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2012ntms 2012 6208764
2012ntms 2012 6208764
2012ntms 2012 6208764
Abstract—In many application fields such as home, industry, and revealing real-world phenomena and converting these into
environment and health, different Wireless Sensor Network a form that can be processed, stored, and acted upon. A
(WSN) applications have been developed to solve management wireless sensor node has not only sensing components, but
problems with smart implementations. This approach can be
applied in the filed of solid waste management. In this paper a also on-board processing unit, chip radio and storage units.
new architecture is proposed with the aim to improve the on-site With these enhancements, a sensor node is often not only
handling and transfer optimization in the waste management responsible for data collection, but also for in-network analysis
process. The system architecture is based on sensor nodes and based on correlation and fusion of its own data with those
makes use of Data Transfer Nodes (DTN) in order to provide retrieved from other nodes. Moreover, sensor nodes can differ
to a remote server the retrieved data measurements from the
garbage bins filling. A remote monitoring solution has been in their communication capabilities with different data rates
implemented, providing user the possibility to interact with and latencies. They can help to avoid catastrophic infras-
the system by using a web browser. Several activities with the tructure failures, conserve precious natural resources, increase
aim to provide a Decision Support System (DSS) able to find productivity, enhance security, and enable new applications
solutions for resources organization problems linked to solid such as context-aware systems and smart home technologies.
waste management have been started.
While many sensors connect to controllers and processing
Index Terms - Solid waste management, Wireless Sensor stations directly (e.g., using local area networks), an increasing
Network, Remote Monitoring, Decision Support System. number of sensors communicate the collected data wirelessly
to a centralized processing station. This is important since
I. I NTRODUCTION many network applications require hundreds or thousands
High population density in large urban areas makes hard the of sensor nodes, often deployed in remote and inaccessible
solution of solid waste management problems [1]. To reduce areas. With these enhancements, a sensor node is often not
the environment impact of the waste dumping, many municipal only responsible for data collection, but also for in-network
corporate are involved in the development of efficient waste analysis, correlation, and fusion of its own sensor data and data
management systems. Solid waste management is a complex from other sensor nodes. When many sensors cooperatively
process that involves many steps: it includes generation, on- monitor large physical environments, they form a wireless
site handling and storage, collection, transfer, processing and sensor network (WSN). Sensor nodes communicate not only
disposal of solid wastes [1]. All these sub-processes have to with each other but also with a base station (BS) using their
be implemented within existing legal, social, regulations which wireless radios, allowing them to disseminate their sensor
take care of the environment and of the public health. data to remote processing, visualization, analysis, and storage
This paper is focused on the on-site handling and storage systems [11], [12].
processes and on the transfer process, with the main topic at In such architecture each sensor node performs data ac-
developing a smart solid waste management system capable quisition and data transfer. The acquired data are sent to a
to ensure the public health with costs reduction and quality supervisor system, which supports the user in the finding of
improvement. In order to enhance the efficiency of solid solutions to decision problems, such as the optimization of re-
wastes on-site collection and transfer, an innovative solution sources organization (trucks, people and specific machineries),
for the monitoring and management system has been proposed. with the main task to perform costs reduction.
A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has been developed to In this architecture some sensors are equipped with more
improve the garbage bins monitoring process. powerful computation and communication capabilities in order
A WSN consists of many autonomous sensor nodes, spa- to perform extensive processing processing and data fusion
tially distributed, capable to monitor physical characteristics functionalities. Such devices perform data transfers among
(e.g. temperature, humidity, light, vibration, pressure, etc.) different resource constrained networks.
and designed to exchange their data through the network. In the supervisor system a key role is reserved to the
Sensors link the physical with the digital world by capturing Decision Support System (DSS) for supporting the system
management process.