ZigBee Radio Channel Analysis in a Complex Vehicular Environment [Wireless Corner]

In this paper, the influence of the topology and morphology of a particularly complex scenario on the deployment of ZigBee wireless sensor networks is analyzed. This complex scenario is a car. The existence of loss mechanisms, such as material absorption (seats, dashboard, etc.), and strong multipath components due to the great number of obstacles and the metallic environment (bodywork), as well as the growing demand for wireless systems within a vehicle, emphasize the importance of the configuration of heterogeneous intra-car wireless systems. Measurement results, as well as simulation results by means of an in-house three-dimensional ray-launching algorithm, illustrate the strong influence of this complex scenario on the overall performance of the intra-car wireless sensor network. Results also show that ZigBee is a viable technology for successfully deploying intra-car wireless sensor networks.