UrbanNet: Urban Environment Monitoring and Modeling with a Wireless Sensor Network

A wireless sensor network for environmental monitoring uses distributed sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, pressure, motion or pollutants, at different locations. The current project implements a small-scale wireless sensor network suitable for urban environmental monitoring and modeling on the Kean University campus. The data are analyzed and visually presented for decision making in real-time. The integration of environmental sensor data, gathered by chemical measurement, physical measurement, observation and visual depiction over time of the change in the measured items can be correlated with the impact on human well-being in the urban community. Real-time sensing provides assessment of key elements, such as air quality and wind direction, that may be used to detect and understand environmental systems and their interactions. The gathered sensor data is correlated with regional environmental data in multiple spatial and temporal scales to detect spatiotemporal patterns through spatial data mining techniques. This information is visually presented using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geo-visualization to communicate specific urban environmental situations. From such information, policy makers may plan and implement strategies to avoid, mitigate, or prevent undesirable impacts based on real-time models. The research provides for the integration of emerging technologies across disciplinary boundaries and direct applications to interactive systems. It also provides for integration of the human interface and interaction design needed to be effective for multiple and diverse users.