talk at phd computer science students’ journal c,talks and stuff).
04/02/09 


1. Science Fiction
Sensor Networks
Diego Pizzocaro
D.Pizzocaro@cs.cf.ac.uk
PhD Forum: Food, Things and Stuff (FTS) 2009
Cardiff University

2. What do you study?
• Party/Pub , with a friend of mine (PhD student in Astrophysics)
http://tom-purvis.com/images/blogFoto/gdrParty.jpg
• Stranger:
“Oh so you are PhD students! What do you guys study?”
• My friend: “Astrophysics, star formation history”
Stranger: “wow really cool!”
• Me: “Computer science...”
Stranger: “Oh.....well........”

3. Improving...
• Stranger: “What do you study?”
• Need to understand the level of expertise the stranger has:
• Me: “Have you ever heard about autonomous robotic systems?”
• Then there are two possible choices:
1) Stranger: “Yes sure” (never happened)
Me: “OK so my research is about similar systems
but composed only of sensors,
self-organizing and self-healing, etc....”

4. Improving...
• Stranger: “Not really...”
Me: “Have you ever seen Minority Report, the movie?
Police men use robotic spiders which form coalitions
to accomplish different tasks...”
Stranger: “Wow it is really cool...”
Me: “Oh by the way, my PhD is in Computer Science...”
Stranger: “No way, extremely cool!”
Me: “ :) ”

5. SciFi in Sensor Networks
• How far is SciFi from real world sensor networks?
• Example:
• Autonomous spider robots are under development by the
Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) consortium.
• The Army Research Lab has given BAE Systems $38 million to lead and fund
the project (headline of 5/1/2008).
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=1619
Spider Robot Concept from BAE

6. Another example
• 1. E. M. Carapezza and T. M. Molter,
“Sustainable unattended sensors for security
and environmental monitoring,”
in Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 7112 (SPIE, 2008), 71120O.
• It describes two ocean energy harvesting approaches
(i.e. derive energy from natural underwater power sources)
• Goal:
Providing sustainable power for distributed unattended sensor and
unmanned underwater vehicle networks.
• Applications/Consequences:
Continuos operation improves
- knowledge of marine biological processes
- no need to replace/recharge batteries
- homeland security and port surveillance
(e.g. surveillance against terroristic attacks to power plants)

