Smart nanotechnology dust. Russia will cover "smart dust

Imagine a world where wireless devices with a salt crystal. These "Liliputs" are equipped with autonomous power and computing capacities. In addition, there are cameras and mechanisms for wireless data transmission. Such microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are called smart dust. And soon they can "interconnect" next door. We understand what it is and where "dust" is used.

What can smart dust

MEMS are equipped with miniature sensors that can catch everything - from light oscillations before temperature vibration. Due to miniature, the device may remain suspended in space as dust particles. They can:

• collect huge data arrays, including acceleration, voltage, pressure, humidity, sound and more;
• process all this using an embedded computer;
• store DATA in memory;
• transfer information to wireless communication In the cloud, database or other "dusting".

3D printing in microwave

Print dust components on a commercially available 3D printer will make technology available. Earlier, we examined in detail and the use of technology in different spheres of human life.

Optical lenses of miniature sensors will allow obtaining images of ultra-high quality. Now we can not even imagine it.

Practical application of smart dust

The potential of smart dust collecting environmental information with incredible detail will affect the set of things. This is as multiplied by billions of Internet technologies (IoT). Here are just a few examples of practical use of smart dust.

• Careful observation of agricultural cultures to determine the need for watering, fertilizer and combating insects.
• Monitoring equipment to serve it in time.
• Determination of shortcomings and corrosion before the system fails.
• Observing people and products for safety.
• Measurement of everything that can be measured. And almost everywhere.
• Control of product delivery from the manufacturer to the store, including transportation in any way.
• Application in medicine: diagnostics without surgical intervention. And also - control of devices that help people with limited physical opportunities Interact with tools that help them live on their own.
• Researchers of the University of California in Berkeley published an article on the potential of smart dust. If it is implanted so that she "sip" the brain, then you can get feedback about its functionality.

What is dangerous smart dust

There are still problems that inhibit the massive use of smart dust. Here are some of them.

Confidentiality

Experts are concerned about Mems confidentiality. Smart devices can write everything to which they are programmed. Due to the miniature size, they are difficult to detect. And here you can turn on the fantasy on the topic: what if smart dust falls in other people's hands ...

The control

Billions of smart dusty easily scatter over the selected area. And to collect them together if necessary, the task is not easy.

Considering the size, detect dust difficult. And all the particles from the "resurrected" - and suppressed. In addition, even a small number of "non-declared elements" will continue to "merge" information.

Cost

This is a new technology. Therefore, the cost of its introduction is very high. Until the cost decreases, smart dust will not be available for many.

Smart dust to destroy the world?

MEMS technology can be destructive for the economy and the world as a whole. So consider those who have been developing it since 1992. This idea is supported large companieswho invested in research. Among them - General Electric, Cargill, IBM, Cisco Systems.

Therefore, it is important to remove all the "dangerous" moments than "silent" everywhere smart dust.

The new generation of SmartDust devices ("Smart Dust") will open with real-time wireless data collection, which will lead to a change in ideas about engineering systems, health care, interaction with the environment. As such devices appeared, and that while still restrains their development - in the material of the journalist Leonid Chernyak, prepared specifically for Tadviser.

In the early 1990s, the first efforts of the American defense agency Darpa and Rand Corporation were created the first autonomous informing devices Mote (dusting, particle) size with matchboxes. They consisted of sensors that remove certain environmental indicators, a computer, transmitter and power supply (from the network, batteries or solar cells).

These Mote were intended exclusively for military and intelligence purposes, but already after 5-7 years, as a result of the "sensory revolution", similar civilian appointments appeared. Then the modern name of SmartDust technology was born (intelligent dust), and its separate component is still called Mote. The Mote special services outlined from under control was thoughtful for a variety of purposes, for example, to control complex engineering structures, primarily bridges, degrading during operation under the influence of external factors (precipitation, wind, temperature, vibration, corrosion salt). Perhaps due to the lack of such control there was a collapse of the bridge in Genoa in August 2018. In constant monitoring need glaciers, forests, volcanoes, ocean and everything else.

EXPERIMENTAL Copies Mote Beginning of Dwarves Looks as follows how the device shown in the figure below. It is made at the University of Berkeley, the academic center of the new movement. The leader of the direction was Professor Kirs Pister, known for its works in the field of micro electromechanical devices and the founder of the company Dust Networks. Enthusiasm of the creators and traditional for Berkeley Levoradical mood gave rise to the slogan: "The sensors of the whole world - unite!" Analysts became interested in Novation and Gartner, without hesitation, placed SmartDust for the starting position in his Krypea High in 2003 with the prospect of implementation in 10 years

And think about what. The idea of \u200b\u200bsmart dust is as obvious, so complicated in the implementation. It is no coincidence that the SMARTDUST technology appeared on the Garter and Curve only in 2013. But since 2015, she was placed every year at the starting point with more than a ten-year-old perspective on achieving maturity technology. The main reason for repeated rollbacks to the previous position remained insufficient preparedness of network and communication technologies.

Until recently, very specific "dust networks" remained completely original. They were created in detachment from other types of networks, but not because of the desire for originality. It was a forced measure, since there was nothing relevant to their market requirements.

