Applying an SOM neural network to increase the lifetime of battery-operated wireless sensor networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks have garnered significant attention in recent years. According to (The Mobile Internet, 2004), more than half a billion nodes will be shipped for wireless sensor applications in 2010, for an end user market worth at least $7 billion. Wireless sensor networks are one of the first real-world examples of pervasive computing, the notion that small, smart, computing and cheap sensing devices will eventually permeate the environment (Bulusu & Jha, 2005). The combination of distributed sensing, low power processors and wireless communication enables such technology to be used in a wide array of applications such as habitat monitoring and environment monitoring, military solutions, such as battlefield surveillance, and commercial applications, such as monitoring material fatigue and managing inventory.