Some Notes and Proposals on the Use of Ip-based Approaches in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are gaining visibility and importance in a variety of fields and will certainly be part of our day-to-day lives in the near future. This trend is, in effect, putting WSNs under the research community spotlight. The feverish activity around WSNs has led to some myths and misconceptions over the last years that, in some way, have blocked the way forward. This paper addresses some of these myths and discusses a model for Wireless Mesh Sensor Networks that go beyond them, showing that it is time to look at WSNs under a different light. The paradigms that support the proposed model have a direct impact on the addressing scheme, mobility support and route optimisation. These have been put to the test both by simulation and prototyping, showing that they constitute solid ground on which future Wireless Mesh Sensor Networks can be built.