IEEE 42 Computer

tion levels, we must limit the effective range of each PicoNode to a couple of meters at most. Extending the reachable data range requires a scalable network infrastructure that allows distant nodes to communicate with each other. A self-configuring ad hoc networking approach is key to the deployment of such a network with many hundreds of nodes. Reducing the PicoNode's energy dissipation to this level is our focus here. The secret lies in a meticulous concern for energy reduction throughout all layers of the system design process. The largest opportunity lies in the protocol stack where a trade-off between communication and computation, as well as elimination of overhead, can lead to a many orders-of-magnitude energy reduction. Other opportunities lie in the adoption and introduction of novel self-optimizing radio architectures and opportunities for energy scavenging. PICORADIO APPLICATIONS Applications of such sensor and monitoring networks include environmental