in this field, potential application areas, developers, users, innovations which affect ULC WSN technology or any other ULC WSN related theme. Each submission should contain an idea, recommendation or example of an application of an ULC WSN. The papers should provide a method for implementing the example in 15 minutes or less with an out-of-box ULC WSN configurable platform and indicate a method for evaluating the application. Implementational examples and ideas should be original, though that is not a requirement for submission. The number of participants is limited to 15 based on the submissions.

Papers should be submitted in IEEE Transaction format with a maximum of four pages. Accepted papers will be published by the Technische Universitaet Braunschweig as a technical report and on the Internet, as well as on the workshop website. Depending on the outcome of the workshop we will ask for a special submission to a journal (Personal and Mobile Computing) on the topic. Participants will then be invited to submit an extended version of their workshop contribution which includes the experience gathered in the workshop as a journal submission. The outcome of the workshop can also be presented at the INSS conference in the main track as a short presentation.

Important dates are as follows:

* March 15, 2010: Paper submissions deadline
* April 15, 2010: Acceptance Notification
* June, 2010: Workshop (date will be posted)

The workshop organizers will select participants based on a review of submitted position papers, taking into account scientific quality and relation to the workshop topics. Submissions, questions comments and feedback can be emailed to Dawud Gordon at gordon@ibr.cs.tu-bs.de.


Organisation:

Michael Beigl, Dawud Gordon
Technische Universitaet Braunschweig
Institute of Operating Systems and Computer Networks
Distributed and Ubiquitous Systems Group
38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Phone: +49 531 391 3294
Fax: +49 531 391 5936

Takuro Yonezawa
Keio University
Graduate School of Media and Governance
Hide Tokuda Lab
Endou 5322, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8520
Phone: +081 466 47 0836
Fax: +081 466 47 0835