A Beginner's Guide to Data Agglomeration and Intelligent Sensing

Amartya Mukherjee, Ayan Kumar Panja, Nilanjan Dey

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780128203453
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biotechnology
• Index: Biological Sciences

A Beginners Guide to Data Agglomeration and Intelligent Sensing provides an overview of the Sensor Cloud Platform, Converge-casting, and Data Aggregation in support of intelligent sensing and relaying of information. The book begins with a brief introduction on sensors and transducers, giving readers insight into the various types of sensors and how one can work with them. In addition, it gives several real-life examples to help readers properly understand concepts. An overview of concepts such as wireless sensor networks, cloud platforms, and device-to-cloud and sensor cloud architecture are explained briefly, as is data gathering in wireless sensor networks and aggregation procedures.

Final sections explore how to process gathered data and relay the data in an intelligent way, including concepts such as supervised and unsupervised learning, software defined networks, sensor data mining and smart systems.

• Presents the latest advances in data agglomeration for intelligent sensing
• Discusses the basic concepts of sensors, real-life applications of sensors and systems, the protocols and applications of wireless sensor networks, the methodology of sensor data accumulation, and real-life applications of Intelligent Sensor Networks
• Provides readers with an easy-to-learn and understand introduction to the concepts of the cloud platform, Sensor Cloud and Machine Learning

Chapter one

Introduction to sensors and systems

Abstract

Everything that we see, hear, feel, and sense is information. Interaction with the environment is essential, and interaction can only happen by the process of input and output operation. All living beings have a sense which aids them to interact with the universe. The senses collect data and the brain does the processing and coordinates our output to the universe accordingly. Every mechatronic system needs a subsystem to collect data from the environment. The information so collected is processed using a processing unit such as a microcontroller and a microprocessor. Such subsystems can be broadly classified as sensor, transducers, and signal processing devices. The sensed data are processed and accordingly actions are taken or the output is generated.

Keywords

Microcontroller; microprocessor; sensor; transducer; automation; mechatronic system

Contents

Outline

• 1.1 Fundamentals of sensors/transducers 2
• 1.2 Principles and properties 3
• 1.3 Classification of sensors 3
• 1.4 Networking methodology 5
  • 1.4.1 Fifth-generation technology 5
  • 1.4.2 Bluetooth low energy 8
• 1.5 Types of sensors 10
  • 1.5.1 Sound energy-based sensing 10
  • 1.5.2 Thermal energy-based sensing 12
  • 1.5.3 Optical energy-based sensing 14
  • 1.5.4 Chemical energy-based sensing 17
  • 1.5.5 Radioactivity sensing 18
• 1.6 Smart sensors and transducers 19
  • 1.6.1 Electronic interfacing for smart sensors 20
  • 1.6.2 Universal transducer interface 21
  • 1.6.3 IEEE 1451 smart transducers 24
• 1.7 Summary 25
• References 26

Everything that we see, hear, feel, and sense is information. Interaction with the environment is essential, and interaction can only happen by the process of input and output operation. All living beings have a sense which aids them to interact with the universe. The senses collect data and the brain does the processing and coordinates our output to the universe accordingly. Every mechatronic system needs a subsystem to collect data from the environment. The information so collected is processed using a processing unit such as a microcontroller and a microprocessor. Such subsystem can be broadly classified as sensor, transducers, and signal processing devices. The sensed data are processed and accordingly actions are taken or the output is generated.

1.1 Fundamentals of sensors/transducers

Sensors are defined as an electronic device or a part of the system used for sensing data, detecting events or changes, and relaying those data to a processing system (Fig. 1.1). A transducer, on the other hand, is a bit different; transducers use the principle of transduction. The transducer converts information/signal from one form of energy to another form. To specifically inculcate a comparison between a sensor and transducer, one can say a sensor senses the information from the environment and transducers convert the sensed data into a usable form so that processing can be properly done on them.