The initial point for the approach to the Mote network is the fact that, by definition, the power of the transmitter of each individual device is negligible. As a result, the Multi-Hop wireless technology was chosen to create a network, which is based on the chain principle, namely, each of the nodes serves as a repeater for the rest. Full-Mesh topology guarantees reliability and fault tolerance. Inside the network, data transmission is carried out according to its own (TIME Synchronized Mesh Protocol) protocol developed by Dust Networks, and then the network connects to the Internet through the gateway. For a company, which has fifty employees, this is an achievement.

Over a year and a half, the dimensions of Mote have decreased to several cubic millimeters, and the cost is up to $ 10 and below. But this is not enough for the mass distribution of SmartDust, since the issue of communication remains. The situation may fundamentally change with the advent of technology. mobile communications Bluetooth 5.0 fifth generation and. In this case, it disappears the need for a hotel network, and each Mote can be connected directly to the Internet.

The new generation SmartDust will open with real-time wireless data collection, which will lead to a change in our ideas about engineering systems, health care, interaction with the environment. Billions, if not trillions of devices capable of data transfer and to interact feedback Can be transferred by requests a variety of available physical and chemical indicators of the environment. Devices can be powered by batteries, extract energy from the medium (vibration, light). They can be located in any of the most hard-to-reach places. There is reason to believe that SmartDust, as a comprehensive phenomenon, over time will absorb Internet of things (IoT), the symbol of the fourth industrial revolution.

By analogy with WWW (World Wide Web), it can be said that the means of SmartDust the world turns into a single Real World Web. It is still difficult to imagine life where informitance is limitless, where we will recognize everything from a trivial message about the need to replace the toothbrush to obtain reliable information about all other engineering and natural objects.

However, the world of full information openness threatens the effect of a large brother, described by James Orwell in the novel "1984". This danger usually recall, speaking about social networks, and in many other cases of contacting people with various forms of tracking for them. Therefore, one of the main tasks of future SmartDust technologies will be the preservation of private space (Privacy).

After 2013, the wave of startup creation, preparing the field for their participation in SmartDust, has risen after 2013. Most of them did not rise to the system level of Dust Networks, going to another way, and putting limited tasks that allow you to justify the funds invested in them. For example, Koto Air (Slovenia), Qwiksense (Holland), Wynd Technologies and Birdi (both) offer systems for monitoring the condition of the atmosphere in homes, educational institutions and hospitals. American Civicsmart - Parking.

Obviously, these companies make a blank for the future, solving private tasks, they are implicitly developing sensors designed to connect through the fifth generation communication channels. But there are also companies with more serious goals, among them Cubeworks (USA), which produces superminiature sensors and the Cubisens platform to collect information and storing data.

The Cubeworks sensor consists of four components placed on one crystal:

• Arm Cortex M0 processor and 4 KB memory
• Charger
• Radio transmitter
• Sensor

Energy consumption in ready mode is 8 nvt. During transmission it increases, but charger, given 10 NW from 1 square millimeter in room lighting conditions, in combination with the battery provide an unlimited long period of operation.

Large vendors also show attention to SmartDust, first of all IBM. The corporation traditionally developed a logically close to SmartDust the theme of the all-permissive computer. However, now she is probably unfolding towards SmartDust.

The blue giant does everything quickly. Folk wisdom states that IBM begins to master the market segment only if it is more than a billion. Apparently, while the corporation is waiting, but obviously at the start.

Key point for SmartDust is a cheap and productive processor. It can be done under the condition of mass production, so in the order of preparation for the future at the Think 2018 conference, the Corporation announced the smallest in the world's computer. Its size is 1 square. mm. Despite the miniature, in power, it is comparable to Intel 8086. And in this square millimeter, in addition to the processor and memory, there is a powering device of a photocell and a built-in steam photodiode / photodetector, providing optical communication with foreign world. The cost of the device at mass production is less than 10 cents.

What is intelligent dust? Video.

The successors of this computer, but supporting radio channels, will be able to become a basis for future SmartDust devices. And until then, an autonomous computer with an optical connection can perform a tag that certifies the authenticity of the goods. It is impossible to fake it, and nothing worth considering the data by means of a smartphone. Mass production of this type of labels will be the burden for SmartDust in the foreseeable future.

The concept of smart dust (SmartDust) introduced Christopher Pister from the Berkeley University of California in 2001.

Not quite familiar to high technology, the term "smart dust" is called miniature sensors that have calculations and wireless capabilities, as well as memory for data storage and sensitive elements for measuring environmental parameters.
"Smart Dust" is perfect for the organization wireless networksin which the nodes communicate with each other as needed. Such a network has distributed computing capabilities, the network bandwidth increases with increasing its size. In addition to the sensor itself, the sensory networks include and some "gateways". The latter are needed to collect, process and direct the information from the sensors around them. At the first stage of development of the concept of "smart dust", the creators of the sensors strongly sought to reduce their size. However, the experience of their implementation showed that miniaturization is not always welcome in industry. Therefore, the first samples of "smart dust" created by Intel corporation are 3 x 3 cm fees.
Another, already implemented the use of new sensors is monitoring water supply systems. The sensors are installed on the water pipes and signal the pipe shake, the environmental humidity with a special gateway located somewhere on the lantern or on the house within the reach of the wireless communication of the sensors. Sensor power supply - from batteries, and gateways - from the network. In Boston, such a network is already successfully operated.

