Border Surveillance Using Advanced Wireless Sensor Network

IPASJ International Journal of Electronics & Communication (IIJEC)
Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJEC/IIJEC.htm

Email: editoriijec@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-5984
A Publisher for Research Motivation........
Volume 3, Issue 3, March 2015
Border Surveillance Using Advanced Wireless

Sensor Network
Mosad Alkhathami , LubnaAlazzawi
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit. USA
ABSTRACT
In the last decade, the usage of wireless sensor network (WSN) has become a powerful tool that connects the physical and
digital world. Currently, WSN is applied in numerous applications such as monitoring of buildings, wildlife and habitats,
pipelines, and smart electrical grid control. The conventional border patrol systems are highly labour intensive, requiring
constant human involvement. In addition, there is the lack of a coordination unit to provide accuracy to the system. Therefore,
this study presents the implementation of the method of surveillance and intrusion detection system to measure the sensor
nodes.
Keywords:-wireless sensor node, border control, sensor node.
1. INTRODUCTION
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been emerging in the last decade as powerful tools for connecting physical and
digital world. WSN provide distributed network and Internet access to sensors, controls, and processors that are deeply
embedded in equipment, facilities, and the environment. WSN is applied in many applications such as monitoring of
buildings, wildlife, pipelines, manufacturing, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and security. One of the most
recent monitoring applications of WSNs is the border control application. Surveillance of a given area is one of the
major application situations for wireless sensor networks. Wireless sensor nodes help in monitoring a given area, such
as private property or a border. They are also helpful in helping track trespassers. In order to help detect moving
objects, the nodes should be equipped with a number of sensors [1]. The passive infrared sensors are among the
cheapest and simplest to use in this situation. As they communicate with each other, sensor nodes track moving
directions and positions of various objects and report them to the base station [2]. In areas demanding extreme safety,
the nodes should be able to report the locations of the objects in a given time with great accuracy [3]. This paper will
discuss the use of wireless sensor nodes in border surveillance while considering the effectiveness, reliability, and
power consumption issues.
Figure 1. Block diagram of WSN [1]
2. RELATED WORK
Several works has been done in the past in the field of secure surveillance with WSN for the border control. While my
literature review going on, I searched for the studies and the researches that are related with analysis of border control
systems. I also searched for how to increase border control security. The border patrol has extensively been based on
human involvement. The first study [4] found that many works have addressed border surveillance applications based
Page 17


ISSN 2321-5984
on WSNs. Many solutions using WSNs have organized the network nodes as a line-sensor, where every movement
going over a barrier of sensors is detected. In this case, sensor nodes deployment should guarantee barrier coverage.
Compared to full coverage, a barrier coverage based on a perfect linear deployment requires fewer sensor nodes and
may experience radio disconnection due to sensor failure and depletion. The sensor nodes have various capabilities or
functionalities, such as, provision of accurate detection and a larger detection range. In addition, the ground sensors
also provide additional data that cannot be detected by the existing border patrol techniques. On the other hand, the
underground sensors provide efficient system functionalities where devices that are placed above the ground are not
desired. The mobile sensors also offer intrusion tracking capabilities. Therefore, by improving the network processing,
these types of sensors are able to detect and relay information to a remote administrator [4].
Second studyLiu et al, investigated the construction of sensor barrier on long strip area of irregular shape when sensors
are distributed according to Poisson point process. To ensure that trespassers cannot cross the border undetected,
multiple disjoint sensor barriers will be created in distributed manner covering large scale boundaries. Then, a
segmentation technique has been proposed to achieve continuous barrier coverage of the whole area. Also Liu et focuses
on applying WSN applications for border surveillance globally. Such need emanates from the growing risks near
borders that every country should take care of. In the first part of the article, existing studies on the topic are analyzed
and several significant drawbacks of modern WSN applications for border surveillance were revealed: insufficient
coverage, lack of tracking (for linear deployment), high costs, rough surface, ineffectiveness of random deployment etc.
In order to solve these issues, authors offer three new elements: connected coverage (thick line architecture along the
border), deployment strategy, and routing mechanism for data transferring between nodes. Authors also made two
simulations in order to learn the influence of l-coverage on routing technique and the amount of hops necessary to
communicate Data Relay Node (DRN) line. It was revealed that with the larger value of k, the number of uncovered
nodes decreased. The definition of the k-barrier coverage is as follows. The definition of k- barrier coverage denotes a
region covered by a sensor crossing paths with another k- sensor through the coverage area. Underground and ground
sensors are deployed at predetermined positions. To achieve optimal manual deployment of the k- barrier area of the
belted region, k rows of sensors are deployed along the shortest path possible[5].
The third study researchers from the University of Virginia and Carnegie-Mellon University developed an energy
efficient WSN system for detecting moving vehicles through a passage line in a stealthy manner. They used the MICA2
platform, this MICA2 Mote is a third generation mote module used for enabling low-power, wireless, sensornetworks.
The primary goal for using the MICA2 platform with 70 MICA2 motes, is for the wireless sensor networks security,
Surveillance, and Force Protection. Also they used it for the environmental monitoring for large scale wireless networks
up to (1000+ points). They deployed 70 MICA2 motes, along a 280 feet long perimeter in a grassy field that would
typically represent a critical choke point to be monitored. Each of the these motes is equipped with a 433 MHz Chipcon
radio with 255 selectable transmission power settings. While this radio is sufficient to allow the motes deployed in the
field to communicate with each other, it is not capable of long-range (> 1000 ft) communication when put on the
ground [6].
3. USING ALGORITHM TO DISTRIBUTE THE NODES

