A wireless sensor network (WSN) uses a number of autonomous devices to cooperatively monitor physical or environmental conditions via a wireless network. Since its military beginnings as a means of battlefield surveillance, practical use of this technology has extended to a range of civilian applications including environmental monitoring, natural disaster prediction and relief, health monitoring and fire detection. Technological advancements, coupled with lowering costs, suggest that wireless sensor networks will have a significant impact on 21st century life.

The design of wireless...