Now the second generation of "smart dust" sensors are created. At their basis, the 32-bit XSCALE processor, and a special processor is used to compress information, as well as to ensure safety. The dimensions of new sensors are less than the previous generation almost twice. In new sensors - large RAM and Flash memory and they can work on the basis of the operating linux systems. In addition, they have high-speed information entry capabilities, such as camcorders.

A separate area of \u200b\u200bresearch is a question of power supply. There are, for example, the power projects of sensors from solar batteries The size of 10x10 cm. The possibilities of transforming the vibration of mechanisms into electricity are investigated. With the help of new generation sensors, it is planned to realize its idea of \u200b\u200b"proactive, or proactive calculations".
Until now, computers only do what a man says. But in the future, our PCs will be to predict our needs and independently act in our interests. The computer will analyze the current situation, produce proactive calculations and offer us for or other options for possible further actionAnd in some cases will even act to act, freeing us from the need to commit routine procedures.

Sensory networks consisting of many independent miniature autonomous devices with wireless communication capabilities will be able to be self-organization in the network and interact with each other and with the "center", while possessing the impressive reserve of reliability.

Smart dust for war

The concept of "smart dust" is borrowed from the story of Stanislav Lem "invincible" and has recently been considered as a matter of distant future. It is based on the idea of \u200b\u200bmicrobot - the mechanism, the size of which is calculated by millimeters, or even microns. Single microbook, like one ant, practically nothing is capable of. However, the many of them collected in one place becomes like a family of billions of tropical ants destroying all living on their way.

One of possible methods Its applications that the US military came up with the defeat of the enemy's tanks: the cloud of microbot, carrier charge, envelop the armored car and explodes. Either the physical destruction of the enemy forces using explosives micro-charged. Being resembling an airplane (naturally unmanned), the cloud itself automatically searches for the target, is divided into clusters of the size required for their damage, fills them, penetrating into unprotected places, synchronously undermines. The resulting volumetric explosion burns the technician management system and empties the most protected bomb shelters with maximum efficiency, inaccessible by the usual types of weapons.

More peaceful use, for example, exploration of the terrain and espionage, requires much more complex program algorithms and the possibility of using complex surveillance and communication tools. Therefore, according to forecasts of specialists, it will be feasible with the help of smart dust no earlier than in 2014-2017. The script of action here will be as follows. The cloud sprayed in the vicinity of an important object is imperceptibly moved in its direction, in terms of choosing optimal places to accommodate specialized subsecuts. A cloud of video surveillance, each dusting of which is a separate pixel matrix with a communication interface with neighbors, seeks to take the best position for a larger viewpace. Bugs (or, perhaps, "midges") establish control over the sounds. The most difficult part, the transfer of information to the intelligence headquarters, in the near future can hardly do without refusing the agent with a device reading it in modern RFID systems.

And what in Russia?

In April 2007, the head of the Nanocentre of the Moscow Energy Institute, Andrei Aleksenko, reported on the developments of the nano-arrangement in Russia. According to him, the main advantage of this weapon is that "there is no other protection there are no other protection against him." He did not specify the essence of the work on him of Russian scientists, referring to the secrecy of the development.
Russia to ensure national security needs to be engaged in the development of dual-use nanotechnology. In his opinion, such developments will help in the protection of borders, as well as protection against man-made disasters. Finally, the so-called "smart dust" is a complete survey of the territory, but this is possible only with the development of modern micro and nanoelectronics.

In turn, Putin, still as president, was commissioned in 2007 the first vice-premiere of the government Sergey Ivanov to control the correctness of the spending of public funds allocated for the development of nanoindustry. "This is the direction of activity to which the state will not regret any funds," the president said, speaking at a meeting at the Kurchatov Institute scientific center.

Putin then stressed that the state "provides big money" for these purposes, and "you need to invest so that they are used effectively and gave returns." "It is also very important to know the goals," Putin noted and then listed them himself: "Nanotechnology will certainly be a key industry to create a super-modern and superffective both offensive and defensive arms, as well as means of communication."

In Britain, combined in a swarm of 50 devices.

British scientists recently presented their developments. Their scientific interest focused in the field of research of other planets: "smart" devices with a grain size, which will be flying through the wind can help, in particular, in the study of Mars.
Such devices will be a computer microchip covered with a plastic shell, which can change its shape when the electrical pulse is supplied and thus move in the direction determined by the operator. Electronic "dust" can be placed in the nose of space probes and produce in the atmosphere of other planets, where they will be distributed by the wind.

With the results of developments in this area, experts from the University of Glasgow in Scotland introduced colleagues at the meeting of the National Association of Astronomers. Dr. John Barker, Professor of the Center for Research in the field of nanoelectronics in Glasgow, says that with the help of wireless networks from such microscopes with a radius in a millimeter, if necessary, to form swings. According to the barker, the chips of the appropriate size and the device exist today.

