Wireless computer networks that can detect changes in light, temperature, moisture, motion and other environmental conditions are in big demand this year, according to the results of a survey released on Wednesday. Companies and governments will collectively put more than a million wireless sensors, the data-gathering devices that power such networks, to use worldwide by the end of the year, San Diego, Calif.-based wireless research firm On World said in a report.
Industrial companies such as oil refineries and chemical manufacturers are particularly keen on the technology as a tool for monitoring conditions in harsh environments. Wireless sensor networks have only recently emerged from the labs of universities and various start-ups as a commercial technology, fueled by advances in miniaturized memory, processing and transceiver technology, wireless communication protocols and battery life.
