Mobility in Free-Space Optics Based Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper proposes an FSO-based mobile sensor network that is not subject to RF interference common to wireless sensor networks. FSO-based mobile sensor networks can potentially be used in a battlefield where security of communication, including freedom from susceptibility to enemy-induced jamming, is important. The paper discusses the design of nodes containing multiple transceivers composed of LEDs and photo detectors. Results of initial experiments are included. The work reported in this paper is part of an ongoing investigation on mobile FSO networks, including the design of efficient protocols that can allow the mobile sensor nodes to function as a mesh network permitting information exchange among nodes directly and, possibly, through an intermediate node.