Trends in wireless sensor networks for manufacturing
Nathan Ota, Paul Kenneth Wright · International Journal of Manufacturing Research · 2006
Wireless communications in general, Wireless Sensor Networks and Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) constitute a family of technologies for delivering an increased spatial density of sensors, local computation at the sensor-node and the potential for distributed and fault-tolerant monitoring. This paper focuses on wireless sensor nodes and networking. Nodes can be mounted on various parts of machinery and plant to promote early fault detection and analysis. Their small size and autonomy enables their placement in locations that are usually difficult to access. In addition, it is also possible, with minimal changes to the machine configuration, to deploy sensors on the machinery after it has been installed. The sensor nodes not only monitor their own output but also collaborate with neighbouring nodes to determine the health of the overall machines and provide early warnings of potential failure. The paper discusses the uses of these networks and the issues that must be addressed for successful implementations.