Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications that favor more local computations and less communication can contribute to solving the problem of high power consumption and performance issues plaguing most centralized WSN applications. In this study, we present a fully distributed solution, where leaks are detected in a water distribution network via only local collaborations between a sensor node and its close neighbors, without the need for long-distance transmissions via several hops to a centralized fusion center. A complete approach that includes the design, simulation, and physical measurements, showing how distributed computing implemented via a distributed Kalman filter improves the accuracy of leak detection and the power consumption is presented. The results from the physical implementation show that distributed data fusion increases the accuracy of leak detection while preserving WSN lifetime.

Battery-powered sensor nodes encounter substantial energy constraints, especially in linear wireless sensor network (LWSN) applications like border surveillance and road, bridge, railway, powerline, and pipeline monitoring, where inaccessible locations exacerbate battery replacement challenges. Addressing these issues is crucial for extending a network’s lifetime and reducing operational costs. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the factors affecting WSN energy consumption at the node and network levels, alongside effective energy management strategies for prolonging the WSN’s lifetime. By categorizing existing strategies into node energy reduction, network energy balancing, and energy replenishment, this study assesses their effectiveness when implemented in LWSN applications, providing valuable insights to assist engineers during the design of green and energy-efficient LWSN monitoring systems.

In wireless sensor network-based water pipeline monitoring (WWPM) systems, a vital requirement emerges: the achievement of low energy consumption. This primary goal arises from the fundamental necessity to ensure the sustained operability of sensor nodes over extended durations, all without the need for frequent battery replacement. Given that sensor nodes in such applications are typically battery-powered and often physically inaccessible, maximizing energy efficiency by minimizing unnecessary energy consumption is of vital importance. This paper presents an experimental study that investigates the impact of a hybrid technique, incorporating distributed computing, hierarchical sensing, and duty cycling, on the energy consumption of a sensor node in prolonging the lifespan of a WWPM system. A custom sensor node is designed using the ESP32 MCU and nRF24L01+ transceiver. Hierarchical sensing is implemented through the use of LSM9DS1 and ADXL344 accelerometers, distributed computing through the implementation of a distributed Kalman filter, and duty cycling through the implementation of interrupt-enabled sleep/wakeup functionality. The experimental results reveal that combining distributed computing, hierarchical sensing and duty cycling reduces energy consumption by a factor of eight compared to the lone implementation of distributed computing.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionize various sectors and industries worldwide. Despite its global significance, the adoption and implementation of IoT technologies in emerging technology ecosystems within the Central African region still need to be studied and explored. This paper presents a case study of the Silicon Mountain technology ecosystem, located in Fako division of the southwest region of Cameroon, focusing on the barriers and challenges to adopting and integrating IoT technologies within this emerging tech ecosystem. Through a survey-based approach, we investigate the factors influencing IoT adoption in the Silicon Mountain tech ecosystem, including technological, economic, social, and regulatory factors. Our study reveals key insights into the current state of IoT adoption, opportunities for growth and innovation, and IoT adoption challenges. Key among the challenges identified for impeding IoT uptake were issues related to standardization and financial resources, labor shortage in the industry, educational and knowledge gaps, market challenges, government policies, security and data privacy concerns, and inadequate power supply. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and academic institutions to promote and facilitate the widespread adoption of IoT technologies in Silicon Mountain and the Central African region at large.

Water is a basic necessity and one of the most valuable resources for human living. Sadly, large quantities of treated water get lost daily worldwide, especially in developing countries, through leaks in the water distribution network. Wireless sensor network-based water pipeline monitoring (WWPM) systems using low-cost micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers have become popular for real-time leak detection due to their low-cost and low power consumption, but they are plagued with high false alarm rates. Recently, the distributed Kalman filter (DKF) has been shown to improve the leak detection reliability of WWPM systems using low-cost MEMS accelerometers. However, the question of which DKF is optimal in terms of leak detection reliability and energy consumption is still unanswered. This study evaluates and compares the leak detection reliability of three DKF algorithms, selected from distributed data fusion strategies based on diffusion, gossip and consensus. In this study, we used a combined approach involving simulations and laboratory experiments. The performance metrics used for the comparison include sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The laboratory results revealed that the event-triggered diffusion-based DKF is optimal, having a sensitivity value of 61%, a specificity value of 93%, and an accuracy of 90%. It also has a lower communication burden and is less affected by packet loss, making it more responsive to real-time leak detection.

This paper presents a novel approach for head tracking in augmented reality (AR) flight simulators using an adaptive fusion of Kalman and particle filters. This fusion dynamically balances the strengths of both algorithms, leveraging Kalman filters for computational efficiency and particle filters for handling non-linearities based on real-time factors such as sensor noise and head movement patterns. Our method demonstrates superior tracking precision and reduced latency, making it particularly effective for immersive pilot training in AR-based flight simulations. While focused on flight simulation, our approach holds high potential for broader applications in other AR and virtual reality (VR) environments where precise, real-time head tracking is crucial. These results provide actionable design guidance for developers optimizing tracking systems in environments that require fast response times and high accuracy. Future extensions of this research could explore the generalization of our approach across diverse AR applications, including human-computer interaction (HCI), medical simulations, and gaming.