Autonomic Wireless Sensor Networks: Intelligent Ubiquitous Sensing

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have the potential to radically transform commonly held perceptions of computing applications and usage. From environmental monitoring to assisting the aged in their everyday activities, the WSN concept offers an attractive vision of how computational technologies may positively influence everyday life. Hence there is almost unprecedented interest all technological issues pertinent to WSNs. However, various issues relating to the design, deployment and maintenance of WSNs are still crystallising. In this paper, the case for incorporating autonomic computing principles into the design of WSNs is articulated, in light of acknowledged limitations of the WSN model, resulting in what may be termed Autonomic WSNs.