If using a certain electric charge The polymer shell of such a device is "wrinkling", then the dust will rise above, and if you turn off, it will go down. And the wireless networks will be allowed to shoot down micro administration in the "flocks", and Dr. Barker with colleagues created the mathematical model of this process.

"We were convinced that most of the particles can" talk "only with the nearest neighbors, but when there are many of them, they can communicate at much long distances," the Scottish scientist explained. - In the course of modeling, we have achieved a combination of 50 devices in a single swarm - and managed to do it, despite the strong wind. "

Scientists have already demonstrated the possibilities of "smart dust", in which - in the amount of several cubic centimeters - sensors, energy sources, devices fit digital connection and network cells. But if they are used to study other planets, they need sensors, and current chemical sensors are too large to fit into the flying electronic "sand". The researchers hope, however, that in the coming decades the sensors will appear much smaller sizes.

In April 2007, John Barker studied the possibility of studying the surface of Mars using a plurality of miniature wireless sensors, smart dust, which can move over the surface from one point to another, changing their shape. Dr. Barker developed computer modelWith the help of which the movement of 30 thousand miniature sensors on the surface of Mars considered. Each device in the model could determine its location, and also change its shape by changing the smooth surface to uneven and vice versa. Smooth-shaped sensors can easily pick up and transferred to the Martian wind, and, acquiring an uneven shape, they again fall on the surface of Mars by increasing the resistance of the medium. Thus, changing the form of instruments, you can control their movement. The results of the calculations showed that about 70% of sensors will be able to successfully overcome posted route 20 km long.

Meanwhile, interplanetary studies are far from the only scope of the use of "smart dust." Among others, it can be the use of micro-devices for collecting information on the battlefield or their introduction to cement so that from the inside to watch the "health" of bridges, buildings and other structures.

Russian solution.

However, robots may have peaceful tasks, such as the study of near-earth space with the help of microsatellites. In this case, a complex problem arises: how to simultaneously manage the set of mechanisms. Imagine that tens of thousands of robots need to be managed from one center. There should be a powerful supercomputer, able to track the position of each robot and give it instruction. This requires tremendous time spent, and besides, very unsafe: The Managing Center may fail. It is much easier to let each robot take independent solutions and coordinate your actions with the actions of the neighbors.

The algorithm of actions invented by Russian researchers from the Taganrog Radio Engineering Institute in 2003, such. First, robots form a single cloud. He is reported by the coordinates of the goals. Each robot, knowing its coordinates and coordinates of the goals, chooses the nearest goal and decides whether to move towards it. For this, he learns how many robots has already headed for this purpose. If their number is quite enough, it begins to look for another goal or remains in the reserve. If there is no, makes a decision on the attack, which and notifies the neighbors. So the cloud quite quickly disintegrates into fragments, clusters that move to their goals.

The clustering process must be periodically resumed. It is necessary to take into account changes in the operational situation. For example, if some kind of robot dropped out of the game, the cloud should learn about it and quickly replace it with a backup. Similarly, it is necessary to take into account changes in the goal coordinates - it can remove too much from some robots cluster. So, you will need to tighten additional forces to it.

Computer simulation has shown that the proposed approach is very effective, and the algorithm for making solutions by microrebots is so simple that it is easy to implement in small electronic brains of these miniature creatures. In addition, the entire procedure turns out to be extremely flexible, able to quickly take into account the loss of microbot, and changes in the behavior of the goals.

The United States is already actively experiencing "smart dust."

The developments of the so-called "smart dust" are engaged in the United States. Back in 2002, the director of the Intel's research department at the University of California in Berkeley Hans Mulder said that they are "microscopic sensor-sensor devices with autonomous diet, which have a wireless communication function." According to him, the device already exists and more trings.

In the future, thousands of these cheap wireless sensors posted in a wide variety of places will independently unite on the network and work from built-in power sources for several years. In the meantime, sensory networks can consist of only several hundred "dust", since these devices remain too expensive, and the duration of their work is calculated only a few days. According to Mulder, the main obstacle to the mass spread of sensory networks is the high cost of power sources that cost about $ 150.

The US military plan to spend billions of dollars to introduce smart dust into practice. As they consider, the work is worthless - the "smart dust" discarded on the territory of the opponent, consisting of nanorobots, is able to cause the Great damage to the enemy. Robots will reproduce themselves like from the girlish material and spy, passing information to the main computer, and on the team from the center will go to the offensive: they will penetrate into the bodies of enemy soldiers (killing them or just immobilizing), will stop any engine, you will stop any signal or simply explode , destroying equipment and lively power in a huge territory. Mulder said that American scientists developed several sensory networks on the principle of "smart dust." One network is "combat" tests in Afghanistan, where the Armed Forces of the Casha posted several thousand sensors in order to track the movements of military equipment. Another network is used on the island of wild duck in Maine, where, with its help, scientists study the migration of petrels, one more - as part of an earthquake simulator system in Berkeley.

"Smart Dust" is already on sale

Dust Networks, whose technical director is Christopher Pister (Kris Pister), one of the pioneers of the concept of "smart dust" - distributed networks of ultra-low devices that support wireless data exchange - presented its first product. The first test set of "smart dust" called SmartMesh consists of 12 miniature devices called "dusting". The price of a whole set, which includes the device itself and software, is $ 4950 thousand.

