Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) - self organising, self healing networks of small "nodes" - have huge potential across industrial, military and other many other sectors. While appreciable sales have now been established, major progress depends on standards and achieving twenty year life. The new IDTechEx report "Wireless Sensor Networks 2010-2020" (www.IDTechEx.com/wsn) draws lessons from the many successful installations in the last year. It looks at the complex standards scene with particular focus on WirelessHART that is key to applications in the process industries in the short and medium term and it shows how the alternative ISA 100.11a has some way to go but may prove useful over a wider field of application and eventually subsume WirelessHART.
It examines recent successes of the various backers of ZigBee-related solutions, who is behind the alternatives and how they see the future. The challenge of excessive power consumption of these nodes, that have to act as both tags and readers, is addressed. For example, progress has been good in getting the electronics to consume less electricity, by both improved signalling protocols and improved circuitry. As for batteries, lithium thionyl chloride single-use versions have twenty year life in certain circumstances but, for many applications, energy harvesting supplying rechargeable batteries is more attractive.
That said, where is the rechargeable battery guaranteed for 20 years in use What are the most promising battery technologies coming available in the next ten years What are the alternatives to batteries Which of the favourite energy harvesting technologies should be used - photovoltaic, electrodynamic, thermoelectric or piezoelectric When are they usable in combinations and what are the results so far Which applicational sectors of WSN have the most potential and what lies in the way for each The new report addresses these issues and provides a wealth of analysis of WSN projects and development programmes including the creating of improved WSN components, plus profiles of many suppliers.
