Potential Benefits to Spur Uptake of Wireless Sensor Networks Despite Initial Technical Roadblocks

PALO ALTO, Calif.--Feb. 1, 20056, 2005--Due to their easy deployment at extremely low costs, wireless sensor networks, compared to wired networks, are gradually gaining a foothold across several industry verticals such as building and industrial automation.

However, companies need to ensure that applications that work effectively in a controlled environment or facility are able to maintain similar performance levels in real-world situations. In this regard, the biggest challenge lies in increasing the average deployable network size from the existing few hundred nodes to 1,000 nodes or more.

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"Most companies in this field are working toward systems that can perform robustly and efficiently when scaled up to a size of around 500 nodes," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Hrishikesh Bidwe.

Although test demonstrations of 800-node networks have already been completed successfully, more concerted efforts are required for gaining a competitive advantage in the mainstream market.

The good news is that with the move toward a standard-based environment with the introduction of the IEEE 802.15.4 for radio communication hardware and the recently ratified ZigBee standard for networking among devices, adoption rates are increasing within end-user communities.

"Standardization of wireless technology is likely to allow the market to become more streamlined, facilitate operation on a common platform, and improve interoperability with existing networks," observes Bidwe.

Interoperability is especially relevant for the building automation vertical where almost 90 percent to 95 percent of the buildings are old structures with a huge investment in wired building control systems.

The truly "plug and play" nature of wireless sensor networks is also expected to drive uptake in the building automation segment. In fact, with the current advances in wireless technology, most of these sensors are self-forming networks with minimal or no manual intervention.

"Wireless sensors can be a boon to major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot where optimal energy consumption and reduced energy costs are a prime concern," notes Bidwe.

While the high price tag for building automation applications is a major drawback, in the industrial automation space, companies can expect to command a higher price for their mission-critical devices.

Companies are also likely to eventually venture into new applications such as home automation, defense, homeland security, and container tracking.

Among these segments, home automation holds immense potential for various devices such as thermostats, occupancy sensors, and energy readings. However, companies must be prepared to meet end users' demand for high-end technology at competitive prices.

Data aggregation and database management coupled with privacy issues regarding the ownership of the data collected from these sensors also need to be addressed.

"Overall, the potential benefits of wireless sensor networks outweigh the existing challenges and are likely to open up application areas hitherto considered impossible with wired networks," concludes Bidwe.

Wireless Sensors and Wireless Sensor Networks is part of the Wireless subscription service, and examines the latest advances in the market, which will enable wireless sensor networks to make an impact across various industry verticals. In addition to identifying major technology drivers and challenges, the research provides in-depth application analysis. Executive summaries and interviews are available to the press.

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Wireless Sensors and Wireless Sensor Networks

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Keywords in this release: wireless sensor, wireless sensor networks, deployable network size, IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee standard, building automation, industrial automation, home automation, thermostats, occupancy sensors, energy readings, lighting ballasts.