Terry D. May, Shaun H. Dunning, George A. Dowding and Jason O. Hallstrom
Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) will profoundly influence the ubiquitous computing landscape. Their utility derives not from the computational capabilities of any single sensor…
Abstract
Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) will profoundly influence the ubiquitous computing landscape. Their utility derives not from the computational capabilities of any single sensor node, but from the emergent capabilities of many communicating sensor nodes. Consequently, the details of communication within and across single hop neighborhoods is a fundamental component of most WSN applications. But these details are often complex, and popular embedded languages for WSNs provide only low‐level communication primitives. We propose that the absence of suitable communication abstractions contributes to the difficulty of developing large‐scale WSN applications. To address this issue, we present the design and implementation of a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) abstraction for nesC and TinyOS, the emerging standard for developing WSN applications. We present the key language extensions, operating system services, and automation tools that enable the proposed abstraction. We illustrate these contributions in the context of a representative case study, and analyze the overhead introduced when using our approach. We use these results to draw conclusions regarding the suitably of our work to resource‐constrained sensor nodes.
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Maki Hatanaka and Jason Konefal
Multi-stakeholder initiatives have proliferated as a leading form of standard-development, as they are understood to be more legitimate than other forms of non-state governance…
Abstract
Multi-stakeholder initiatives have proliferated as a leading form of standard-development, as they are understood to be more legitimate than other forms of non-state governance. The legitimacy of multi-stakeholder initiatives is a result of their perceived congruence with normative democratic principles. Using a case study of a multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a National Sustainable Agriculture Standard (LEO-4000) for the United States, this chapter examines the practices and politics of legitimation in non-state governance. The analysis of LEO-4000 indicates that, first, the simultaneous construction of legitimacy and standards affects the kinds of standards developed. Second, understandings of legitimacy are influenced by the standpoint of actors. Third, legitimacy has become a strategic dimension of standard-development, which actors use to further their interests. Based on these findings, we contend that non-state governance that relies on normative democratic principles for legitimation is constrained in its ability to develop stringent standards. Thus, there may be limits to non-state governance as a regulatory tool, and to achieve non-economic objectives such as increased sustainability. For rural areas, the implication is that they are becoming enmeshed in an emerging system of non-state governance that continues to be highly contested, particularly regarding who has the right to govern such areas. The findings in this chapter are based on qualitative data, including 34 interviews and participant-observation.