7. ('#+5$#!4/3'!.''$!/&&'*7&'(9!;$!#/*70'!7-%&%&87'!('#+5$!('3'0%7'(!+#!('7+,&'(!.'0%<9 !>4+#!('#+5$!2#'#!/!#*/00)!
7/-/#+&+,/008!7%<'-'(!72*7!&%!*%3'!7%-'!</&'-!/,-%##!&4'!'0',&-%$#9!>4'!+$+&+/0!5-%##!7%<'-!('3'0%7'(!.8!&4'#'!#*/00)!
#+6!+$,4!+$!(+/*'&'-!,'00#!<'-'!*'/#2-'(!+$!#'(+*'$&#!+$!/!0/.%-/&%-8!#'&&+$5!/&!=?!*+00+</&&#!
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Hybrid Organic-Synthetic Sensors?
,%$#&-/+$'(!-'/0!0+&&%-/0!'$3+-%$*'$&)!+#!=HA!*+00+</&&#!@A9=H!B!/&!A9CC!*0D#',!10%<!@=9IJ!BD1&C!%-!IA!BD*CF9!>4'!
'67',&'(!$'&!7%<'-!+#!/77-%6+*/&'08!=AA!*+00+</&&#!@A9J?!BD1&C!%-!CC!BD*CF9!>4+#!-'(2,'(!2#'/.0'!7%<'-!+#!(2'!&%!&4'!
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!
• Organic underwater power sources to power sensing devices/engines:
!
"#$%&#'(!)%*+,-%./!01#/!2#//!32.%44,'!567#8!
• For static sensors (i.e. motes):
"#$%$%&'(!)*+,,$-!! <6%3
()'"*
.(/+0(-%!12(3!)(33!
• Microbial Fuel Cells 45!+-!/+*!6!789!:2;+:!<%=! --
;)'4/#"-.")#
(order of power: mW) 8&/#"-.")#
!"#$%&'("(%)*+(,%'-,"*&(%.&"/)&/"(.%*0,%1233%4/443(%/5%&'#/+'%&'(%1*&("%)#3/$06%7#%'*"8(.&%&'(%$(&'*0(%+*.%!"#$%./)'%
.&"/)&/"(.%"(9/2"(.%*%,(.2+0%1'2)'%!*)232&*&(.%*%)#0&"#33(,%"(3(*.(%#!%$(&'*0(%+*.%&#%*%5"#)(..20+%(3($(0&:%(2&'("%#0%&'(%
#)(*0%4#&&#$%#"%20%*%53*&!#"$%*&%&'(%#)(*0%./"!*)(6%;0(%)#0)(5&%,(.2+0%&#%(<53#2&%$(&'*0(%'-,"*&(%,(5#.2&.%2.%,(52)&(,%20%
+,%"'"*-./&0-1/$."#-
•
=2+/"(%>%4(3#1?6%7'2.%,(.2+0%/.(.%)#0&"#33(,%'(*&%&#%,2.*..#)2*&(%&'(%$(&'*0(%+*.(.%!"#$%&'(%'-,"*&(%.&"/)&/"(.%*&%,(5&'6%
- - 2*)34$'"-5/''."-5*674
It extracts electrons from metabolic 7'(%$(&'*0(%+*.%2.%&'(0%5"#)(..(,%20%*%.-.&($%#!%@2"()&%A(&'*0(%=/(3%B(33.%#"%20%*%C#32,%;<2,(%=/(3%B(33%.-.&($6%D%
8&/#"-
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-
-
processes of marine bacteria. #<-+(0%$($4"*0(%"(3*&(,%.-.&($%'*8(%4((0%208(.&2+*&(,%*0,%20,2)*&2#0.%*"(%&'*&%$#,("*&(%.2G(,%$(&'*0(%'-,"*&(%(0("+-%
!"#$%"&'
.-.&($.%*"(%!(*.243(6%D3&("0*&28(%.#3/&2#0.%*"(%&#%*/+$(0&%&'(%#<-+(0%(<&"*)&(,%!"#$%&'(%.(*%1*&("%12&'%.&#"(,%#<-+(0%#"%
- -
12&'% 5*"*.2&2)*33-:% 3#)*33-% 5"#,/)(,% #<-+(0% !"#$% *% '-,"#3-.2.% 5"#)(..6% D3&("0*&28(3-:% 42#3#+2)*3% .#3/&2#0.% $*-% *3.#% 4(%
5#..243(6% H!% #0(% )#/3,% )/3&/"(% .#$(% 0*&/"*33-% #))/""20+% 42#3#+2)*3% .5()2(.% &#% (<&"*)&% #"% +(0("*&(% #<-+(0:% 20% 9/*0&2&2(.%
• For unmanned vehicles:
./!!2)2(0&% &#% $*&)'% &'(% $(&'*0(% +*.% (<&"*)&2#0% 5"#)(..(.:% *% $#"(% #5&2$/$% ,(.2+0% $2+'&% 4(% 5#..243(6% 7'(% 5#&(0&2*3%
2"/'"9'$."-$&."'-:$.'"*
(0("+-%&'*&%)#/3,%4(%(<&"*)&(,%!"#$%&'(.(%$(&'*0(%+*.%'-,"*&(%,(5#.2&.%2.%(0#"$#/.:%32$2&(,%5"2$*"23-%4-%&'(%*8*23*4232&-%
#!%./!!2)2(0&%9/*0&2&2(.% #!%#<-+(06% D.% 0#&(,:% 2!% #0(% 1*0&.% &#% 3#)*33-% 5#1("%.-.&($.% /0,("1*&(":% *0%#<-+(0% (<&"*)&2#0:%
.&#"*+(:%#"%+(0("*&2#0%)*5*4232&-%.-.&($%$/.&%4(%,(.2+0(,%)#0E/0)&28(3-%12&'%&'(%$(&'*0(%(<&"*)&2#0%.-.&($6%H!%#0%&'(%
•
!! #&'("%'*0,:%&'(%$(&'*0(%)*0%4(%4"#/+'&%&#%&'(%#)(*0%./"!*)(:%1'("(%#<-+(0%2.%0*&/"*33-%*8*23*43(%20%3*"+(%9/*0&2&2(.:%8("-%
Methane Hydrate !
3*"+(%5#1("%53*0&.%*"(%!(*.243(6%I032J(%&'(%5#1("%5#&(0&2*3%#!%$2)"#42*3%!/(3%)(33%.-.&($.:%&'(.(%$(&'*0(%'-,"*&(%.-.&($.%
)#/3,%(*.23-%5#1("%J23#1*&&%&#%$(+*1*&&%.2G(,%.-.&($.6%
!
M+52-'!?N!O/+##%$!>87'!P+,-%.+/0!M2'0!O'00!Q-%&%&87'!R'#+5$!
Energy System !
%
!
(order of power: kW) 84':-;%+
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• Use Oxygen to extract :&/&'#)! 1%-! +$#&/$,')! 4/#! */$8! 4,+*-& ('7%#+&#! &4/&! ,%20(! .'! '670%+&'(9! :%*'! %1! &4'#'! 48(-/&'! ('7%#+&#! /-'! 0%,/&'(!
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82-"2.%
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1%,'7,5%+
methane gas from X/#!48(-/&'!('7%#+&#!3/-8!,%$#+('-/.08!+$!.%&4!('7&4!/$(!#&-2,&2-'!#%!'$'-58!4/-3'#&+$5!('#+5$#!*2#&!.'!10'6+.0'!/$(!
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hydrate structures. %,,2--+$5! *'&4/$'! 5/#'#)! <4+,4! /-'! ,%$&+$2%2#08! 7'-,%0/&+$5! 27! 1-%*! &4'! '/-&4Y#! ,-2#&! (''7! +$! &4'! %,'/$#)! .',%*'!
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• Plankton produces oxygen! #&-2,&2-'#)!/#!0%$5!/#!&4'!&'*7'-/&2-'!#&/8#!.'0%<!&4+#!&4-'#4%0(!-/$5'!/$(!&4'!('7&4#!%-!7-'##2-'!-'*/+$#!4+549!1!&4'!
</&'-#!/-%2$(!&4'#'!#'(+*'$&!#&-2,&2-'!4'/&#!27!/.%3'!&4+#!#&/.0'!&'*7'-/&2-'!-/$5'!&4'!*'&4/$'!5/#'#!<+00!(+#/##%,+/&'!
(%56,&%'<#.+,5%'
>&%+$#'1#=5%)'4-&?%95'
• Track whales to gather plankton 8%=2$&''
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%
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8. How to look for food?
• 1. K. H. Low, W. K. Leow, and M. H. Ang Jr,
“Autonomic mobile sensor network with
self-coordinated task allocation and execution,”
Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part C,
IEEE Transactions on 36, no. 3 (2006): 315-327.
• IDEA:
Mobile sensors self-organizes in coalitions to monitor the environment (e.g. look for whales)
and accomplish tasks (e.g. collect plankton)
• MECHANISMS:
- Ant behavior schemes
to monitor the environment.
- Self-organizing neural networks
to coordinate the execution of tasks.
http://ljs.academicdirect.org/A09/53_72_files/image005.jpg http://jasonernst.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/neural_network.jpg

