Autonomous sensor networks for monitoring industrial processes with application to mobile robots

The technology and processes associated with manufacturing have undergone a sea-change during the last few decades. Many of the hi-tech and hi-precision operations in manufacturing operations have robot to carryout operations that are routine, highly complex and critical, hazardous or of high-precision in nature. Robots basically have sensors using which the operation sequence is manipulated as programmed. Such sensors/robots when networked, provides flexibility and faster turn-around in manufacturing. This paper makes a study on the present developmental status and details the design features of self organizing sensor networks for automation and process monitoring. The goal is to define a model-based development process for large sensor-actuator networks with a focus on wireless communication. It also makes a survey on the present developmental status and details the design features of networking modular production systems using embedded wireless multifunctional sensor networks. It is intended to use this work as basis for future research work in the area of cooperative behavior of robots and also in the area of modular production systems and Robotics.