Magic of wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been primarily introduced for defense application, with an objective of monitoring enemy's activities without any human intervention, using a large number of wireless sensor nodes (SNs) and a Base Station (BS) or a sink to collect information from all SNs. In recent years, advances in miniaturization, low-power circuit design, improved low cost, and small-size batteries have made it possible for monitoring physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, velocity, acceleration, stress and strain, fatigue, tilt, light intensity, sound, humidity, gas-sensors, biological, pollution, impurity level detection, nuclear radiation, civil structural sensors, blood pressure, sugar level, white cell count, and many others. The magic of WSNs is also expanded to Wireless Body Area Sensor Network (WBASN) as applied to human health. We introduce an interesting application of WBASN in the field of Sports Medicine by monitoring postural balance and stability of athletes in real time and providing valuable feedback to the coaches so as to minimize athletes' injury and maximize their playing potential. We also consider a fascinating application of continuous, non-invasive wireless home monitoring of patients with movement disorders and Parkinson's disease. We discuss an effective home based monitoring system that could monitor patients in their homes. Final comments are added to provide glimpse of what WSNs can do in numerous areas