Real-Time Indoor Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Through Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, indoor air quality has become an important health and safety concern, as more energy efficient and air tight buildings are built and the existing buildings age. Clean air is essential for good health, and this is especially true when it comes to indoor air. However, many work environments lack proper detection mechanisms to identify health risks for occupants. Wireless ad hoc sensor networks have the potential to alleviate this problem. This paper presents a real-time cognitive wireless sensor network system for carbon dioxide monitoring at a complex indoor environment. The system aims to monitor and detect the concentration of carbon dioxide in a real-time basis and provide overall air quality alerts in a timely manner. Moreover, the system coexists with minimum interference with other systems in the monitoring area. A prototype is designed to show the enhanced real-time data transmission. Experiments are conducted to validate and support the development of the system for real-time monitoring and alerting.