Devices are connected by wireless transmission lines and can transmit data from sensors controlling the temperature, wind speed, humidity or other parameters. In fact, they are wireless routers with battery powered. With their help, you can create, for example, manufacturing management systems or security systems. The rate of data exchange in "dust" is relatively low, which makes it possible to provide low power consumption and nutrition from autonomous sources. This, in turn, makes it possible to significantly reduce the cost of operation of systems based on them, because there is no need to wiring power networks, and also provides unprecedented system flexibility.
SmartMesh is a "layer" that allows you to organize data exchange between two other "layers" - sensors, on the one hand, and information system, in the framework of which they function, on the other. Each "dusting" is a node of a wireless communication network with ultra-low power consumption. Data transfer is carried out from the node to the node, similar to how packets are transmitted on the Internet - except that in the smart dust system, instead of TCP / IP, which has become an actual industrial standard, other data transmission protocol. Another difference is that technology has been developed that allows you to keep the devices in the off state most of the time. "If you keep the radio all the time turned on," Chris Pister said reasonably, "the batteries extected only a few weeks." New technology allowed to achieve a staggering result - a separate "dust" on AA batteries without replacing them can work for three years. BUSINESS 2.0 software supplied with "dusting" allows them to organize a network themselves and provide such low power consumption.

According to the authors of the development, as the concept of "smart dust" will get more widespread, manufacturers will be equipped with sensors literally every detail, device and each room, which will open the ability to control and control over a wide spectrum technological processes Or, for example, for energy consumption, real-time. This will allow, in particular, to increase production efficiency, create more reliable security systems (equip the vibration sensors in the entire protected perimeter) and improve the yield of fields (placing humidity sensors and acidity in the soil in each plant).
The embodiment of the idea of \u200b\u200b"smart dust" to life demanded considerable investments. Dust Networks has received a total of more than $ 7 million from companies such as Foundation Capital, Institutional Venture Partners. One of them became in-Q-Tel - a venture company financed by the CIA. Data on how much the large industrial networks of "smart dust" will cost the customers, Dust Networks so far does not lead.

Nearby future.

In general, the scenarios in which the sensory networks could be rationally used, a great set: from observing the state of the vineyard (humidity, temperature, maturity, the presence of malicious insects) to a full-fledged security system that can be controlled literally everything: from the presence of violators in Controlled zone before monitoring the atmosphere for radiation and poisonous substances. Ideally, in the future, the sensors will be equipped with everything - from urban buildings and cars to the human body.

American physicists discovered that the nanotube resonates with a radio cell. On the basis of this, they built a receiver, which can receive signals from outside at a frequency of about 300-400 megaggers, that is, the tube radio band can be configured. The tube is also an antenna and receiver. The following task for sensory networks in the future is their introduction on micro and nano-level. In the human body, in the building, in the construction and so on. Th ten nanotechnologies with nanoprogs will be included in our daily life.

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ICPT RAS and LINTEH intellectual research laboratory are developing technology of distributed sensory networks (RCC). How really our country really make an unprecedented jerk in the development of the RCC industry, the General Director of LINTEH LLC says Yuri Aurenius.

Unfortunately, there are strategically important industries of technological progress, in which Russia during periods of restructuring, chaos of the 90s and the formation of the political stability of the early XXI century hopelessly behind the West and rapidly gaining the potential of Asian tigers.

Among such areas of microelectronics science, technical cybernetics, robotics and many other areas that are the basis for the transition of the economy of countries to the 5th technological procedure industry. Particularly, the development of telecommunications and communication technologies can be distinguished from which the effectiveness of the management and quality of control over the most important objects of production, as well as the whole complex of the so-called, is most acute. National economy.

It is worth recognizing that wi-Fi standards and bluetooth that we perceive as the advanced and most effective means Communications, far from the most modern and reliable. More and more in massive practical application in the world are introduced distributed Touch Networks (RCC), ready to work as "smart dust" - to independently organize into a single intelligent network and control over thousands of target parameters of the apartment, residential buildings, whole cities and even continents.

They are ten times more reliable than existing wireless networks, allow you to form systems automatic solution A huge complex of vital tasks is almost without human intervention. Fill this technogenic space and push Russia into the last car of the outgoing train of advanced innovations in the field of wireless telecommunications today there are still chances.

The most promising project to develop domestic ZigBee chips and software for their active use in various fields can be called the team of the Institute of Laser and information technologies RAS (Shatura) and LINTEH intellectual research laboratories. How really our country really make an unprecedented jerk in the development of the RCC industry, the General Director of LINTEH LLC says Yuri Aurenius.

─ Yuri, tell me, as they say on the fingers, what is the feature of this technology? Touch networks - Sounds somehow science fiction ...

