An important class of collaborating objects is represented by the myriad of wireless sensors, which will constitute the infrastructure for the ambient intelligence vision.

The academic world actively investigates the technology for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Industry is reluctant to use these results coming from academic research. A major cause is the magnitude of the mismatch between research at the application level and the node and network level.

The WASP project aims at narrowing this mismatch by covering the whole range from basic hardware, sensors, processor, communication, over the packaging of the nodes, the organization of the nodes, towards the information distribution and a selection of applications. The emphasis in the project lies in the self-organization and the services, which link the application to the sensor network. Research into the nodes themselves is needed because a strong link lies between the required flexibility and the hardware design. Research into the applications is necessary because the properties of the required service will influence the configuration of both sensor network and application for optimum efficiency and functionality. Not all inherent design decisions can be handled in isolation as they depend on the hardware costs involved in making a sensor and the market size for sensors of a given type.

Thus, the general goal of the project is the provision of a complete system view for building large populations of collaborating objects.

The impact on European industry and research comes from the provision of a European alternative to the WSNs originating in the USA.

The WASP results will be well suited for adoption by SMEs. The consortium defines an active programme to approach the appropriate SMEs and to familiarize them with the WASP results.

Three business areas, selected for their societal relevance and technical differences, validate the results of the project:

• Assisted road transport lowers the risk on accidents, reduces pollutions, reduces petrol consumption, and increases the efficiency of our roads.
• Elderly care benefits by reducing medication costs and increasing the mobility of the elderly.
• Herd health control reduces the health-risks, which threaten the cattle industry in the European area.

The WASP project aims at:

• The development of an autonomous and intelligent infrastructure, which incorporates a wireless sensor network.
• The development of a cost-efficient infrastructure that encourages application driven optimisation of the network composed of generic nodes.
• The deployment of the developed infrastructure within a prototype, based on selected applications, to validate both the sensor network design and the genericity of the offered design