Figure 1.1 Fundamental architecture of a sensor module.

To properly understand, let us take an example of a smart water pump. The word smart is used here because this is a special pump which monitors the level of water the tank is holding and accordingly makes a decision when to switch on the pump and when to switch it off automatically.

A sensor which is capable of monitoring the level of water is fixed into the tank. The sensor data are relayed to processing specifically a microcontroller. Instructions are stored in the memory of the microcontroller and are processed accordingly. The microcontroller is connected to a relay which is connected to the switch of the water pump. The water level is sent to the microcontroller in the form of signals. The program/instruction in the microcontroller makes the decision to control the relay switch. If the water level dips below a certain level, the pump is switched on and if the water level rises above certain levels the instruction switches off the relay switch. Hence the working of the water pump is modulated using a smart controller.

1.2 Principles and properties

The principle of sensing the data from the environment used to be physical or chemical in nature but nowadays even various types of sensors are coming into existence that not only covers physical or chemical aspects but also something more. We now live in a world where we cannot avoid these tiny little electronic gadgets. They are everywhere; one can find sensor devices in every day-to-day life, be it in offices, restaurants, industries, and so on. One such example is a shopping mall; now most of the shopping malls or complex’s entrance doors are made automatic. That is whenever a person approaches or departs, the door gets automatically opened or closed accordingly. So, there is a sensor device attached that monitors the proximity of the person approaching and the direction in which he or she is approaching or departing. The processing component, specifically the microcontroller, makes the decision accordingly.

Processing is done on the information gathered from the environment. Hence the type of data that is needed to be extracted depends on the type of sensors and actuators we are using. The physical property of sensing can be weight, temperature, pressure, percentage composition, electric magnetic or electromagnetic, position and orientation, force, and so on. Depending on the type of data that needs to be extracted the sensors are created accordingly.

1.3 Classification of sensors

Now the classification of sensors not only necessarily depend on the type of information the system needs to gather for processing but also on many other factors. Sensors can be broadly classified as into:

1. 1. Active sensors
2. 2. Passive sensors

An active sensor uses an external or self-generated signal for measurement. Passive sensors change their properties for various occurring events, and they detect and respond to some types of input from the physical environment. Another way of classifying the sensors can be application-based, which is a very convenient way to show the segmentation in a very broad manner. With respect to application-based classification, sensors can be classified as

1. 1. Industrial based such as automation and process control measurement
2. 2. Nonindustrial based such as automobiles, hospitals, consumer electronics, and so on.

Now before proceeding with the type of sensors one first needs to know the type of processing, that is, various types of systems. Systems can be broadly classified as

1. 1. Real-time system
2. 2. Batch processing system

A real-time system is a reactive system, that is, the system reacts immediately within a specified time, that is, time-bound with respect to the various environmental stimulus generated. Example of such a system can be a traffic system, weather monitoring system. A batch processing system is one where real-time monitoring or processing is not required and the information is processed in a set of inputs. With respect to the type of system, the sensors are selected accordingly. Table 1.1 illustrates several factors for sensor design.

Table 1.1

Different factors for sensor design approach.

Environmental factors	Economic factors	Sensor characteristics
Temperature	Cost	Sensitivity
Humidity	Availability	Range
Proximity	Lifetime	Stability
Power consumption		Response time
Self-test capability, etc.		Error

In the current world scenario, we have various types of sensor. And according to the need of the industries and projects, many types of sensor devices are created. We have proximity sensors that are capable of detecting the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Proximity sensors use t...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• About the authors
• Preface
• Acknowledgment
• Chapter one. Introduction to sensors and systems
• Chapter two. Real-life application of sensors and systems
• Chapter three. Wireless sensor network: principle and application
• Chapter four. Overview of sensor cloud
• Chapter five. Sensor data accumulation methodologies
• Chapter six. Intelligent sensor network
• Chapter seven. Conclusion
• Index