Real-Time Monitoring of Hurricane Winds using Wireless and Sensor Technology

This paper presents a distributed software system for a wireless sensor network application that remotely monitors the effects of hurricane winds on manmade structures. The software system is divided into three independent segments that are distributed across the Internet to provide real-time collection and transmission of data between wireless remote sensor units and a centralized server. The software system uses a custom-designed communications architecture that is built upon existing wireless networking standards (IEEE 802.11 and HSPA) and that benefit from capabilities of Microsoft .NET development framework. By segmenting the software and separating application-specific code from the communications architecture, the software can be reused and applied towards a wide variety of wireless sensor networks operating in harsh environments. The system is currently under test and will be deployed for the 2009 hurricane season.