Sytoplasm: A Middleware for Rich Sensor Networks

In this paper, we present the architecture of a middleware that supports rich sensor networks. A rich sensor network is composed of resource-constrained content-providing sensor devices connected to resource rich entities, for example desktops and laptops. The key design concerns of this system are flexibility, scalability, ease of use and provision for quality of service. We want the system to be autonomous; a device decides when to join the community and offer its content. Our middleware facilitates this process, allows users to lookup content and provides an efficient delivery mechanism of sensory content to the consumers. In this paper, we present a formal model of the system, the paradigm to program the system, the protocols for content request and techniques for content delivery. We propose network coding techniques combined with rate multiplexing for efficient usage of bandwidth.