By Warren Webb, Technical Editor — EDN, 5/9/2006

Claiming to offer the modern replacement for the venerable strip-chart recorder, Accsense recently introduced a wireless-sensor system that measures a wide range of physical properties and delivers real-time data to any Web-enabled device. The company based the system on wireless-sensor Pods that measure ambient temperature, humidity, light, noise, and vibration and automatically form a secure, self-healing wireless-mesh network with a range as long as 4000 ft. Accsense sensor Pods are compatible with a range of standard external plug-in sensors and probes, including thermocouples, resistance-temperature detectors, and thermistors.

A complete Accsense system includes as many as 16 wireless-sensor Pods, a Pod Gateway for connecting the sensor network to the Internet, and an online account for monitoring, storing, and analyzing data. Sensor Pods range in price from $295 to $635, depending on the combination of measurements and number of inputs. The Pod Gateway sells for $795 and supports as many as 16 pods. The Accsense-hosted online service is available through a monthly subscription. The Standard Account is free and enables users to monitor their data online and download it for deeper analysis. At $24.95 per month, the Premium Account offers additional features, such as analytical charting and alarms that send alerts to cell phones, pagers, and e-mail if measurements fall out of range.

More available here.

China starts project on lunar probe

A key project of China’s Natural Science Funds, “Research of fundamental theory and key technology for modeling, sensoring, navigation and control of the lunar probe system” was inaugurated in Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Aiming to develop the positioning and navigation system for the lunar probe, the project sets forth the computation of the control of soft landing of the lunar explorer, positioning and navigation system based on electronic, light and force sensors and wireless sensor network technology, and two-level control strategy comprising remote control and regional self-control.

More available here.

An interesting introductive presentation on Wireless Sensor Networks, written as part of his PhD Programme, is
available at Piero Campanelli’s website.

A list of calls for papers for conferences, journals, and other events relevant to Wireless and Mobile Communications is available
here.

Tiny computers that constantly monitor ecosystems, buildings and even human bodies could turn science on its head. Declan Butler investigates.

“What are you doing in the lab? Why aren’t you out working in the field?” These are not the sorts of question you usually put to your computer. But they should be, according to the proponents of a new type of information technology sometimes known as ’smart dust’.

The complete article is available here.

ACM Workshop on Real-World Wireless Sensor Networks

The purpose of the second Workshop on Real-World Wireless Sensor Networks is to bring together researchers and practitioners working in the area of sensor networks, with focus on real-world experiments or deployments of wireless sensor networks.

June 19, 2006
Uppsala, Sweden

http://www.sics.se/realwsn06/