Wide Area Tracking System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:52, 26 July 2006

Revision as of 02:43, 20 August 2006

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The '''Wide Area Tracking System''' (WATS) is ana prototype [[wireless sensor network]] for detecting a ground-based nuclear device [http://www.llnl.gov/str/Imbro.html] such as a nuclear "briefcase bomb." WATS is presently being developed at the [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]] ([[LLNL]]).

==Theory==

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WATS would be made up of wireless gamma and neutron sensors connected through a communications network. Data picked up by the sensors undergoes [[Sensor fusion|"data fusion"]], which converts the information into easily interpreted forms; this data fusion is the most important aspect of the system [http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/congress/1997_h/has274010_1.htm#79].

The data fusion process occurs ''within'' the sensor network rather than at a centralized computer and is performed by a specially developed algorithm based on [[Bayesian statistics]][http://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug01/Hills.html]. WATS would not use a centralized computer for analysis because researchers found that factors such as latency and available bandwidth tended to create significant bottlenecks. Data processed in the field by the network itself (by transferingtransferring small amounts of data between neighboring sensors) is faster and makes the network more scalable [http://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug01/Hills.html].

An important factor in WATS development is ''ease of deployment'', since more sensors both improves the detection rate and reduces false alarms [http://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug01/Hills.html]. WATS sensors could be deployed in permanent positions or mounted in vehicles for mobile protection of specific locations.