Middleware architecture in WSN

Sensors integrated into the environment, machinery, and structures, and coupled with the efficient delivery of sensed information could provide tremendous benefits in a wide range of applications such as improved manufacturing productivity, enhanced homeland security, fewer catastrophic failures, and improved emergency response. The design and development of these applications should address the challenges dictated by Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) characteristics on the one hand and the targeted applications on the other hand. One of the novel emerging approaches used to address these challenges is the design of middleware for WSN. Middleware refers to distributed software that can bridge the gap and remove impediments between the heterogeneous hardware platform and the backend applications requirements. In recent years, research has been carried out on WSN middleware from different aspects and for different purposes. WSN can be used with other identification technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). In an integration system of RFID and WSN, RFID is used to identify objects while WSN can provide context environment information about these objects. This integration increases system intelligence in pervasive computing. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the existing middleware for WSN, seeking for a better understanding of the current issues and future directions in this field. It also examines the various approaches of middleware design, compares and suggests different types of applications where each approach can be used. Finally, it proposes an enhanced middleware framework; FlexRFID for the integration of RFID and WSN. © Springer New York 2015.