“If we have power fluctuations, we have unstable data,” Na said. “In order to have smooth power, very good power, quality is a key issue.”

Once the Bulldog Mote is created, it will be tested on forest fire detection and smart watering applications. The nodes should be able to report a fire at the very beginning, Wang said. That is the first goal. The second goal is to monitor moisture and track moisture activity with smart metering systems.

But it doesn’t end there. The technology can also be used in transportation safety monitoring systems to report traffic problems, he said.

Na is excited to finally connect his students with a research opportunity. He was starting to feel discouraged after so many of his project proposals were turned down.

“Our students are supposed to be exposed to research experience, which is really, really important, but in our case there hasn’t been much opportunity,” Na said. “Finally, we can offer that kind of experience. Not many people know that we are working on this kind of research.”

“This is cutting-edge technology, not only with wireless system networks but looking into power efficiency. If this can be done successfully, we can move on to other types of projects.”

–BoNhia Lee
UC Fresno

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