A platform for ubiquitous sensor deployment in occupational and domestic environments

In this paper, we introduce the “Plug” sensor network, a ubiquitous networked sensing platform ideally suited to broad deployment in environments where people work and live. The backbone of the Plug sensor network is a set of 35 sensor-, radio-, and computation-enabled power strips distributed throughout the third floor of the MIT Media Lab. A single Plug device fulfills all the functional requirements of a normal power strip (i.e., four 120V, 60Hz electrical outlets; surge protector circuit; standard electrical connector to a US-style wall socket), and can be used without special training. Additionally, each Plug has a wide range of sensing modalities (e.g., sound, light, electrical current and voltage, vibration, motion, and temperature) for gathering data about how it is being used and its nearby environment. To our knowledge, the Plug sensor network is the first to embody the idea of designing sensor nodes to seamlessly become a part of their environment, rather than play t...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: IPSN
• Authors: Joshua Lifton, Mark Feldmeier, Yasuhiro Ono, Cameron Lewis, Joseph A. Paradiso
• Keywords: IPSN 2007, Plug Sensor Network, Sensor Networks, Single Plug