RFID: Smart Dust Collecting in the Enterprise

Real world example of smart dust / motes at work...

" ... In the spring of 2002, the Intel's Research Lab at Berkeley began working with the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor and the University of California at Berkeley to install wireless sensor networks on Great Duck Island. The networks monitored the microclimates in and around nesting burrows used by the local waterfowl.

At the end of November 2002, well over 1 million readings had been logged from 32 motes strategically placed on the island. By 2003 a second generation network was added comprised of 56 nodes. The network was again expanded to 49 additional nodes in July and more than 60 more burrow nodes with 25 new weather station nodes were installed in August. The researchers say the nodes form a multihop network transferring their data back 'bucket brigade' style through dense forest. Some nodes are more than 1000 feet deep in the forest providing data through a low power wireless transceiver... "