New algorithm enables much faster dissemination of information through self-organizing networks
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - 07:40
in Physics & Chemistry
As sensors that do things like detect touch and motion in cell phones get smaller, cheaper and more reliable, computer manufacturers are beginning to take seriously the decade-old idea of "smart dust" -- networks of tiny wireless devices that permeate the environment, monitoring everything from the structural integrity of buildings and bridges to the activity of live volcanoes. In order for such networks to make collective decisions, however -- to, say, recognize that a volcano is getting restless -- they need to integrate information gathered by hundreds or thousands of devices.