Managing the information flow in visual sensor networks

Sensor networks, or sensor webs, which consist of a large number of interconnected sensing devices, have recently been the subject of extensive research. Typical applications of sensor networks include monitoring of possibly very large, remote and/or inaccessible areas, surveillance, and smart environments, like meeting rooms, buildings, homes, and highways. Our focus is on visual sensor networks, which are networks of cameras equipped with enough processing power to support local image analysis. The paper describes ongoing research at UCSC in visual sensor networks and highlights the research challenges to be addressed. It motivates the need for tight coupling between vision techniques and communication protocols for more effective monitoring/tracking capabilities (by having sensors operate in a coordinated manner), as well as energy- and bandwidth-efficient protocols which prolong the operational life of the sensor network.