Smart Dust

By Raymond Adorno For Dr Peel Material Science

What is Smart Dust?

Smart dust is a nano-structured silicon senor which can spontaneously assemble, orient sense and report on their local environment, which can be used in a number of applications. Main purpose is to collect and relay information.

1. Porous Silicon is etched by electrochemical Machining Process, which are used as concentrators what is analyzed. 2. The Silicon is chemically modified into a sensor 3. Reflective & chemically modified mirrors are nano-structured into sensor to reflect a certain color when target is identified. 4. Sensors are oxidized making it hydrophobic 5. Sensors are broken into SMART DUST

Each sensor has incorporated into it a microprocessor mini-battery source Two way transmitter Soon will be the size of a grain of sand named a mote.

Applications of Smart Dust

1. Measure vibrations in pumps, compressors and engines and pass reading using wireless links to predict equipment failure. 2. Monitor local temperatures 3. Monitor speed and Volume of traffic 4. Monitor presence of people 5. Target contaminants in drinking water 6. Relay information about cancerous cells 7. Detect hazardous chemical and biological agents 8. Military Applications

References
www.chem-faculty-ucsd.edu/sailor/research/smartdust.html In dust we trust. Economist. 6/12/04 Vol. 37 p. 10 Goho.A. Smart dust can swarm target. Science News. 9/6/03 Vol. 164 Issue 10 p. 157 Ananthawamy, Anil.March of the motes. New Scientist. 6/23/03 Vol. 179 Issue 2409 p. 26