WSAN: Data collection and actuation protocol with prioritization through class of service

Wireless sensor/actuator networks (WSAN) are comprised of spatially distributed autonomous devices, enabling a number of applications through sensing and actuating of components in an environment. Ambient intelligent environments, an application of WSAN, are environments that allow monitoring of events and provide automated responses. These environments require gathering of data from a variety of sensors while controlling the responses of others. Wireless sensor nodes have been a popular platform for these, however communication is constrained due to having a half-duplex medium and low bandwidth. Protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSN) like ZigBee, is not created specifically to handle these types of WSANs. Data traffic from a variety of sensors and actuation commands must be handled timely and properly despite these constraints. The study aims to create a data collection and actuation protocol with data prioritization built on top of the 802.15.4 data link layer protocol for the TALA Empathic Space, a WSAN