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The work summarises a study of the data communications requirements for agricultural livestock monitoring applications using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Several design challenges are identified and analysed in depth based on actual global positioning system positioning data gathered from an actual herd of cattle. A wireless system including antennae diversity together with data downloads optimisation schemes utilising data collector and routers are developed and tested in a working farm environment. Two analysis metrics, connection availability and connection duration, are used to quantify the impact of cattle movement on network connectivity. The major contributions of this study stem from a definition of the communication issues in deploying animal monitoring platforms in free-ranging farm environments and the analysis and optimisation of the wireless data download performance using as the foundation knowledge gained from a series of working farm trials. Additionally, the data download protocols are designed particularly to treat animal movement. The results prove the viability of WSN-based solutions for livestock monitoring applications

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A new trend in the field of Aeronautical Engine Health Monitoring is the implementation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for data acquisition and condition monitoring to partially replace heavy and complex wiring harnesses, which limit the versatility of the monitoring process as well as creating practical deployment issues. Augmenting wired with wireless technologies will fuel opportunities for reduced cabling, faster sensor and network deployment, increased data acquisition flexibility, and reduced cable maintenance costs. However, embedding wireless technology into an aero engine (even in the ground testing application considered here) presents some very significant challenges, for example, a harsh environment with a complex RF transmission channel, high sensor density, and high data rate. In this paper we discuss the results of the Wireless Data Acquisition in Gas Turbine Engine Testing (WIDAGATE) project, which aimed to design and simulate such a network to estimate network performance and derisk the wireless techniques before the deployment.

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