Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)

For the last decade, the size of complete 2.4GHz wireless modules containing everythingbut power have stagnated at ~1cm x 1cm. This is despite continued advances in semiconductorprocesses due to components needed by the core communication IC. Breaking this size barrier (which also sets a power and cost barrier) by eliminating all off-chip components is the goal of the Single-Chip Mote project, of which this dissertation is a part. The major componentsto be eliminated are antenna, battery, and crystal...

To this date, Wireless Sensor Networks are still largely characterized by non-intensive applications, which means that they are mainly used to gather relatively small amounts of data. This project aims at pushing the limits of Sensor Networks to the point of transmitting video in real-time. The crucial advancement that enabled this application was the introduction of Time-Synchronized Channel Hopping which made communication more robust on unreliable wireless links. In addition to using the camera as a sensor, this project is concerned with interfacing smartphones with low power...

This paper details the design, fabrication and testing of millimeter scale solid propellant rockets for use as one-time deployment platforms carrying communication-equipped MEMS sensor systems, known as Smart Dust. Each rocket assembly is an integrated system, incorporating a combustion chamber, composite propellant grain, nozzle, igniter, and thermoelectric power converter. Solid propellant is advantageous for a millimeter-scale single-use device because of its simple implementation, unlike liquid propellants, which...