The portable sensor network: Conceptualization and development of a modular, upgradable, and reusable sensor system for the provision of offensive and defensive surveillance
In the 21st century, law-enforcement, military, border patrol, and private companies all use a wide variety of surveillance equipment that is tailored to their specific needs. This equipment is expensive, typically requires an enormous capital investment, and often fails to live up to expectations; there must be a better way. The primary objective of this thesis is to conceptualize a new and more capable surveillance system, dubbed the Portable Sensor Network (PSN), which can either augment or entirely replace existing systems. The core concept of the PSN demands that it must affordable, portable, modular, and based on existing, commercially available technology. To achieve this goal a four step methodology has been developed: analysis of customer’s needs, analysis of the capabilities and features of existing systems, development of the PSN based on that analyses, and finally, analysis of the fully developed PSN’s effectiveness via analytical methods borrowed from the field of intelligence analysis. By the end of this thesis, it should be clear to the reader which surveillance system(s) are most effective in a given scenario and how the PSN can augment or replace that system(s)
