S-WiNeTest: Remote access to a sensor testbed

Sensor networks are composed of tiny, cheap, low power devices equipped with small batteries. Depending on the application scenarios, sensors collect some parameters and send them to the sink. This device processes and filters the information sending them to the remote network controller. In this paper we discuss the implementation and the results of the activity carried out and currently on work at the WiNe-Lab of the University of Catania. This activity consists in developing a sensor testbed, using MICAz motes, which can be remotely accessed via a web server by users. The latter can interact with the applications already running on the network and modify the operation mode of a single or all the sensor devices. Users can also run-time monitor the activity carried out by the sensors through a graphical interface and some plots of the sensed parameters. This activity aims either to allow sensor resources sharing among remote users or research groups that do not have the sensors available or to guarantee a high level of interaction between users and sensor devices accordingly this testbed introduces innovative features with respect to other existing and remotely accessible sensor network testbeds.