by Mark Roantree and Mikko Sallinen

One of the truly multidisciplinary research efforts involving computer scientists revolves around the topic of sensor networks. It brings together chemists who develop the sensors, engineers focusing on wireless platforms and other hardware components, and the computer scientists who develop the services, knowledge layers and middleware. In many cases, research must also include the knowledge workers associated with the specific domain, many of whom are represented in the articles in this issue of ERCIM News. In almost all cases, some aspect of the research will seek to create a bridge or bidirectional channel between the physical world of the planet, its people and the sensors, and the digital world of computers and their software applications.

by Steven D. Glaser and Tommi Parkkila

At the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, University of California, Berkeley, USA, we have been developing and deploying wireless sensor systems for ten years. We have focused on solutions to societal needs. As we ask more and more from our 'motes' and their low-power networks, we foresee important applications for sensor and control networks that will require a more powerful and flexible solution.

by Gerald Wagenknecht, Markus Anwander and Torsten Braun

A heterogeneous wireless sensor network (WSN) contains different types of sensor nodes. To operate such a WSN, we present MARWIS (Management ARchitecture for WIreless Sensor Networks). It uses a wireless mesh network as a backbone and offers mechanisms for visualization, monitoring, reconfiguration and updating program code.