Sensors in Collaboration Increase Individual Potentialities

Different applications require different sensor technologies and methods to achieve specific goals. Particular sensor designs are focused on solving problems. It is well-known that individual sensors can be limited when complex problems or applications are involved or the application requires sensing in different locations or even different geographical areas. We could think of robotic applications where vision, ultrasounds or tactile technologies among others are considered as a whole with the goal of navigation and exploration. Individual sensors are insufficient for achieving the goal, but in collaboration the objective can be achieved and even with high effectiveness. Some sensor devices are arrays of single elements, such as tactile or electronic-noses. In both cases, sensors are related to a specific location. On the contrary, some applications are based on the distribution of sensors at different locations, interconnected under a network for collaboration. At each specific location different sensors can be working in collaboration. Works on this special issue cover the topic of collaborative sensors under different configurations, always enhancing and improving performances of individual sensors, based on the fusion of the information provided by the different sensors. Different categories and specific applications are considered, where each work is assigned to one or more specific categories and listed in the appropriate references section.