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The proliferation of networked embedded devices, such as wireless
sensors, ushers in an entirely new class of computing platforms. We need
new ways to organize and program them. Unlike existing platforms,
systems such as sensor networks are decentralized, embedded in the physical
world, and interact with people. In addition to computing, energy and
bandwidth resources are constrained and must be negotiated. Uncertainty,
both in systems and about the environment, is a given. Many tasks
require collaboration among devices, and the entire network may have to
be regarded as a processor.
Microsoft Research is developing new architectures, models, and tools for organizing
and programming these systems, as well as innovative applications in areas such
as security, transportation, and healthcare. Our goal is to build
systems that are easy to use, manage, and program; robust to failures;
and secure. We believe that the traditional node-centric programming of
embedded devices is inadequate and unable to scale up. We need new
service architectures, inter-operation protocols, programming models
that are resource aware and resource efficient across heterogeneous
devices that can range from extremely limited sensor motes to more
powerful servers.
The External Research & Programs group is working with the Microsoft
Research researchers engaged in this area to foster
effective collaboration between academia and our research and to accelerate
innovation in this rapidly growing field.
This initiative is managed by
Stewart Tansley. |
