Cambridge's Streetlamp-Powered Wireless Network

Serpentegena writes "A joint research project by scientists at Harvard University and BBn Technologies may have spawned a new breed of Metronet. The wireless network, code-named CitySense, which will consist of 100 streetlamp-mounted nodes by 2011, will draw power off the Cambridge, Mass. public grid and be used at first for weather and pollution monitoring. The intention is to also allow 'academic researchers worldwide [...] to submit their own research programs to run on the network.' Sounds remarkably similar to the beginning of the ARPANET, except the network hosts will be running Linux."

Comments

Whoa!

[alienmole]

100 nodes by 2011? That's like, 25 whole nodes every year between now and then! How are they going to manage such a massive feat of engineering?

This will be a total failure

[Anonymous Coward]

I hear these network nodes will have flashing LEDs which will drive the local police forces apeshit.

Expect many lawsuits and unjust imprisonment.

But

[MichaelSmith]

The extra power from sunlight which you have ignored will feed back through the system and accelerate out of control. Every street light will become a white hot whirlpool of circulating energy until the city of Cambridge is burnt to a crisp.

Metronet?

[Dachannien]

Metronet, huh? Is that like an Internet for really well-groomed straight guys?