PODS @ Lyon Arboretum

Quick Links

• Camera POD 172 (approximately hourly photos during daylight hours)
• Weather POD 183 (temperature, light, rainfall over the past 24 hours)

General Objectives & Current Implementation

The PODS implementation at the Lyon Arboretum is an experimental network of wireless sensor technology.  The goal is to provide support for ecological sensors  (both images and environmental data) from through out the arboretum. 

The research team (called "PODS") has developed a system of hardware and software (each unit of which is called a "POD"), as well as deployment strategies, to provide leading-edge solutions to environmental measurement.  Our research focus has been on aiding the recovery of rare plant species but the applications of our technology are not limited to this goal.

Each POD in the system consists of a computer, communications hardware, sensor array and a power source. The sensors may be high-resolution digital cameras, temperature, light, or rainfall, or some combination of these.  A deployment of PODS allows high-resolution images and environmental data to be collected from remote locations and transferred, using wireless links, to an Internet base station.  All data are stored on the PODS server for general access and analysis.

The actual deployment of sensor PODS is quite complex.  The PODs project has developed a new wireless protocol to relay data through a study areas. This protocol is called "MOR" (Multi-protocol On-demand Routing) and was designed and implemented by Shu Hui Chen and Edo Biagioni.  It is an ad hoc (self organizing and self healing) wireless network that utilizes gradient routing algorithms to relay data over "commercial off the shelf" (COTS) WiFi radios. Traditional wireless signals are quickly absorbed by the water laden foliage of the tropical rainforest.  A multi-POD network based on MOR communications avoids this limitation and allows the project to leave a long, proverbial trail of electronic bread crumbs through from the study area and connect remote sites to the internet connection.

The first phase of this project involved the installation of a base station (which will receive wireless signals and download them to the PODS server), one wireless camera (POD 172), and one fully independent environmental POD (183).  In addition, the PODS team has installed a wireless system (802.11b) that provides wide coverage for laptop computer users who are associated with the UH net.  The installations are complete and being tested.

Camera POD 172:  This POD is located near the peak of the roof in the greenhouse in the parking lot.  The general area covered by the pictures is shown in color below.  The panorama reference photo was taken from near the edge of the parking lot adjacent to the greenhouse (you can see a corner of the roof on the right side of the panorama).  Photos are taken hourly.  Each image is 2 mpixels (1200 x 1600 pixels).

Plans

The next phase will add at least two more camera PODS and several additional sensor PODS.

For More Information

The three PIs for this project are:

• Edo Biagioni (Information and Computer Sciences, UH Manoa)
• Brian Chee  (Information and Computer Sciences, UH Manoa)
• Kim Bridges (Botany, UH Manoa)

Last Updated: 01/27/2004