─ It would be better for you to told our technical director Igor Voronin, he is one of the leading specialists in Russia in the field of RCC. Features and advantages in sensory networks set. Main, perhaps, two - arbitrarily located modules of the touch network instantly independently organized into a single network. And the second is that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built on the "Star" technology - this is when one point distributes to all network settings And other "subsidiaries" devices are trained to it, and the ZigBee standard network is capable of becoming a mixed network, which itself is formed into a structure with random relations. Touch network is Mesh. Visually, it represents not a star ("point-multiple"), and the fishing network - i.e. Each element of such a network interacts with a variety of adjacent elements, forming the necessary connection. This ensures a variety of data reliability. The more participants in it - the greater the reliability of data transfer. The network can lose up to 40% of active devices, retaining its main functionality. The scope is practically unlimited - from common household appliances to serious monitoring and livelihood systems.

But connect the modules of one standard to one network is not the most difficult task. This happens automatically. But further, each such network is presented different requirements - one requires often to transmit data from points to the center, another - once every hour, the third is guaranteed to transmit data with a given duration, the fourth may be the task once a year during a fire And transfer data, and everything else time to sleep - there must be the maximum working capacity of the network without replacing the batteries. Different tasks are solved by different network requirements. From here there are different protocols and algorithms for the interaction of network components - as all sensors simultaneously "wake up", pass the information and then fall asleep again, so as not to spend the precious energy in this case. Or, on the contrary, - for which scheme they need to be turned on and fall asleep to be guaranteed to collect and re-give data to the central node for collecting and processing data.

The network consists of nodes - so-called. Motots. Each node is a software and hardware device representing a transceiver, the main chip (microprocessor), which processes commands, modern block autonomous power And some sensor. If you do not know, the sensor, in Russian, is a sensor. To each such a bot can be connected several different sensors. The more sensors you trailers to one node, the more different parameters we can measure, but the battery consumption increases. Sensors are usually used standard. These are measurements of temperature, pressure, humidity, illumination, vibration, noise, position in space (inclinometers), the number of revolutions (encoders), radiation, carbon monoxide (CO / CH). In addition to the sensors, you can install controlled actuators. Then every network node begins to work already as " smart House"- collects the necessary information and transmits it to processing, then receives the control signal from the center and gives it to test the actuator. And no wires and doubts in the reliability of the system.

Sensors can also be specially designed. But in this case the value of the node grows sharply. As a rule, dozens of nodes are used to build a network, sensors are trying to use standard. They are cheaper due to mass production, maintainable or quickly replaceable - the main thing is to satisfy the required parameters. There are coordinators in the network - more "smart" moots that perform the basic network synchronization functions, when turned on, they poll all available devices And line up the network. There are intermediate nodes - repeaters, or routers. And the third level is the end devices. To them, just the sensors and trailers. Through repeaters, the network is built, according to which the packets collected data are transmitted and they all flock into a single point of collection. The distance between devices, as a rule, is currently not exceeding 100 meters. Although the chips that bind to each other at a distance of 1 km have already been developed and enrolled on sale. True, at the same time, it is necessary to understand if the signal passes at a greater distance - it means there will be a greater flow of batteries, the network will use the energy faster. There are special operating systems for sensory networks - this is Tinyos, and all the developments are usually carried out in the C, under the Linux-analogue operating systems.

─ Wow! Using such a network, it turns out, you can control huge spaces?

─ And then! If, for example, placing 64 thousand chips at a distance of 1 kilometer, the first and the last will be at a distance again 1 km. Because we so win the whole ball of the earth. True, no one has had such global experiments, but for the management of street lighting, for example, in England, the sensory network is already used.

─ Do you already have something to show on a practical example?

─ We have today have several projects in the test operation. For example, a project in the field of industrial monitoring. On the territory of Shaturskaya GRES No. 5, the RCC network was deployed for the implementation of a thermocontrolle on the recycling line of nutritional pumps No. 1-6. The temperature of the pipeline in the area of \u200b\u200bthe study is 230 ° C in the normal state. Measurement accuracy of 5-10 degrees, measurements are held every 10 seconds. Such technological monitoring is possible not only at energy enterprises, but also in regional boiler houses, electrical, in chemical production, since RCC has advantages: quick installation, simplicity and convenience in maintenance.

Much attention is paid to the use of sensory networks in the housing and utilities system. We are developing in several cities and cottage settlements of the Moscow region. I consider this development direction most promising, perhaps, together with system of signaling and security. Obviously, elevator and engineering monitoring of all urban housing and utilities systems can be carried out using RCCs, organization of management of all technical devices Residential and administrative buildings, collecting details of accounting devices required for billing, implemented all types of signaling systems (security, fire) and security (alarm buttons, key chains), etc. It is very important that the domestic engineering system based on the RCC helps in cases of accident or leaks in automatic mode Ploot a three-way crane with simultaneous informing the duty dispatcher about the leak place, thereby preserving the emergency leakage of water from the pipeline. It is also possible to control ventilation - humidity and temperatures in the premises. If these systems are debugged - loss are minimal, the flexibility of the settings for each user - all this will lead to lower tariffs, the interest of insurance companies, etc. ...

