| Mobile wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have to be robust against the limitations of the underlying platform. While lightweight form factor makes WSNs an attractive choice for monitoring applications, they are hampered by energy and communication constraints, such as small lifetimes and limited bandwidth. Moreover, they have to operate under stringent conditions like occasional network connectivity and limited storage capacity. Under these constraints, the design of mobile WSNs has to account for the resource-limited nature of the underlying platform.;In this dissertation, we describe the implementation and performance evaluation of SenSearch, an outdoors GPS assisted personnel tracking system using mica motes. SenSearch is a mobile wireless ad-hoc network comprised of sensor nodes that are worn by users, which store and forward information about the locations of other nodes in environments with a lack of communication infrastructure. A key feature of SenSearch is that it does not require a continuously connected network for its operation. It is designed for a delay tolerant network that provides only occasional connectivity between nodes. |
