Introduction to Sensor Networks

Abstract

The evolution of sensory devices and the advancements in wireless communication and digital electronics, brought about a revolution in the way sensor nodes are designed and utilized. The communication mechanism has also seen a complete makeover. Modern sensor networks involve the deployment of multiple miniature sensors across the area of interest wherein sensory data is desired. These miniature devices are specialized for certain purposes and usually possess minimal processing and computing capabilities. With advancements in the field of distributed computing, people started designing distributed sensor networks that would involve multiple such sensors communicating, sharing, and processing information collected by them for a specific goal. A compounded problem with sensors is the inaccuracy and lack of precision in the values collected which could lead to faulty processing. Lots of research in the 1990s reveal that sensor fusion is a powerful method that can be used to mask the failures and minimize the effects of such faulty data. This chapter would try to highlight the applicability of the seminal Brooks–Iyengar hybrid algorithm on distributed sensor networks bringing together the power of Byzantine agreement and sensor fusion in building a fault tolerant distributed sensor network.