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Networking the Redwoods

Posted by michael on from the got-root dept.

linuxwrangler writes "SF Gate is reporting that ecology researchers are outfitting a grove of trees with tiny "micromote" sensors to monitor the light, humidity and other conditions as the trees grow. The sensors, running the open-source Tiny OS, form and maintain their own network. This test of the "Smart Dust" concept (mentioned on /. earlier) only uses 50 sensors but scientists hope to be able to deploy the sensors on a large scale to help figure out why California's Redwoods are dying off at an alarming rate."

5 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Let's get it out of the system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny


    Yes, but do they run Linux?

    Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!!

    In Soviet Russia, the redwoods network you!

    Place smart sensors in the woods!
    ?????
    Profit.

    Does that include the $699 SCO license fee?

  2. Now the only question is... by flicken · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...if a tree falls in those woods, and no one is around to hear it. Would it still make a sound?

    --
    20 mil and I will! Learn Esperanto with 20M others.
  3. Maybe... by Russ+Steffen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe they're dying because people keep trying to strap boxes to them, measuring temperature, humidity and who knows what else.

    Wouldn't that be ironic.

  4. Real Reason by mrselfdestrukt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Scientists have found out that the reason that the redwoods are dying is because of a lot of sensors being fitted to the trees and radio traffic networks between them. This has been confirmed by sensors and radio networks between them.

    --
    "I used to have that really cool,funny sig ,but it got stolen."
  5. Geek Test by pen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ok, so how many of us followed the link to Tiny OS but didn't go to the actual article? ;-)