Small logo of ETH main building ETH Zurich : Computer Science : Pervasive Computing : Distributed Systems : Events : WSN Summer School

Summer School on Wireless Sensor Networks and Smart Objects

August 29 - September 3, 2005, Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany

Grounded in the belief that processors, sensors, and wireless radios are becoming extremely small and inexpensive, we can foresee a world where many everyday objects and physical environments are enriched by computational power. Wireless sensor networks and smart objects are two particular instances of such networked embedded sensing systems, which can perceive and control many aspects of the real world, and which may interact with humans. These technologies are currently receiving significant attention by researchers, potential users, and by people interested in the implications of the induced paradigm shift in the way we use computers.

Goals and Audience

The goal of the summer school is to provide a basic survey of the most relevant subfields, to present the perspectives and the underlying technologies, but also to identify the pertinent issues that form the field of wireless sensor networks and smart objects, as well as to identify important research themes. Furthermore, the school will provide a good opportunity to get to know other people working in the field, to meet distinguished scholars, and to establish contacts that may lead to research collaborations in the future.

The intended audience are post-graduate students, PhD students, and young researchers from universities and industrial laboratories around the world. We expect about 60 participants.

List of Topics

Living in a smart world: visions of a world full of smart objects and sensors
Applications of wireless sensor networks and smart objects
Hardware aspects of sensor nodes, smart labels, and embedded computers
Wireless networking and communication issues
Operating systems, programming abstractions and tools, middleware
Fundamental services (localization, time synchronization, ...)
Information processing (querying, fusion, classification, tracking, ...)
Deployment, debugging, testing
Interaction with human users
Privacy

Schedule

The summer school lasts for 6 days and features a number of different activities. A detailed schedule is available here.

Lectures. Usually, each day will feature lectures and discussions around a broad theme. Three to four lectures will be presented per day (morning and late afternoon).
TinyOS hands-on tutorial. Participants can learn to program sensor nodes using TinyOS. This tutorial will be given by experienced TinyOS experts. Further information is available here.
Participants workshop. Some time will be reserved for a workshop where participants can present their own work and involvement in the field.
Application competition. Participants can submit their ideas about application scenarios involving sensor networks and smart objects. The best contributions will be awarded with Apple iPods. Further information is available here.
Excursion. One day is scheduled for an excursion and other social activities which should help to form a community among the young researchers.

Lecturers and Contributors

	Jan Beutel ETH Zurich Lecturer		Holger Karl Univ. of Paderborn Lecturer
	Koen Langendoen TU Delft Lecturer		Marc Langheinrich ETH Zurich Lecturer
	Pedro J. Marron Univ. of Stuttgart Lecturer		Friedemann Mattern ETH Zurich Lecturer
	Marcelo Pias Univ. of Cambridge Application competition		Joe Polastre Moteiv TinyOS lab
	Kay Römer ETH Zurich Lecturer		Albrecht Schmidt LMU Munich Lecturer
	Rob Szewczyk Moteiv TinyOS lab

Organization and Venue

Photo © AKA Werbe-Studio, Saarlouis

The summer school is jointly organized by ETH Zurich and the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science at Schloss Dagstuhl on behalf of the European consortium Embedded WiSeNts, which also provides funding.

It will take place in the relaxed and inspiring atmosphere of Schloss Dagstuhl (Dagstuhl manor house), Germany, close to the border of Luxembourg and France. Schloss Dagstuhl was built in 1760 and is used for seminars and conferences since 1990. Besides providing accommodation, a comprehensive computer science research library, and computer facilities, it offers a unique setting for inspiring discussions, informal exchange of ideas, and socializing. The rural surroundings provide good opportunities for relaxed walks.

Registration, Costs, and Travelling

Participation is open to all qualified applicants, but the number of participants is limited to a maximum of 60. If we receive more applications, we will select participants based on their work area and background, geographic distribution, and date of registration.

The registration fee of EUR 650 includes accommodation at Schloss Dagstuhl and all meals. Based on funding provided by Embedded Wisents, we can support about 15 European students with grants of EUR 400 each.

Participants are expected to arrive in the afternoon or evening of Sunday, August 28. The school itself will begin on Monday morning and end by lunch on Saturday, September 3. Travel information can be found at the Web site of Schloss Dagstuhl.

The online application page is closed. We received about 180 applications and selected 60 participants. The list of participants is available here.

Important Dates

Application deadline: June 9, 2005
Notification of admittance: June 24, 2005

Related Web Pages

Contact

The school is organized by

Friedemann Mattern and Kay Römer
Department of Computer Science
Institute for Pervasive Computing
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

If you have any questions regarding the summer school, feel free to send inquiries to Kay Römer at <wsn-summerschool@inf.ethz.ch>.