Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)

Mobile sensor networks present opportunities for improved in situ sensing in complex hydrodynamic environments such as estuarial deltas. This dissertation considers the design and implementation of the mobile sensor network system that was built as part of the Floating Sensor Network project for use in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California over the 2007-2012 time period. Individual Lagrangian sensor units collect hydrodynamic state information, which is then transmitted to a centralized server and assimilated to produce a state estimate for the entire hydrodynamic system....

For many research problems, controlling and estimating the position of the mobile elements within an environment is desired. Realistic mobile environments are unstructured, but share a set of common features, such as position, speed, and constraints on mobility. To estimate within these real-world environments requires careful selection of the best-suited estimation tools and software and hardware technologies. This dissertation discusses the design and implementation of applied estimation infrastructures which overcome the challenges of real-world deployments.

Estimating the...

In 2012, electricity generation was responsible for over 30% of carbon emissions in the US - surpassing the transportation sector - and predictions to 2040 show this trend continuing with current technologies. Electrical submetering provides improved spatial and temporal resolution into how buildings use their energy, and case studies have shown that improvements driven by submetering data can lead to 5-30% reductions in electrical energy usage. However, traditional building submetering technologies present unfavorable cost, installation, and form factor attributes that inhibit the...