Pedro José Marrón

Embedded Wisents Research Roadmap Pedro José Marrón

Wireless Sensor Networks are a canonical example of a wider field dealing with Cooperating Objects that attempts to create the necessary technologies to make Weiser's vision of the disappearing computer a reality. Cooperating Objects are small computing devices equipped with wireless communication capabilities that are able to cooperate and organise themselves autonomously into networks to achieve a common task. The book contains information about the research roadmap envisioned for Cooperating Objects by the Embedded WiSeNts consortium and its associated industrial and academic partners. The Embedded WiSeNts project started in September 2004 as a Coordination Action funded by the European Commission under IST/FP6 to create a series of studies on the state of the art of Cooperating Objects and to devise a research roadmap to be used for the definition of future research programs. This book is the final result of these two years of work. ''Although wireless sensor networks constitute a hot research area, there is still a long way to go if these efforts are to leave the labs and transform themselves from high-tech toys to innovative real world problem solvers. This inspiring book provides an insight into the research challenges, gaps and trends associated with cooperating objects and wireless sensor networks. A must read for the sensor network researcher!'' Stamatis Karnouskos, Senior Researcher, SAP Research ''This book makes clear, that - in the long run - ubiquitous computing using embedded wireless sensor networks may cause great social and economic changes. An appraisal of research and development activities and their outcome is the basis for these changes, but they also point to the next challenge: the transfer of sophisticated research to mature products and services. This book is a great summary of the state of the art, describing the overall vision as well as the opportunities of practical use.'' Jens Wuka