In determining how to connect sensor nodes to each other, the region under consideration is assumed to have a convex
shape to help in providing the coverage. In this case, the greedy sensor deployment scheme is used to show the manner
in which wireless network nodes can be distributed between each other. The performance of the greedy scheme is close
to that of optimal processes[7]. The greedy algorithm is defined using the equation
do = D
di = min (D, xi : (i-1j=0 djc) xiy = E/T) for I = 1 n - 1. for I = 1 n - 1.
In this case, di decreases monotonically, that is, di dj if i j. The reasoning here is that the closer the node
approaches the sink node (larger index), the heavier the relay node becomes. In order to compensate for this, the relay
distance needs to be shortened by defining a constant, C = E/cT. When d C (1/y+1), the results will be xi D for all
i. In this case, the required lifetime is long or the initial energy for each sensor will be low. Hence, the equation of the
greedy algorithm simplifies to
do = D
di = (c/i-1j=0dj)1/y, i = 1, , n-1 [8].
Since the greedy algorithm tries to push its data away, it is appropriate to incorporate the following equation c (i-1j = 0
di ), such that the traffic lode for node i and xremain as the maximum distance to which i can push the available amount
of energy constraint. This is referred to as the xi pushing distance. Here, the intuition is that node i should not send
Page 18


ISSN 2321-5984
data directly to node j when j i + 2. This is because it consumes additional power. In the event of the greedy
algorithm, all nodes tend to run out of power simultaneously. This means that in any given instance, all nodes consume
the same energy that was offered initially [9].
Conversely, in case D <C(1/(y+1)), then the nodes exist in such a manner that xi> D; for example, node
1. Since the optimum distance di D has Idi = min (d, xi), some of the nodes are left behind due to lack of energy. This
happens when other nodes are out of energy. In this case, the greedy algorithm fails to be efficient and the alternative is
to create a heuristic remedy to allow the other nodes to supply the energy so that the data can be sent away. For
instance, node 1 should be allowed to send data directly to node 3 as reflected in figure 1. In this case, the algorithm
would work efficiently while erecting wireless sensor nodes in border surveillance [10].
4. DISTRIBUTING SENSOR NODES

Detecting and tracking a target as it moves through a sensor network has become an increasingly important application
for sensor networks. For the sensor nodes to work efficiently, they need to be well arranged. One way to achieve this is
by distributing keys to sensor nodes before they are deployed [8]. Therefore, nodes play a major role in helping build a
network based on the key used before the deployment process [9].
In determining the ways in which to connect wireless sensor nodes to each other, Figure 1 depicts a wireless network
comprising of 24 nodes. Each line evident between two nodes reveals that they are in the same transmission range.
Each node is associated with each of the classes, including beacons and unknown nodes. The beacons are illustrated by
black nodes 3, 7, 13, 17, and 23. Here, it is assumed that the positions of the beacons are known by either being placed
in a known position or through GPS tracking. The GPS-less nodes are classified as unknown [11].
Figure 1. Beacons and unknown nodes (8).

