Can wireless devices no bigger than a matchbox help Floridians step up preparedness during hurricane season?
Small wireless computing devices, ranging from the size of a matchbox to the size of a dime are going to change the way Florida monitors its water quality, sea level rise, hurricanes, agriculture, aquaculture, and even its aging senior population. The types of sensing devices developed by computer scientist Jason Hallstrom, Ph.D can collect information about the surrounding environment and transmit that information to cloud-based computing systems that store, analyze and present that information to educators, researchers and decision-makers. Deployable at massive scales, the technology represents a paradigm shift in how our world is observed and managed.
“Applied sensing and the emerging ‘Internet of Things’ provide endless possibilities for making the ‘invisible’ visible, both in the small and in the large,” said Hallstrom. “At FAU, we will be developing technologies for a broad spectrum of applications and uses, ranging from monitoring physiological changes in senior patients to support aging in place, to mitigating natural and manmade disasters, such as hurricanes and biological threats.”
Sensor networks enable applications in monitoring wildfire conditions, locating sniper fire and assessing the structural integrity of buildings and roads. In the event of a manmade or natural disaster, these “sensing fabrics” can be used to provide near instantaneous feedback on the type, degree and location of damage. Emergency management decisions can then be optimized to quickly commit personnel and resources to where they are needed most.
Source: Florida Atlantic University
