PermaSense III Sensor Networks in Extreme Environments

1. PermaSense III Sensor Networks in Extreme Environments Jan Beutel, Stephan Gruber, Christian Tschudin, Lothar Thiele

2. Objectives • Establishing a highly reliable and dependable wireless infrastructure for sensor and actuator networks in extreme environmental conditions • Terrain movement, micro-seismics, temperature • Long periods of unsupervised operation • Limited power sources • Maximizing data yield • Combining sensor and actuator functionality • Paving the road for future applications in early warning

3. New Horizons • Multitude of (new) sensors • Precision movement detection • Resistivity tomography • Micro-seismic events • Imaging • Large variety of time scales • Real-time actuation and sensing for fast processes • Long term for slow processes • Remote locations • No possibility of physical repair/update • No infrastructure • Sensor node in a pocket

4. Understanding the local and global perspective Trift glacier, images courtesy of VAW, ETH Zurich

5. And when catastrophes happen Eiger east-face rockfall 2006, images courtesy of Arte Television

6. Tomorrow’s challenge – improving today’s practice • Seismic/resistivity tomography actuation andsensing

7. Current Status and State-of-the-Art • PermaSense in MICS phase 2 • Operational field sites since 07/2008 • 15 nodes, 150 uA power consumption, 2 min sampling rate • Constant rate, simple sensors, limited context • Sensor network research • Post “gold-rush” era • The field is consolidating • Foundations have been made • Early (mis)conceptions have been understood and are being revised • Sustainability and real technology transfer • Many open (hard) problems • Permafrost monitoring and modeling • Manual interaction in field studies, fragile measurement systems • Quality data (to connect field/lab/simulation) missing for harsh conditions

8. Comments from the proposal review • The proposal could be stronger with meaningful involvement of more theorists to pursue the research questions that arise in deployments. Practice Theory Shift focus? Grow the team? Diversify?

9. Scientific challenges – (MICS) theory collaborations • System design – architecture • Design of extremely reliable systems by constructive/compositional methods • Resource allocation and arbitration • Locality of processing, storage • Communication requirements • Efficient signal processing algorithms • Local processing to filter out interesting events • Remote triggering of sensors and actuators • Natural processes and hazards • New insight through better data • Automated analysis and alerting Thiele, Beutel, MatternObservability by Design Theory Collaborators M. Vetterli A. Geiger, Geodesy ETH Climate, geo-hazard, civil engineering

10. Impact of PermaSense • Scientific • Driver application for more theoretical oriented technology research • Technology showcase and catalyst for multidisciplinary work • New opportunities for environmental research, unprecedented data • Societal • Hot topic: Global warming, climate change, natural environment • Economic relevance: Natural hazard prevention, (re-)insurance business • Media attention • Joint geo-science publications [NICOP2008]

11. Cooperation • Close relation to • Swiss Experiment • Phase 3 proposals • Environmental Monitoring and SensorScope II • Eternal Sensor Data Store • Observability by Design • Based on proven cooperation between • University Zurich (Stephan Gruber) • University Basel (Christian Tschudin) • ETH Zurich (Jan Beutel, Lothar Thiele) • Continuing to leverage MICS developed technology • Co-funding and close collaboration with the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN)