Sensor networks is an interdisciplinary research area, which spans the areas of signal processing/detection/estimation, networking and protocols, embedded systems, data bases and information management, as well as distributed algorithms. It opens up new research venues, which include sensor tasking and control, tracking and localization, sensor data fusion, communication protocols that address timeliness, network coverage, connectivity, and capacity, as well as system/software architecture and design methodologies. Moreover, all these issues have to consider many cross-cutting requirements such as efficiency/cost tradeoffs, robustness, self-organization, fault-tolerance, scalability, and network longevity.
(i) papers that study the fundamental performance and behavior limits of sensor networks with respect to sensor network capacity, coverage, connectivity, and/or lifetime. As wireless sensor networks must operate under extreme resource constraints, an understanding of the fundamental performance limits of such networks will provide valuable insights into what designs make sense and can help identify areas in which theory promises performance much better than that attained by existing designs.
(ii) papers that devise algorithms which realize certain sensor network operation, such as localization, time synchronization, and target tracking. Papers that compare alternative algorithms/approaches with respect to various sensor network requirements are also sought.
(iii) papers that deal with system implementations, experiments, and experiences in application domains. At an early stage of sensor network development, one can analyze and predict network behavior through simulation and theoretical reasoning. However, a true evaluation of system performance can only be obtained through implementation and direct measurement and experimentation of the prototype. Hence papers that report the system implementation issues with an emphasis on the cross-layer design tradeoffs will shed light on how effective the overall system design is.
Example topical areas of interests include, but are not limited to: