Abstract
Last decade saw the development of Wireless Sensor Networks with multitude of applications built around the sensors. Though most of the issues at protocol and device level remain solved for Wireless Sensor Networks, there is a growing trend in integration of sensors and sensor based systems with Cyber Physical Systems, Machine-to-Machine and Device-to-Device communication both in infrastructure and ad-hoc modes. The emergence of Cloud Computing, highly intelligent 'Smart' devices and efforts towards 5th Generation telecom systems is expected to lead the revolution of a networked world with increased demand for situational awareness leading proliferation of sensors at the edge of physical world. Mounting intelligence built in 'smart' devices, scarcity of frequency spectrum, disruptive technologies and limitations on further reduction in base station size may render base station centric-architecture of today's wireless networks old-fashioned. Due to low data rate bursty nature of sensor data, massive- MIMO antennas, device-centric architectures, smarter devices and native support for Machine-to-Machine and Device-to-Device communication, sensor data originating from these systems and disruptive technologies is expected to grow manifold through passing years. Communication and network engineers face an emerging challenge of designing communication and network protocols that can efficiently get integrated with the emerging wireless cellular and computing paradigms. In this paper, we list down these communication and networking challenges and provide our vision for Wireless Sensor Networks related platforms and enabling technologies of next decade.