9. Reality?
• Hybrid Organic-Synthetic Networked intelligent sensors are not far.
• From a videogame called MASS EFFECT (BioWare):
• The geth are a synthetic race of networked AIs,
• they blurry the boundaries between organic and synthetic.
• A lone geth has intelligence equivalent to animal instincts.
• In close proximity with other geth,
they become more intelligent thanks to the network.
http://www.completemasseffect.com/images/8/8f/Geth_001.jpg

10. Science Fiction and CS
• Science Fiction is mostly about CS:
Why not using it to make people interested in your research?
• There are many research papers connecting science fiction to CS
(but also to other topics! e.g. physical sciences):
• 1. M. L. Dark, “Using Science Fiction Movies in Introductory
Physics,” The Physics Teacher 43 (2005): 463.
• D. Sanderson, “Using Science Fiction to teach Computer
Science”, Conference Proceedings of WWW@10 the dream and the
reality, 2004
• 1. N. Jesse, “Autonomous Mobile Robots – From Science
Fiction to Reality,” in Real World Applications of Computational
Intelligence, 2005, 197-219,

11. Conclusion
• Why is it important to make other non-expert people
interested in your research?
• Applying for grants
• Publishing your research
• ...
• “You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to
your grandmother.” - Einstein
• Thanks for listening!