Improving the Usability of Wireless Sensor Network Operating Systems

Wireless sensor network research community has constructed a number of operating systems that enable development of sensor network applications using novel and appropriate software abstractions. Unfortunately, the abstractions are not always easily usable by inexperienced users, because the learning curves of these existing operating systems are quite steep. In this article we present selected usability aspects of MansOS wireless sensor network operating system. We believe that MansOS has the potential to make sensor network programming accessible for a broader range of programmers. The evaluation of MansOS suggests improved usability for non-expert users over TinyOS and other operating systems without compromising efficiency.