The case for multi--tier camera sensor networks

Abstract

In this position paper, we examine recent technology trends that have resulted in a broad spectrum of camera sensors, wireless radio technologies, and embedded sensor platforms with varying capabilities. We argue that future sensor applications will be hierarchical with multiple tiers, where each tier employs sensors with different characteristics. We argue that multi-tier networks are not only scalable, they offer a number of advantages over simpler, single-tier unimodal networks: lower cost, better coverage, higher functionality, and better reliability. However, the design of such mixed networks raises a number of new challenges that are not adequately addressed by current research. We discuss several of these challenges and illustrate how they can be addressed in the context of SensEye, a multi-tier video surveillance application that we are designing in our research group.