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A sensor node collects data about its surroundings and sends it to processors in a network. It detects changes in temperature and pressure and can have different sensor characteristics. It transmits data wirelessly using a transceiver and contains computer components and a power source.
A sensor node, which may also be referred to as a sensor pod or mote, is a component of a larger network of sensors. Each node in the network is responsible for collecting data about its surroundings and sending that data to the processors in the network. Although the concepts that gave rise to the sensor node have been around for several decades, experiments at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and University of California system in the late 1990s and early 1990s 2000 led to further development of this technology.
There are several environmental conditions under which a sensor node can detect changes. Temperature and pressure variations are among the most common. Most of these nodes are designed to detect changes that occur slowly, although data compression changes can be made to allow these sensors to operate in high-speed environments.
The sensor component of the sensor node can have a range of different characteristics. Some sensors are designed to collect information only from a particular direction while others, such as sensors used to detect radar signals, scan omnidirectionally. Sensors can be designed to gather information unobtrusively, waiting for data to come to them, or they can be designed to actively probe for information. Sensors of this second type can influence the environment they are detecting.
Once the sensor has collected the data, it transmits it across the network using a transceiver. These devices consist of both a receiver and a transmitter and can send information wirelessly in a variety of ways. The use of lasers and infrared devices can be used to transmit data, although both of these modes of communication require a clear line of sight from the transceiver to other network components. Radio signals are commonly used when the sensor node is out of sight of the piece of network it needs to communicate with.
The sensor node also contains computer components that instruct it and store the data it has collected. The node requires a power source, which is almost always a battery. These nodes that don’t use a battery can be designed to dump energy from the sun or vibrations in the environment.
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