Environmental Data Recovery using Polynomial Regression
for Large-scale Wireless Sensor Networks
Kohei Ohba
1
, Yoshihiro Yoneda
1
, Koji Kurihara
2
, Takashi Suganuma
1
, Hiroyuki Ito
1
,
Noboru Ishihara
1
, Kunihiko Gotoh
1
, Koichiro Yamashita
2
and Kazuya Masu
1
1
ICE Cube Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsutacho 4259, Midori-ku, Kanagawa, 226–8503, Japan
2
Network Systems Laboratory, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Kamikodanaka 4–1–1,
Kawasaki Nakahara-ku, Kanagawa, 211–8588, Japan
Keywords:
Wireless Sensor Networks, Polynomial Regression, Data Recovery, Environment Monitoring.
Abstract:
In the near feature, large-scale wireless sensor networks will play an important role in our lives by monitoring
our environment with large numbers of sensors. However, data loss owing to data collision between the sensor
nodes and electromagnetic noise need to be addressed. As the interval of aggregate data is not fixed, digital
signal processing is not possible and noise degrades the data accuracy. To overcome these problems, we have
researched an environmental data recovery technique using polynomial regression based on the correlations
among environmental data. The reliability of the recovered data is discussed in the time, space and frequency
domains. The relation between the accuracy of the recovered characteristics and the polynomial regression
order is clarified. The effects of noise, data loss and number of sensor nodes are quantified. Clearly, polynomial
regression offers the advantage of low-pass filtering and enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the environmental
data. Furthermore, the polynomial regression can recover arbitrary environmental characteristics.
1 INTRODUCTION
Large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs) use
wireless sensor nodes to monitor environmental pa-
rameters such as temperature, humidity, pH, light
and air pressure. WSNs have many possible appli-
cations, ranging from structual health monitoring to
field monitoring. Thanks to the progress in micro-
electronics based on the integrated circuit technology,
small wireless sensor nodeswith low power consump-
tion have been achieved. However, problems exist
with data loss owing to data collision between the
sensor nodes and electromagnetic noise. As the in-
terval of aggregate data is not fixed in the time and
space domains, digital signal processing using Fourier
or wavelet transforms cannot be applied directly to
the aggregated data. Moreover, noise degrades the
data accuracy. Because the environmental character-
istics have various waveforms, data reliability cannot
evaluate by signal analysis. To overcome these prob-
lems, various techniques, such as data collection tim-
ing (Sivrikaya et al., 2004), redundant system (Ya-
mashita et al., 2014) and data recovery (Doherty et
al., 2000), have been used to increase data reliability.
We apply polynomial regression to environmen-
tal data recovery based on the correlations among
the environmental data. Environmental characteris-
tics are recovered as aggregated data from the sen-
sor nodes using polynomial regression. Thus, data
loss is minimized, and the data can be analysed eas-
ily. Basic sinusoidal environmental variations are as-
sumed to evaluate the data recovery with polynomial
regression. If the sinusoidal characteristics can be
modeled appropriately, arbitrary waveform character-
istics, such as single-shot, periodic and non-periodic
waveforms, can also be modelled. The recovered data
accuracy is evaluated by comparing the recovered and
source characteristics.
We have also proposed a data reliability evalua-
tion flowchart that does not rely on signal analysis
(Yoneda et al., 2014). We also clarify the relation
between the accuracy of the recovered characteristics
and the polynomial regression order, and the effects
of data loss and number of sensor nodes is analysed.
Furthermore, we show that the use of polynomial re-
gression has the advantage of low-pass filtering that
enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the envi-
ronmental characteristics. In addition, we show that
polynomial regression can recover arbitrary environ-
mental characteristics.
In section 2, we introduce the environmental data
recovery technique based on polynomial regression.