RIT Prof to Study WSNs

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 18 -- A professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has received grants totaling $300,000 to research the possibilities of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), computer networks composed of many small devices that use sensors to monitor the environment.
Fei Hu, a Rochester Institute of Technoloy assistant professor of computer engineering, will attempt to make data transfer between sensors more reliable. Data transmission assurance is important in situations such as disaster recovery, earthquake and fire rescue, airport antiterror security and battlefield monitoring. Hu, whose work also involves national security, will explore low-cost, low-energy networks that can resist a security breach.
"Currently, sensory networks are attracting interest throughout the country due to their low-cost, no-care setup, and wireless and mobile connections with large-scale coverage," Hu said. "But the networks do not yet fully withstand attacks to security."
The ability to sense humidity, speed, pressure and other conditions could have applications in fields such as environmental management, health care and security.
The grants, from the National Science Foundation and Cisco, will also be used for a new wireless networking lab at RIT to be built by June 2007. Computer engineering and computer science students will use the lab to explore networking in an integrated hardware/software environment.
For more information, visit: www.rit.edu