Tom Kevan

Industrial wireless sensor networking has had a tough row to hoe from the very beginning, despite the significant benefits it brings. Unfortunately, sizable barriers still prevent the technology from reaching its full potential.

Serious discussion of wireless sensor industrial networks has been going on for over ten years. It's about time we stopped and asked: Where are we with this technology? Where are we going? And what do we need to get there? The answer to the last question is interoperability.

Optimal power management in a wireless sensor network is a balancing act of components and processes. Your challenge: Achieve the minimum energy use while meeting application requirements.

Wireless communications have not yet achieved plug-and-play status; however, neither are they the magic sold by flim-flam artists. The wireless market desperately needs to educate potential users to set realistic expectations. Wireless installations work, but only after both the technology provider...more >>

In most cases, basic sensing technology is mature and unlikely to change much. But don't get too comfortable; the concept of what constitutes a sensor is changing drastically. New capabilities are being added to enable these familiar devices to take on new applications.

If the sensor manufacturers' products already have the software hooks that allow the sensor data to be accessed by the SOA, the implementation has a quicker ROI.

The debate over batteries vs. power harvesting in wireless sensor applications is fermenting just below the surface as the RF technology gains broader acceptance. The mistake some of us have made is to look for the supremacy of one technology in all instances. That will not be the case.

For years, the health care industry, medical research organizations, and high-tech manufacturers have developed and tested sensor-based devices that greatly enhance the care that can be given to the sick and elderly. What has been missing is a market that can support the cost of extensively using...more >>

Our culture is full of conspiracy theories, involving the Kennedy assassination, extraterrestrials, and RFID. We all take these with a grain of salt because we are aware that only kooks place any stock in them. But there is one that I fervently believe: Both my wife and daughter are agents of the...more >>

In October, I discussed the role sensors play in neurofeedback- conditioning that rewards the brain for desired activity and discourages the objectionable. The process may sound like something out of Frankenstein, but it can help your child in school.