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ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS USING WIRELESS SENSOR
NETWORKS: AN OVERVIEW
Article in Journal of Engineering and Sustainable Development · August 2020
DOI: 10.31272/[Link].1.33
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Journal of Engineering and Sustainable
Development First Online Scientific Conference for
[Link] Graduate Engineering Students
[Link] June 2020
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS USING WIRELESS
SENSOR NETWORKS: AN OVERVIEW
Saja S. Hasan1 *Yasin Yousif Mohammed2
1) [Link]. Student, Electrical Engineering Department, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.
2) Department of Electrical Engineering, AL- Mustansiryah University, Baghdadi, Iraq
Received 00/00/0000 Accepted in revised form 00/00/0000 Published 00/00/0000
Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of work together for monitoring a region to obtain
wirelessly sensor nodes that set with radio interface which
and collect data. Two types of WSNs are known:
they communicated via it with one another to form a
network. Sensor nodes enable environment monitoring structured and unstructured. Unstructured WSNs
and data processing. The advance in both wireless sensor contain a collection of sensor nodes that
and data processing technologies gives environmental deployed in ad-hoc manner in the region, thus
management systems the ability to monitor real-time
remote location. Developments in sensor's technologies sensor nodes can be dropped randomly from a
like embedded systems, distributed processing, Micro plane into the desired region. In structured WSNs
Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), wireless on the other hand, sensor nodes are deployed in a
communications, and wireless sensor applications have
contributed the transformation in WSNs recently. WSNs
pre-determined points in the region. Structured
have improved work performance and they have been WSNs have fewer nodes and they need lower
used in many fields especially for survey and monitoring network maintenance and management costs [2].
in environmental monitoring systems (EMSs). This paper
WSNs are important technology that have a great
aims to introduce a brief overview of wireless sensor
networks (WSNs) that are used in the applications of potential to improve many military and civilian
environmental monitoring systems (EMSs). applications. WSNs are used in medicine,
Keywords: Wireless Sensor Networks, Sensors, environment. transportation, home, precision agriculture,
industrial process control, wireless data
1. Introduction acquisition as well as creating new systems in
Low-cost, low-power, small in size, multi- environmental monitoring like environmental
functional, compact sensor nodes have contaminant detections, smart buildings and
developed due to the advance in wireless cities, target tracking, habitat monitoring, and
communications and electronics. These sensor numerous future military applications[3].
nodes have the ability to communicate within
small regions. WSNs are considered as one of the 2. Wireless Sensor Network Components
important technologies that can change the future
A typical architecture of WSN is shown in Figure
by connecting the physical and virtual worlds and
1. It consists of inexpensive, tiny and generally
enable interacting between them [1]. WSNs
simple wireless sensor nodes and a base station
consist of few tens to thousands sensor nodes that
*Corresponding Author: alaboosiyasin@[Link]
Work of This Research is
Licensed under CC BY
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(BS) [4]. There are three types of topologies in c) Communicate with other neighboring nodes in
sensor networks; Star, Mesh and Tree topology the network for implementing a specific task.
[3]. A base station, which is sometimes referred
to as the sink, is the point of data collection in d) Store the collected data because each sensor
WSN. It acts as a network-layer gateway to node has some storage capacity.
another network, a data processing or storage One the most important issues that affect the
center. Moreover, BS is considered as an access design of these small, battery-powered sensor
point for human interfaces or it can be used as a nodes is the way in which the power is consumed
connection to send control information into the by these nodes because each one of the nodes
network or get data from it. A sensor network spend most of the energy it has in the
contain many sensor nodes for each BS. communication process with the other nodes. To
Sometimes there may only be a single BS for the avoid consuming a lot of power, sensor nodes
entire sensor network. When the BS receives the require mechanisms for minimizing their limited
collected and sensory data from the wireless energy consumption and ensuring long-lasting
nodes, it will forward these data to the task and unattended operations in remote regions
manager node using Internet or satellite without the need for replacement or continuously
communications. recharging their batteries. Also it is preferred to
put the transceiver unit of the sensor node in the
sleep mode whenever it's possible [5]. Sensor
nodes are deployed inside the observation region
either in an ad hoc or in a pre-planned way.
Sensor nodes in the deterministic deployments
are placed and the collected data is routed across
pre-determined paths. Random node deployment
on the other hand, involves sensor nodes are
scattered and deployed randomly in an ad hoc
structure. Each sensor node consists of the
following main components:
Figure 1. Typical Architecture of Wireless Sensor 1-Microcontroller unit: used to perform and
Network [5] implement tasks and local computations on the
sensed data, it’s responsible on collected data
Wireless sensor nodes are very small devices that processing and it assists other components of the
have the ability to: sensor node in their functions.
2-Transceiver unit: It implements a combination
a) Interact with the environment by sensing,
of the transmitter and the receiver functions.
monitoring and controlling physical
environmental parameters from remote locations. 3-Sensing unit: which senses the environment
b) Perform some computational data processing 4-Memory unit: This unit is mainly used for
collected data storage
5- Power unit.