It is assumed that a range of measurement mechanism is available. Hence, an unknown node that is receiving a packet
from either a beacon or an unknown node determines whether it is positioned within the ring characterized by circles
having radii of Ri-1 and Ri, situated at the center of either the beacon or an unknown node. In figure 1, the centric
rings correspond to different ranges of beacon nodes. These packets are referred to assist unknown nodes in
establishing their estimate positions to the beacon packets [11].
The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement is used to indicate the range of all the virtually available
transceivers that support it. Although this method is not accurate as in the case of the acoustic one, it does not demand
additional equipment. It is assumed that the nodes are outdoor with no obstructions to make the model uniform in a
circular range holds surprisingly well. [12].
To evaluate RSSI measurements accuracy, two Lucent Orinoco IEEE 802.11b cards in two laptops are used to measure
the strength of the signal as a function of the distance between them. One of the laptops is configured to send beacon
packets in a continuous manner, while the other one measures the signal strength for each packet received. Two sets of
measurements are taken, one in an open space (Figure 2 (a)) and the second in a thickly wooded area (Figure 2 (b))
[13].
Page 19

ISSN 2321-5984
Figure 2. Outdoor and no obstruction range measurement [13]

Once the measurements are performed in this manner, they are used to capture range in an effective manner. For
instance, in Figure 2 (b), if the average received packets is 24, then it is possible to conclude that the sender is situated
between 7 and 14 meters [13]. The transmission and the signal strength can be combined at different power levels to
increase accuracy in terms of range determination. In this case, a table with RSSI on columns and power levels on the
rows is used to help determine both the minimum and maximum transmitter range of the beacon packet. A graph is
then be used to generate a table as shown in table 1. In the case of real implementation, the table comprises an entry for
every RSSI valid value [14].
Table 1. Power level and RSSI of received packets [14]
Power Level
RSSI
1
4- 20m
1-20m
0-8m
0-5m
8- 30m
5-15m
1-12m
0-8m
15- 40m
10-30m
5-15m
0-10m
40- 70m
25-50m
20-30m
0-20m
The most common performance indicators of wireless sensor nodes include resiliency, as well as global and local
connectivity. In terms of local connectivity, there is a probability whereby two linked sensor nodes use a common key to
create a secure link for communication. For global connectivity, a certain proportion of nodes establish secure
connection over several nodes. Therefore, it is true that when distributing sensor nodes, it is appropriate to exercise
caution to ensure that they are not subject to compromise. This would play a vital role in ensuring that sensor nodes
work efficiently and provide better results during the border surveillance process [11].
5.RELIABILITY OF USING THE SENSOR NODE IN BORDER SURVEILLANCE

Wireless sensor networks used in border surveillance comprise a large number of sensor nodes, characterized by limited
storage, processing, and battery capabilities [15]. Therefore, a number of strategies facilitate reduction in power
consumption of the sensor nodes through improved sensor quality and network lifetime [16]. Nonetheless, an inherent
conflict prevails between reliability and power consumption. With an increase in reliability, power consumption rises.
Consequently, it is crucial to devise ways of reducing power consumption to realize benefits from both ends and
enhance reliability of sensor nodes in border surveillance. Furthermore, routing algorithm plays a major role in
enhancing the reliability of sensor nodes in border surveillance [17]. Although it leads to an increase in consumption of
power, it increases reliability since it uses diverse ways of transmitting object information to a monitoring zone [18].
Furthermore, simulation modelling plays a major role of helping evaluate the reliability of wireless sensor nodes in
border surveillance. Simulation modelling evaluates the reliability of wireless sensor nodes by expressing the behavior
of a network, including receiving, sending, creating, rejected, and forwarding packets. The process uses models that
Page 20


