"Smart dust" dreams into reality: Dust monitoring and control of Earth (1)

The 1990s, a man named Chris · piste researchers have had a crazy dream: people on Earth, sprinkle with countless tiny sensors, each sensor is smaller than a grain of rice also.

Today, piste dream finally became a reality.

He called these "smart dust sensor."

"Smart dust" is like Earth's electronic nerve endings, the Earth monitoring everything. "Smart dust" with a computing device, sensing equipment, radio and a long service life of the battery. "Smart dust" can be observed, real-time transport people, urban and environmental data.

Smart dust

It is not a common sense of the dust, but rather a cheap but intelligent micro wireless sensors that are interconnected to form a network of independent operation, you can monitor climate conditions, traffic flow, earthquake damage, etc.

It is reputed to change the world of technology.

Practice: "dust" to install oil exploration well

From the University of California at Berkeley computer Professor piste said: "this exciting, I have the idea to have now a long time.

14 years ago, I created a "smart dust" this concept. It is silent for some time, now it has finally come. ”

Things might not fully perspectives like him, but was able to progress.

HP recently announced that they are developing "Earth's central nervous system", the next few years, the Hewlett Packard Company plans global planted 1 trillion sensors.

These worldwide wireless device to check the health of ecological systems, monitoring can be more quickly to the earthquake, to predict traffic patterns, and also to monitor energy usage.

In accordance with the idea that if people live to learn more about the world, many accidents can be prevented from, a lot of energy can be saved.

HP Senior Researcher Peter · hartville said that HP has worked with the Netherlands Royal shell oil reached an agreement on oil exploration wells installed 100 000 Matchbox-sized monitor, measure rock shock and other movement of the Earth.

These sensors are each capable of covering 6 square miles.

Peter · hartville said, this is by far the most massive of "smart dust" deployment.

We just feel that today's technology has reached this Foundation, it's time to put the ' smart dust, ' out of the laboratory to show their talents by the. ”

Data: a million, billion, or even to trillion

Despite the recent news that exciting, but there is still a lot of people can't figure out what is the "smart dust".

From a volume perspective, has now been developed and is being deployed sensor dust than real big. Hewlett-Packard Company-developed sensor in size and almost big match-box, if the outside with a metal box for protection, size simply to catch up with the video.

"Smart dust" and weather station sensor and traffic monitoring system is what's the difference?

Size is a difference.

"Smart dust" sensor must be smaller, more portable, but now people skills are also unable to mass production dimensions of only a few mm sensor.

Wireless connection is also a big difference.

Building incubators are mostly used is hardwired. The "smart dust" by wireless transmission and other sensors along with the temperature data to the network. California computer Professor de Pola · estlin said that a large number also "smart dust" and other monitoring system a lot different.

"Smart dust" researchers began, the data is based on a million and one billion even trillion.

It is said that the so-called "smart dust" concept has been brought to reality serious deviation, it is time to subvert the traditional concept. "Wireless sensor networks" or "grid" concept has been a growing number of researchers.

Estlin said, it is important, "smart dust" is not a single use disposable supplies of lost.

"Smart dust" sensor design for a particular purpose, and in specific locations, unlike the original piste fantasy, like dust like interchanged.

Application: farm factory bridge can monitoring

The researchers say, in spite of these differences, the Earth watch up "smart dust" theory to maintain basic human are not affected.

Furthermore, the real world there are many projects for use of the sensor Gets the Earth's "vital signs".

The researchers said in an interview, at present, wireless sensor monitoring the farm, factory, data center, as well as bridges, etc, to master the system working status, improve work efficiency.

[1] [2]