Dust Gets Smart

One day, you’ll be able to use dust-like particles to receive information on weather conditions anywhere in the world. If you stick some of these to your fingertips, you’ll be able to convey information to your computer by using gestures. They may also convey warnings about forest fires, or of enemy activity. 

Researchers at the University of Berkeley are developing such a sensor device–Smart Dust–that incorporates power, computation, sensor, and communication capabilities in one cubic millimeter of volume for creating a network of miniature sensor-communication systems. 

COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) Dust or ‘macro motes’ which have already been developed are of one cubic inch and comprise a microcontroller; a

communication unit–an RF transceiver, laser module, or a corner cube reflector; and sensors for temperature, light, humidity, pressure, etc; three-axis magnetometers, and three-axis accelerometers. 

One macro mote with temperature, light, pressure, and humidity sensors, a laser transmitter, a micro-controller, and 150 mW electrical power was able to establish a one-way communication link from Berkeley to San Francisco to report weather conditions 21 km away. The mote at San Francisco converted analog data from the sensors into digital information, which was sent via the laser transmitter to Berkeley, where an optical receiver was set up. 

Another example is a micro air vehicle designed as a spy plane. A test version of this radio-controlled plane powered by an internal- combustion engine with 44 grams of fuel flew for 18.5 minutes at speeds of 10—60 mph, successfully handling windy weather and maneuvering tight radius turns. Yet another version can carry a black and white camera and video transmitter, and also has a remote-controlled dispenser that releases miniature smart sensors.

Smart Dust holds the promise of being able to use the ubiquitous nature of dust for useful purposes. The downside is that in a world where individual privacy is anyway becoming a rare commodity, this technology could compromise it further.

Pragya Madan