APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES OF WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK (WSN) IN REMOTE SENSING AND MONITORING

Abstract

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a group of spatially distributed, independent device that collects data by measuring physical or environmental conditions. Some of the conditions being measured are: temperature, pressure, moisture, position, usage information, lighting, and sound. These readings, in the form of data, are passed through the network, are collated and organized; and then delivered to the end user. WSNs are already in use for many applications like industrial process monitoring and control, electricity system controls, and human health monitoring. Traditionally, these WSNs tend to need a lot of power to function, but decreasing the power needs of the system increases the lifetime of the sensor devices, and creates space for battery-powered applications. Battery-powered devices allow for wide-ranging use cases and opens opportunities for lower-ROI applications. In this paper, some applications and challenges of wireless sensor network (WSN) in remote sensing and monitoring were x-rayed. It was observed that irrespective of some of challenges being faced by this sensor network, its applications are very useful and find wide coverage in modern day remote sensing.