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The sensor board consists of large number of 4. Environment Monitoring System
sensors that have different types like low Applications
sampling rate magnetic sensors, infrared,
EMSs has been applied in different and multiple
thermal, visual, acoustic, and radar sensors.
applications that assist people in their daily
Using any type of these sensors depends on the works and develop their manner of life in the
engineering and design of the WSNs for specific future. Using EMSs help to reduce cost and time.
fields deployments [5]. Figure 2 shows that
EMSs have grown rapidly in multiple and useful
different wireless sensors network topologies.
applications such as agricultural monitoring,
habitat monitoring, poisonous gases monitoring,
indoor monitoring, greenhouse monitoring,
radiation monitoring, climate monitoring and
forest monitoring. Nowadays, the community
begin to realize the importance and the
advantages of using and developing the WSN
technologies in their daily life [7]. Major WSNs
Environmental applications are :
1-Precision agriculture Monitoring: It is an
Figure 2. Different WSNs topologies.
emerging WSNs application aspect that is used
3. Environment Monitoring System for monitoring, sensing and controlling the
One of the important WSNs applications is the amount of pesticides, monitoring crop, soil and
Environmental monitoring which may contribute climate parameters in large agricultural fields[7].
large effects. These applications grow widely 2- Greenhouse Monitoring: This system is
with this developed technology. Generally important for monitoring solar radiation and
environmental monitoring systems (EMSs) are ensuring the stabilization of the environmental
designed and used for sensing, monitoring and parameters. It can be a web-based and remote
controlling environment parameters such as controlled system to allow easily access for the
temperature, light, pressure and humidity. The user in order to control, sense and monitor
unstable weather conditions make it very greenhouse using Internet connection. The
important to understand the surrounding system gives the opportunity for the user to
environment and its effect on the human being. access and control the data collected from
EMSs include all the processes, actions and everywhere [8].
methods of data collection that used for
observing, sensing and monitoring the 3- Climate Monitoring: There are many changes
changeable environmental conditions [6]. Data in the climate all over the world nowadays. These
that represent natural weather conditions such as changes caused many serious effects like the sea
temperature, light, and pressure are collected ice breaking, increasing in the level of sea water,
using sensors that deployed over large regions, lake temperature warming, heat waves, glacier
then these data are transmitted to a server. melting and many other phenomena that urged
efforts to develop systems helping control and
monitor the climate changes [9].
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4- Forest Monitoring: Forests are important and 2. Minimum power consumption comparing it
essential sources for the ecological balance and with traditional wired networks.
biodiversity, so it has been very necessary to 3. easy in expanding or reducing the coverage
implement a system for monitoring the region.
environmental parameters in the forest regions.
There are several studies that highlighted the 4. No need for wiring.
subject of forest monitoring system [7]. 5. Small size.
5- Air Pollution monitoring: It is one of the very 6. suitable for recent applications.
important application of EMSs although it has
7. Centralized and localized monitoring system.
been considered as a very complicated task. Over
the past years, data were collected and recorded
periodically. This manner consumed very long 6. Disadvantages Of Using WSNS
time and also it was very expensive. Nowadays, 1. Lower speed comparing it with traditional
using WSNs make air pollution monitoring wired networks
process more efficient, less complex, and the
recording of data readings became more 2. less secure and easy to hack by hackers.
instantaneous and accurate[10] .
3. Affected by long distance and obstacles such
6- Flood and Fire Detection: One of the multiple as Walls.
environmental applications that developed using
WSNs is detecting and monitoring forest fires by 7. Challenges Face WSNS
the deployment of sensor networks in the forest
The essential requirements that must be taken in
in order to detect the origin of such destroying
consideration when deploying WSNs to get a
fires [11]. The same idea has been applied for
good, stable and efficient monitoring system are
flood detection using weather sensors that are
as follows:
used in the flood detection and monitoring
system to detect, sense, predict and as a result 1-Power consumption: wireless sensor nodes are
prevent floods or reduce its effects [7]. the most suitable and popular solution for
monitoring applications. However, because these
7-Radiation Detection: The establishment of
wireless sensor nodes are generally located in a
WSNs for radiation monitoring has gained a lot
hard and difficult to reach positions, the process
of attention in many countries all over the world.
of changing the battery regularly will not be easy
The use of these systems may play an important
and it will be inconvenient. In order to avoid this
role in the assistance of security forces and other
problem, it is very important to make sure that
authorities that concerned with radiation
there's always an adequate power accessible for
detection to determine and monitor the levels of
the system [3], also it is essential to make sure
radiation in the infected regions and areas as well
that the batteries used in the system are capable
as avoid compromising workers life's [12].
to function in proper manner for long time
5. Advantages of Using WSNS because the radio transceiver unit of the WSNs
consumes big amounts of power.
1. Low cost
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2-Reliability: WSNs must be simple handling event then transmitting the collected data
and have predictable operations to avoid sudden wirelessly to the sink or base station. In this paper
and unexpected crashes that may happen. some of WSNs applications that appear recently
Another matter must be taken in to consideration and focus on environment monitoring systems
is avoiding the maintenance of WSNs by persons (EMSs), are surveyed. The need for using WSNs
who don’t have experience because end user may is increasing rapidly as a result to the fact that the
have no knowledge on WSNs. Changes on the use of these networks have opened the way to
region of interest may happen while transmitting perform many critical tasks that is difficult or
packets of data. Therefore, achieving reliability even impossible for humans to perform. WSNs
is very essential to prevent packets loss[7]. have improved the performance and robustness.
They also provide high efficient monitoring
3-Security: This term is used widely. It systems. To conclude, EMSs are expected to
encompasses authentication, integrity, non- have a very important role in the future daily life.
repudiation, anti-playback, and privacy. As the EMSs are proved to be an efficient alternative
dependency on the information and data obtained way that will replace the traditional ways that are
from the WSNs increased, the potential risk of used depending on men force for monitoring the
hacking these information by hackers during the environmental parameters. However, these
transmission over networks has increased. systems still need improvements from different
Several techniques such as steganography and aspects such as privacy and security.
cryptographic are implemented to ensure the
security for transmission of these data over Conflict of interest
WSNs [3]. The publication of this article cause no conflict
of interest.
4-Robustness: WSNs must have robustness in
order to be able to encounter hardware failure
problems and the poor signal connectivity 9. References
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