A new path-breaking book by a local academic explores the role of sensor networks in day-to-day applications locally and offers solutions in fields as diverse as traffic management, undersea pollution monitoring and medicine.

The book entitled "Coverage Strategies in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Rigorous Analysis” by Dr Mohamed Khalil Watfa, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at UOWD, demonstrates how the use of thousands of sensor networks could revolutionize our lives. Hitherto, sensors were used individually for different purposes, but Dr. Watfa takes a pioneering new approach by demonstrating the power of networks of thousands of sensors.

One of the areas of application is intelligent transportation systems where sensors can be used to automatically control the speed of individual cars. Each car will have a sensor, which will enable the traffic authorities to detect and limit the speed of the vehicle in case of overspeeding. The author is already in talks with RTA for applying his solution to cars in Dubai.

Dr. Watfa’s book, the fruit of five years of research, also offers solutions for undersea monitoring where sensors can be used for mapping the seabed and sending information to a computer. It could also be used for detecting undersea pollution.

The book was released by His Excellency Douglas Trappett, the new Australian Ambassador to the UAE, during the inauguration of a new Faculty Research Corner at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) in Block 14 of Dubai Knowledge Village.

Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Douglas Trappett hailed the role played by Australian universities, particularly, UOWD, in tapping into local national priorities and customizing high quality tertiary education for students in the region. He expressed the view that the emphasis being placed on research at UOWD would lead to ‘bigger and better things’.

Also present on the occasion was Prof Philip Ogunbona, Dean of Informatics, University of Wollongong Australia (UOW) as well as members of the Commission for Academic Accreditation Visiting Committee currently visiting UOWD: Prof. Jonathan Bowen(London South Bank University), Prof. Patricia Daniels (University of Washington, USA) and Dr. Raman Unnikrishnan (California State University, Fullerton, USA).

“We could not have asked for anything more fitting that Dr. Watfa’s book to launch our Faculty Research Corner,” said Professor Rob Whelan, President of UOWD. “We are proud to put it on top of the list of the recent publications of our academic staff, thus providing an incentive for our students to engage in research and raising the profile of UOWD as a research-centered institution.”

The Faculty Research Corner (FRC) is a UOWD initiative to showcase the research efforts made by the University faculty in their respective disciplines. The FRC will house the recent research papers of faculty members, published in international journals of repute. In addition, books authored by faculty members will also be on display.

Dr. Watfa holds a Ph.D. from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, USA, a BS in Computer Science from the American University of Beirut in 2002 and his Masters degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA in 2003. Dr. Watfa’s research interests include wireless sensor networks, intelligent systems, wireless networking, resource management, energy issues, tracking, routing, and performance measures. He has more than 40 journal and conference publications and has supervised a number of graduate students.