ISSN 2321-5984
analyze interference by other elements, irregular propagation, and environmental conditions that lead to discarding of
packets. This process plays a major role in terms of evaluating and defining various communication protocols that
govern wireless sensor nodes during the border surveillance process [18]. Therefore, to ensure that wireless sensor
nodes are reliable, it is appropriate to implement measures of determining the prevailing problems to establish effective
ways of improving their reliability and effectiveness.
6. CONCLUSION
Networks of small, densely distributed wireless sensor nodes are capable of solving a variety of collaborative problems
such as monitoring and surveillance. Border security is a primary concern of the national security agenda in this period
of terrorism and threats of terrorism. Use of wireless sensor nodes in border surveillance play a major role in detecting
intruders and allows appropriate actions to be taken, especially in high security areas. The issue of wireless sensor
nodes reliability is accorded considerable attention to make sure the sensors operate efficiently. In this case, it is
appropriate to ensure that sensor nodes are reliable regardless of power consumption. Nonetheless, as technology
evolves, it is crucial to identify the appropriate ways of reducing power consumption while sustaining or improving
their reliability.
REFERENCES
[1] An, Sunshin. Border Surveillance using Sensor-based Thick Lines. Bangkok: Korea University, 2013.
[2] Wu, Jie. Handbook on Theoretical and Algorithmic Aspects of Sensor, Ad Hoc Wireless, and Peer-to-Peer
Networks. New York, NY: CRC Press, 2010.
[3] Hassani, Amin, Alexander Bertrand, and Marc Moonen. "Cooperative Integrated Noise Reduction and NodeSpecific Direction-of-Arrival Estimation in a Fully Connected Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network." Signal
Processing 107.2 (2015): 66-81.
[4] Sun, Zhi, et al. "BorderSense: Border patrol through advanced wireless sensor networks." Ad Hoc Networks 9.3
(2011): 468-477.
[5] Ramzi, NoureddineBoudriga, and Sunshin An. "Border Surveillance using sensor based thick-lines." Information
Networking (ICOIN), 2013 International Conference on. IEEE, 2013.
[6] T. He, S. Krishnamurthy, J. A. Stankovic, T. Abdelzaher, L. Luo, R. Stoleru, T. Yan, L. Gu, J. Hui and B. Krogh,
An Energy-Efficient Surveillance System Using Wire-less Sensor Networks, 2nd International Conference on
Mobile Systems, Applications and Services, Boston, 6-9 June 2004.
[7] Vecchio, Massimo and Roberto Lpez-Valcarce. "Improving Area Coverage of Wireless Sensor Networks via
Controllable Mobile Nodes: A Greedy Approach." Journal of Network and Computer Applications 48.1 (2015): 113.
[8] Haas, Christian. Secure and Flexible Border Surveillance Using Wireless Sensor Networks. Telematics,12Mar.
2013. web. 14 Feb. 2015. <https://telematics.tm.kit.edu/english/staff_725.php>.
[9] Perrig, Adrian and Robert Szewczyk. Sensor Network Key Distribution. Sparrow, 1 May. 2014. web. 14 Feb. 2015.
<https://sparrow.ece.cmu.edu/group/wsnkeydist.html>.
[10] Arputhavijayaselvi, Susila. "Innovative Energy Resourceful Merged Layer Technique (MLT) of Node Deployment
to Enhance the Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks." Egyptian Informatics Journal 1.1 (2014): 1-16.
[11] Sun, Ning, Youngbuk Chou, and Sangho Lee. Node Classification Based on Functionality in Energy-Efficient and
Reliable
Wireless
Sensor
Networks.
Hindawi,
16
Dec
2012.
web.
14
Feb.
2015.
<http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijdsn/2012/937462/>.
[12] Guoqiang, Mao. Localization Algorithms and Strategies for Wireless Sensor Networks: Monitoring and
Surveillance Techniques for Target Tracking: Monitoring and Surveillance Techniques for Target Tracking.
Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2012.
[13] Tezcan, Nurcan. Energy-efficient and Reliable Data Transfer in Wireless Sensor Networks. California, CA:
ProQuest, 2013. Print.
[14] Tan, Yen Kheng. Energy Harvesting Autonomous Sensor Systems: Design, Analysis, and Practical
Implementation. New York, NY: CRC Press, 2013.
[15] Li, Wei and Zhang Wei. "Coverage Hole and Boundary Nodes Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks." Journal of
Network and Computer Applications 48.2 (2013): 35-43.
[16] Kar, Koushik and Suman Banerjee. Node Placement for Connected Coverage in Sensor Networks. IA State
University, 15 Jul. 2014. web. 14 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ece.iastate.edu/~kamal/Docs/kk04.pdf>.
[17] Malaki, Morteza. Energy-efficient Strategies for Deployment and Resource Allocation in Wireless Sensor
Networks. California, CA: ProQuest, 2009.
Page 21


ISSN 2321-5984
[18] Halder, Subir and Das Bit Sipra. "Enhancement of Wireless Sensor Network Lifetime by Deploying Heterogeneous
Nodes." Journal of Network and Computer Applications 38.1 (2014): 106-124.
AUTHOR
Mosad Alkhathami is a full-time Ph.D. candidate of Electrical and computer Engineer at Wayne
State University. He received his M.S. in Telecommunication system from DePaul University for
Graduate Studies/ Chicago in 2011, the B.S in Electrical and Computer Science from Purdue
Calumet University/ Hammond, IN in 2009. Mosad Alkhathami, now doing his Ph.D. thesis in the
field of embedded systems and wireless sensor networks.
Dr. Lubna Alazzawi received her PhD from University of Technology and University of MichiganDearborn, USA joint program. Dr. Alazzawi is currently working in the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering at Wayne State University, USA. Prior to joining Wayne State
University, She was teachingin the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at
University of Michigan, Dearborn, USA. She also worked there as
Page 22

Border Surveillance Using Advanced Wireless Sensor Network

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Border Surveillance Using Advanced Wireless Sensor Network

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

IPASJ International Journal of Electronics & Communication (IIJEC)

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJEC/IIJEC.htm

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 3, March 2015