Medicine - remote observation of patients. In the Department of Functional Diagnostics Monica, it is planned to deploy the patient monitoring system. Patients in the hospital worn sensors - in the form of a bracelet - to measure pressure, temperature, cardiac activity. They transmit data to the central server, where the attending physician can get information about the patient's status - through the XBEE recorder. It is possible to provide paid medical supervision services for some categories of patients, such as home. In this case, the RCC kit is set in such a way that the gateway issued to the patient has been associated with the data storage server. The patient can move, remaining within the dialing radius of the data collection point. Then in the case of a critical dangerous state of the patient, the alarm signal goes to the central server, the alarm is processed and the alarm is displayed, complete patient data is displayed to take decisions about the necessary actions.

Together with Rosatom, the issue of radiation monitoring of nuclear hazardous objects began to work. Research capabilities, prospects and problems of using the RCC for the monitoring system for the premises of the buildings of existing research nuclear facilities (ITAU) and other nuclear-hazardous facilities are made. The RCC was deployed in terms of buildings of the buildings of Iyaau Niir in Dimitrovgrad and conducted a study of the behavior of the system in real conditions. The problems of the reliability of the system were also investigated, when exposed to an increased radiation background, the problems of propagation of the radio signal used for the connection of the RCC nodes in the presence of obstacles in the form of structures from the "heavy" concrete used in the construction of buildings of radiation and nuclear-hazardous objects.

In "Russian Railways" we develop a system for controlling the temperature of the wheel pair. With the use of the RCC, this task is to solve a cheaper and more reliable way than it is solved now when the temperature is measured discretely when the electric train is passing by the CTSM data acquisition item. The experimental zone, as planned, will be deployed in the Kurovskaya depot on the suburban electric train. When moving, the driver will be able to have information about the temperature of the wheel pair in real time. It will also be possible to store the collected data in the central database to which there will be access to the station at the station, by which this electric train is passing.

In construction to our systems there is interest - monitoring the precipitate and deviations of buildings and structures. Potential customer - Rosstroy. Already in the near future, it is planned to create a distributed system for monitoring buildings and structures based on the RCC to control the size of the sediment, deviations from the vertical and disclosure of cracks in the construction zone of the two existing machines in real time with the data output to the central server and with the publication in the Web.

Logistics - control over the movement of goods. For logistics automation complexes, it is possible to organize data collection on routes of moving radio devices with a unique identifier between storage rooms and inside them with positioning regarding data collection points and storing information on the central server. Within the framework of this direction, with the mass distribution of sensory technologies, we can also form information about the distribution flows of goods, managing marketing initiatives, etc.

All implementing projects now do not list. Once again, I note - the spectrum of the use of sensory networks is very wide ... Today we have covered at least 20 times and work in this direction all the time goes. On the approach of solutions for MES, miners, industrial enterprises, education systems ...

─ So you are developing a Russian version of the equipment for sensory networks on the basis of our laser institution?

─ ICPIT RAS with touch networks works in terms of development and study of their various properties. Since chips are all developed in America, and they are manufactured in China - we are limited in Russia with that microprocessor base, which we can buy. Well, or, as an option, in your pockets to take out from abroad. There is no other option. And we explore the networks in terms of how to make them as long as possible workable, or how to achieve that it is securely guaranteed that the signal passed through the networks, and how to make the maximum quick path of packets with data on them. Synergy from such a partnership is very promising.

─ Russian science lagging behind in this area from its foreign count?

─ In commercialization and in practical development, we are still very far from that potential, which is already in Japan's scientific centers, the EU and the USA. In the scientific plan, a fairly strong school has been formed in Russia with its unique developments. Today we even publish the results in leading international scientific journals - there is progress. Now the main thing is to find the mass cheapest and "right" engine and it will be a breakthrough in technology. For example, all appliances You can start equipping such elements of the touch network - inside vacuum cleaners, washing machines, TVs, etc. Deploy sensory networks with temperature sensors configured by 300-400 degrees ... Sensors placed in household devices on residential apartments will communicate on the network to the center of fire in the storage room of a particular apartment much earlier than the most resident of the apartment ... (especially when it is not at home) . You can put the sensor in the TV or music Center And during an emergency, this device will be used to inform about PE. And this information will be an address - each chip has its own MAC address on the network, its connection with other chips and gateways for collecting and processing data practically determine its location. In mass production, these network elements must cost a penny and perform their functions as "smart dust".

─ In general, your goal is to bring this technology to consumer perfection ...

─ yes - come up with it all infrastructure, software, Sensors and, of course, the chips themselves, which relate to the category of critical technologies and buy a license for their production is impossible. And if we develop the entire line - and interfaces and different sensors and data exchange algorithms - we can produce full-fledged ready-made monitoring and monitoring systems, publish the market, including world and form services.

─ Tell us at what stage is the project now? As far as I know, you are now moving to Skolkovo ...

─ While we had a clean science. At the end of last year, a request was submitted to the Resident in the Skolkovo Foundation, they received a positive decision, since the spring of 2013 - the full residents of the innovation center. Skolkovo is the possibility of attracting financing, project development to the commercialization stage and worthy status. We do not raise this for your money. Today we are going through the stage of constructing prototypes of solutions, we form experienced zones, process the results of research, we are refining, patented your inventions.

─ According to plan, when will you leave the stage of commercial implementation?

─ I think by the end of next year.

