The iSENSE system consists of five core components:
- A Persistent Data Store, connected via the internet, that hosts all collected data. Registered iSENSE users can create experiments which populate this database with data. Anyone on the internet can search through the database and create visualizations from it.
- A Desktop Client that runs on the user's computer which has attached sensors. The client is a trusted Java applet which is loaded from the iSENSE web site but runs on a user's local computer. The applet then reads data from attached sensors and puts the data into the database.
- A Data Analysis and Visualization Client that runs on any internet-connected computer. This client queries the Data Store and creates visualizations of the data.
- A Wireless Subsystem that allows users to collect data remotely. This has various modes. In the simplest mode, it is a real-time wireless link to a remote sensor. It also has a store-and-forward mode, in which data are captured by a remote unit for later upload by the Desktop Client. Please note that the Wireless Subsystem is not required to demonstrate viable use of iSENSE.
- A Community Web Board that hosts user account information, instructional material, and experimental frameworks. The Desktop Client is served from the Community Board, and account information from the Board is used when authenticating data to be placed in the Data Store.
Basic Data Capture
The diagram below shows basic data capture using iSENSE:
In the diagram, the user's computer (center) is running the Desktop Client. A local sensor is plugged into the computer (left). The Client has logged the user into the Data Store (right).
In real time, the Desktop Client is taking readings from the sensor and putting them into the Data Store.
Basic Data Visualization
The diagram below shows basic data visualization using iSENSE:
The computer is any internet-connected browser. It loads a Java applet from the iSENSE web site which then retrieves data from the Data Store. The data are then represented visually in the applet.
For details on more advanced iSENSE usage modes, see the Wireless page.
