CENS Will Have a Significant Impact On Our Daily Lives
		Connecting the Internet and the Physical World and Transforming the Way We Live The Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) is designing and developing technologies that will connect the physical world in numerous ways. Engineers and scientists at UCLA are developing tools that will enable individuals to routinely use embedded systems to observe, understand and control complex systems. These systems range from ecological monitoring systems to seismic data collection to detection of pathogens to tracking systems for film production. Health Embedded networked systems, designed for ease of use and tailored for specific uses, will have many applications of interest to urban communities. For instance, an embedded system could allow health officials to monitor a community’s exposure to airborne pathogens and contaminants. The system would be able to detect a pathogen and alert the network’s users to the need to contain the toxin and minimize its spread. Subsurface sensors will be used to detect underground gas tank leaks and other harmful contaminants, ensuring that pollutants would not poison the soil in high-use areas. Aquatics Another CENS system could be used to rapidly identify aquatic microorganisms. Such a system would provide early detection of harmful organisms, and allow environmental scientists to track and minimize the organisms’ effects on the environment and people in the community. Pollution Data gathered about urban run-off would enable researchers to identify sources of heavy metals, organic compounds and other pollutants. This data could then be used to improve land use management, minimizing damage to the environment. Such a system would have similar applications for watershed management. Structures Information collected in sensor-equipped buildings following an earthquake and related aftershocks would help improve the safety of structures. By tracking the behavior of heavily-instrumented buildings following an earthquake, researchers could detect potentially dangerous building flaws. Embedded systems can be placed in environments people cannot safely or easily access, providing critical data while minimizing the risk to individuals. These systems eventually will be able to take action independently once a pollutant, structural failure or other hazard is detected.