─ How many already invested in the project?

─ About 15 million.

─ dollars?

─ No, rubles. Now we plan to attract also external investments to continue working in the direction of obtaining a commercial result. In its success, we are 100% confident.

─ What should be done to create cheap "smart dust"? Do you have a plan, how to make technology not expensive?

─ Recipe here is only one - the mass of demand. One chip for research costs today more than $ 30, even the 100 first chips cost 1800 dollars, it is obvious that millions should not be more than 1-2 dollars. Then the time of "smart dust" comes.

─ For mass, you need to create a serial plant?

─ First you need to create an element base and hardware technology infrastructure. We contact the Russian company ITFY, which will provide us with CAD to develop microelectronic components. Colleagues from ITFY led by the President of the company Leonid Matkov together with IBM corporation specifically launched the ITFY project, which opened the Center for Electronic Technologies (CET) - on a comprehensive infrastructure solution for collective development of chips and printed circuit boards based on IBM software and hardware platform . The creation of the "Center for Electronic Technologies" (CET) was announced on the PMEF-2012.

─ What volume is planned to create?

─ It's hard to say ... Wi-Fi technology And Bluetooth today is in every mobile phone, but they are produced and sold by millions of pieces. We focus on the same coverage of our network. On the mobile phones Do not pretend, but household appliances, cars, toys, consoles, computers and much more can provide the desired coverage. In order for the project to be profitable, it is necessary to go to the global market. If now competently run the project and we will not have problems with financing, then after 5 years, the sensory networks will be everywhere.

─ Why Skolkovo?

─ Skolkovo provides all the conditions for the active development of projects, it is possible to get cash on R & D. We are negotiating with a number of well-known venture funds about the possibility of attracting venture capital investments. In the future, we will go to the well-known world leaders in this area with the aim of creating a joint manufacturing enterprise. Large investors understand if there is a real interest and can be invested in promising technology, you can get a decent commercial result. Skolkovo has all the possibilities for obtaining financing and comprehensive project support. Therefore, the situation is very friendly.

─ Clear. In Skolkovo, you complete your scientific developments, design Chi-Py, then you will find an investor, we will postcase chips in China, make a software for different tasks of touch networks and form the finished products as a result - for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, firefighters, etc.?

─ Stamp your own components - while the task for the future. Today, the main thing is to develop various network work algorithms, ensuring a solution of various technical tasks, developing data exchange protocols, interfaces, distributed data collection systems, calculations. Our developments are applicable to any network of approved standard, therefore, while in the first stage, let the stamp all in China, form networks around the world, and by interaction to perform the network tasks are used by our. Although it would be nice to give a complete set of one hand too and, in the future, I think we will come to this.

─ And all this is planned to be done over the next two or three years?

─ Yes ... We have plans just a couple of years. The main thing, of course, financing. But we do not stand in place ... A number of large venture capital funds are already actively interested in our project, because the technology of sensory networks is one of the most promising in a commercial plan, the world performance, one can say.

─ And frames where do you take? Their deficit as far as I understand.

─ Engineering highly qualified frames are always difficult to find, we are looking for in the regions - there are still bright heads and real talents there. Today, at once in no time interested in the subject of sensory networks - we will also work with them.

─ Technological base - in this laser research?

─ Calculate on a mutually beneficial partnership with IRPT RAS ... The developer leading this area at the Institute, Head of Information Technologies, Igor Voronin is the technical director of Linth. It turns out a very productive partnership. And with the main office for development moving to Skolkovo.

─ They say that there is very difficult to get there. Even bribes are needed ...

─ About the opportunity to get into Skolkovo for money, I personally do not know. Over the past 2 years, he himself actively participated in 3 innovative projects - all of them today residents of the Foundation. One company is actively developing software that allows you to automatically receive ready-made 3D models from panoramic or spherical photography. By the way, we also offered to apply sensory solutions for substantial optimization of this work. Other projects are associated with the technology of applying paintwork, for example ... it turned out, also a promising topic. Directions are absolutely different ...

My opinion - in Skolkovo created the right expert system of a versatile assessment of unique ideas and developments. If you managed to convey the basic principles of your idea and the development fits into the existing framework of the innovation center - everything, you get the status of the resident and work.

─ You want to say that any Russian developer can really get into Skolkovo perspective technologywho has a clear strategy and a ready-made team for its implementation?

─ If you have an idea that you consider ingenious and clearly understand all the steps in its development, implementation, profit - come - Let's talk ... I just take such projects - a formalism idea on international standards, we work out a project from investment and commercial points Vision, and then promote the technoparks, business incubators and investment funds. And it may not only be Skolkovo. Tasks on interaction on today there is a lot. Even inside one cluster sometimes some developers do not know what others are engaged in ... and it happens that they are ideal partners who lose a huge synergistic potential.

─ And what about corruption scandals were in Skolkovo? It was rumored that even wanted to bury the whole project ...?

─ The activities of innovative companies did not affect. We are how work is, and continue to work. We have enough of your impressions. And Skolkovo, despite all the envious gloating of ill-wishers, today received a second breathing and continues to lead his painstaking work on the cultivation of the domestic innovation industry ...