Toshiba has developed low-power multi-hop wireless network technology that can operate on battery power for over 10 years and can collect over 99.999% of data from sensors deployed over a wide area through wireless relaying. This technology makes it possible to monitor, with low maintenance costs, natural environments where there is a risk of disaster, as well as buildings, bridges, tunnels, and other aging structures. The devices are easy to install because they are battery powered and do not need communication or power lines.
Data collection over wide areas is achieved through relay transmission (multi-hop communication) in which the sensor data transmitted by a wireless device are received and then retransmitted by surrounding wireless devices. The communication devices employ special low-power wireless devices that operate in the 920-MHz band, which allows for long-distance communication exceeding 1 km in line-of-sight environments and easy deployment because no license is required.
The system is equipped with a function that, when communication fails during data transmission, it selects a new communication partner with a good communication status from among the surrounding wireless devices and retransmits the data. This function enables over 99.999% of sensor data to be collected. Computer simulations have confirmed that maintenance for battery replacement is not needed for periods exceeding 10 years in all communication devices. The details of this technology will be presented on 23 September 2016 at the IEICE Society Conference to be held at Hokkaido University.
