Composition and Scaling Challenges in Sensor Networks: An Interaction-Centric View

Abstract

Moore’s law, automation considerations, and the pervasive need for timely information lead to a next generation of distributed systems that are open, highly interconnected, and deeply embedded in the physical world by virtue of pervasive sensing and sensor-based decision-making. These systems offer new research challenges that stem from scale, composition of large numbers of components, and tight coupling between computation, communication, and distributed interaction with both physical and social contexts. These growing challenges span a large spectrum ranging from new models of computation for systems that live in physical and social spaces, to the enforcement of reliable, predictable, and timely end-to-end behavior in the face of high interactive complexity, increased uncertainty, and imperfect implementation. This chapter discusses the top challenges in composing large-scale sensing systems and conjectures on research directions of increasing interest in this realm.