Debunking Wireless Sensor Networks Myths

TL;DR

This paper critically examines Wireless Sensor Networks in the context of IoT, analyzing their evolution, current adoption of low-power wireless tech, and future research directions to dispel common myths.

Contribution

It provides a contemporary reassessment of WSNs, highlighting outdated assumptions and proposing new perspectives for integrating wireless sensor tech into IoT.

Findings

Wireless sensor networks have evolved from early collaborative sensor ideas.

Low-power multi-hop wireless is widely adopted in IoT applications.

Outdated requirements hinder the development of WSNs in modern IoT contexts.

Abstract

In this article we revisit Wireless Sensor Networks from a contemporary perspective, after the surge of the Internet of Things. First, we analyze the evolution of distributed monitoring applications, which we consider inherited from the early idea of collaborative sensor networks. Second, we evaluate, within the current context of networked objects, the level of adoption of low-power multi-hop wireless, a technology pivotal to the Wireless Sensor Network paradigm. This article assesses the transformation of this technology in its integration into the Internet of Things, identifying outdated requirements and providing a critical view on future research directions.