Asset Tracking with

Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract
We present an approach for a robust localization system allowing Wireless Sensor Networks to
determine the physical location of their nodes. Such a service, termed localization, can be extremely
useful especially indoors where other alternatives like the Global Positioning System are not
available.
An important application is asset and personnel tracking in large buildings, warehouses, hospitals,
and
other settings where one needs to track movable valuable assets. The coverage area of the sensor
network is split into partitions and we seek to identify the partition of a sensor based on observation
by stationary clusterheads. Observations (e.g., signal strength) are assumed random to account
for the
complexity and dynamic character of an indoor environment. We pose the localization problem as a
composite multi-hypothesis testing problem, develop the requisite theory using tools from information
theory, and address the problem of optimally placing clusterheads. We show that localization
decisions
can be distributed by appropriate in-network processing. The approach has been validated in a
Boston
University testbed yielding promising results and will soon be implemented in a large warehouse to
track a fleet of forklifts.