Preface
No matter how small a superior technology is, it can lead to new application paradigms and through a series of successful large-scale diffusions, transform societies and provide a better global lifestyle.
This book is complementary to many recent theoretical sensor-networking books and aims to give readers a taste of what the new smart sensing systems can do in their promising real world applications.
Under ‘Distributed Sensor Systems’, we focus on the applications and uses of smart sensors as the nucleus of an application-based intelligent networking concept. This volume answers many critical questions relating sensors to the very exciting technological developments of this century, which are essential to fulfil our next viable application paradigms. This integrated development should inspire a new technological revolution, similar to those following the Renaissance, such as the great transformation caused by the discovery of the steam engine some 200 years ago and the decentralisation caused by further discoveries in chemistry-electric-information around 100 years ago.
With the recent rapid development of distributed sensors we see it is time to consolidate all the hard work carried out over the decades and open new windows of opportunity for slowly, but steadily, developing new light-weight, ultra-low-power and intelligent sensor devices. This is being achieved by using new technologies such as micro- and nano-electromechanical devices for a wide range of viable products, ...
