Embedded systems in the wild: ZebraNet software, hardware, and deployment experiences

ABSTRACT

The Princeton ZebraNet project is a collaboration of engineers and biologists to build mobile, wireless embedded systems for wildlife tracking. Over the lifetime of the project, we have implemented a number of compression, communication, and data management algorithms specifically tailored for the small memory, constrained energy and sparse connectivity of these long-lifetime systems. We have gone through three major generations of hardware and software implementations, and have done two successful real-world deployments on Plains Zebras in Kenya, with a third deployment planned for Summer, 2007. In this talk, I will discuss our real-life experiences with crafting embedded systems hardware and software, and our deployment experiences in Africa. I will also put forward a vision for how portability, reliability, and energy-efficiency can be well-supported in future embedded systems.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.0 GENERAL

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.0 GENERAL

  D. Software
  D.0 GENERAL

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Performance, Reliability