In Depth

Sensing Trouble

Ever wish you could be in several places at once? You can. New wireless sensor technology can monitor people, equipment, premises or packages, send you alerts when something is wrong, and even take action on your behalf.

By CSO Contributor

July 01, 2005 — CSO —

The military has used a combination of sensors, remote control and wireless for years, recently sending robots into caves in Afghanistan to search for munitions, says Dave Gelvin, CEO of Sensoria (www.sensoria.com). Sensors are also used to detect dirty bombs in areas such as Washington, D.C., where portable suitcase-size sensors and laptops receive alerts wirelessly to turn on and monitor video or acoustical surveillance devices.

As costs have dropped, sensor technology has moved into industrial and office-campus environments, Gelvin notes. Typically, a variety of sensorsinfrared, carbon dioxide, motion and so forthconnected over a wireless mesh network to provide preliminary detection. A human operator or automated system can then turn on video cameras or listening devices to get richer information to assess the actual threat, he says. (Nonmesh networks, such as a corporate network, have barriers between each access point. But a wireless mesh network doesnt have these access barriers. A mesh network is a series of connected hot spots that dont require authentication each time you move from one to the other.) There are very few applications where people depend solely on sensorsthey want to see or hear whats actually happening, Gelvin adds. The idea is to reduce false alarms by adding human verification. The use of wireless networks lets security staff get away from the monitor console and roam a facility, using a handheld to monitor and control video and other sensor devices.

Paul Sereiko, CEO of Sensicast Systems (www.sensicast.com), anticipates the use of bio-agent sensors to monitor for chemical spills. Sensors could transmit a signal to actuators that would close surrounding doors automatically, which would be a lot faster than sending a signal to a human operator who would then need to go to the facility to close the doors. The use of wireless mesh networks lets a sensors signals and remote commands travel quickly enough to ensure a fast response, he notes, unlike satellite and nonmesh wireless networks. Sereiko also expects small cameras, such as those used in camera phones, to become widely deployed in a few years. Alarm systems would be able to activate a camera when a breach is detected, letting the person who is remotely monitoring the area check to see if an actual intrusion took place, or if the wind blew a door open.

Alan Hutcheson, CEO of Dantel (www.dantel.com), says his company is working on sensors and surveillance cameras at railroad crossings that would transmit alerts and video both to oncoming trains and operation centers, giving more warning time that could help avoid crashes with stalled vehicles. In remote areas such as equipment staging areas for power and phone companies, a combination of cellular networks, sensors and actuated equipment (such as gate locks, cameras and floodlights) can be used to secure and check on the premises remotely, he notes.