NSF
Workshop on Distributed Communications
and Signal Processing for Sensor Networks

The goal of the workshop was to identify promising directions for near and long-term fundamental research in the areas of distributed communications and signal processing for sensor networks, and to report these findings in a timely fashion to the cognizant research communities via this website.

This coincides with the release of the new NSF program solicitation on Sensors and Sensor Networks now available at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03512/nsf03512.htm. The goal of NSF's initiative, as explained in NSF 03-512, is to advance fundamental knowledge in the areas of new sensor technologies, including sensors for chemical and biological agents, sensor networking systems in a distributed environment, the integration of sensors into engineered systems, and the interpretation and use of sensed data in decision-making processes. In particular, NSF is looking for proposals that address designs, materials and concepts for new sensors and sensing systems; arrayed sensor networks and networking; and interpretation, decision and action based on sensor data.

Many of the important topics identified by workshop participants, and appearing in the taxonomy, are clearly applicable to the above; however, we caution the reader that this list is by no means all-inclusive. In addition, since the new initiative focuses on basic research in the cognate areas, topics such as benchmarking are not appropriate.