View source for Smartdust

{{Short description|System of microelectromechanical devices}}
'''Smartdust'''<ref>''More than Meets the eye''. PC Mag. Mar 12, 2002. Page 30.</ref> is a system of many tiny [[microelectromechanical systems]] (MEMS) such as sensors, robots, or other devices, that can detect, for example, [[light]], [[temperature]], [[vibration]], [[magnetism]], or [[chemical]]s. They are usually operated on a [[computer network]] [[wireless]]ly and are distributed over some area to perform tasks, usually sensing through [[radio-frequency identification]]. Without an antenna of much greater size the range of tiny smart dust communication devices is measured in a few [[millimeter]]s and they may be vulnerable to electromagnetic disablement and destruction by microwave exposure.

==Design and engineering==
The concepts for Smart Dust emerged from a workshop at [[RAND]] in 1992 and a series of [[DARPA]] ISAT studies in the mid-1990s due to the potential military applications of the technology.<ref>Rosenthal, Marshal M. "Gamebits: Digital Tricks". ''[[Games (magazine)|Games]]''. Issue 160 (Vol 24, #3). Pg.6. May 2000.</ref> The work was strongly influenced by work at [[UCLA]] and the [[University of Michigan]] during that period, as well as science fiction authors [[Stanislaw Lem]] (in novels ''[[The Invincible]]'' in 1964 and ''[[Peace on Earth (novel)|Peace on Earth]]'' in 1985), [[Neal Stephenson]] and [[Vernor Vinge]]. The first public presentation of the concept by that name was at the [[American Vacuum Society]] meeting in Anaheim in 1996.

A Smart Dust research proposal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/SmartDustBAA97-43-Abstract.pdf|title=''Smart Dust: BAA97-43 Proposal Abstract'', POC: Kristofer S.J. Pister|website=berkeley.edu|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> was presented to DARPA written by [[Kristofer S. J. Pister]], Joe Kahn, and Bernhard Boser, all from the [[University of California, Berkeley]], in 1997. The proposal, to build wireless sensor nodes with a volume of one cubic millimeter, was selected for funding in 1998. The project led to a working [[Sensor node|mote]] smaller than a grain of rice,<ref>{{cite book |last5=Bellew |first5=C.L. |last6=Chediak |first6=J.A. |last7=Kahn |first7=J.M. |last8=Boser |first8=B.E. |last9=Pister |first9=K.S.J. |last1=Warneke |first1=B.A. |last2=Scott |first2=M.D. |last3=Leibowitz |first3=B.S. |last4=Lixia Zhou |title=Proceedings of IEEE Sensors |chapter=An autonomous 16 mm<sup>3</sup> Solar-powered node for distributed wireless sensor networks |doi=10.1109/ICSENS.2002.1037346|s2cid=17152548|date=2002 |volume=2 |pages=1510–1515 |isbn=0-7803-7454-1 }}</ref> and larger "COTS Dust" devices kicked off the [[TinyOS]] effort at [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]].

The concept was later expanded upon by Kris Pister in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/warneke01smart.html|title=CiteSeerX|website=psu.edu|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> A recent review discusses various techniques to take smartdust in [[sensor network]]s beyond millimeter dimensions to the [[micrometre]] level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/neural-dust-could-enable-a-fitbit-for-the-nervous-system|title="Neural Dust" Could Enable a Fitbit for the Nervous System|first=Simon|last=Makin|work=Scientific American |date=August 8, 2016 |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>

The Ultra-Fast Systems component of the Nanoelectronics Research Centre at the [[University of Glasgow]] is a founding member of a large international consortium which is developing a related concept: smart specks.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://userweb.elec.gla.ac.uk/j/jbarker/sd.html |title=Smart Dust for Space Exploration |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-date=2017-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630074703/http://userweb.elec.gla.ac.uk/j/jbarker/sd.html }}</ref>

Smart Dust entered the Gartner [[Hype Cycle]] on Emerging Technologies in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|title=2003 Gartner Hype Cycle on emerging technologies|website=Gartner|access-date=20 August 2016|url=https://www.gartner.com/doc/399359}}</ref> and returned in 2013, as the most speculative entrant.<ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Gartner Hype Cycle on emerging technologies|website=Gartner|access-date=14 September 2015|url=http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819122422/http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515|archive-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>

In 2022, a Nature paper written by Shyamnath Gollakota, Vikram Iyer, Hans Gaensbauer and Thomas Daniel, all from the [[University of Washington]], presented tiny light-weight programmable battery-free wireless sensors that can be dispersed in the wind.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Iyer |first1=Vikram |last2=Gaensbauer |first2=Hans |last3=Daniel |first3=Thomas L. |last4=Gollakota |first4=Shyamnath |date=2022-03-17 |title=Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices |url=https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10408042 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=603 |issue=7901 |pages=427–433 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9 |pmid=35296847 |bibcode=2022Natur.603..427I |s2cid=247499662 |issn=0028-0836|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507014903/https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10408042 |archive-date=7 May 2024 }}</ref> These devices were inspired by Dandelion seeds that can travel as far as a kilometer in dry, windy, and warm conditions.

==Examples==
[[Dust Networks]] started a project exploring the application of Smartdust, which included:

* Defense-related sensor networks such as battlefield surveillance, treaty monitoring, transportation monitoring, and scud hunting.
* Virtual keyboard sensors: by attaching miniature remotes to each fingernail, accelerometers could then sense the orientation and motion of each fingertip, and communicate this data to a computer in a wristwatch.
* Inventory control: by placing miniature sensors on each object in the inventory system (product package, carton, pallet, truck warehouse, internet), each component could "talk" to the next component in the system. This evolved into today's [[RFID]] inventory control systems.
* Product quality monitoring: temperature and humidity monitoring of perishables such as meat, produce, and dairy.
* Impact, vibration and temperature monitoring of consumer electronics, for failure analysis and diagnostic information, e.g. monitoring the vibration of bearings to detect frequency signatures that may indicate imminent failure.

==Conspiracy theories==
Smartdust has figured in conspiracy theories - which have no real basis - that claim microscopic devices are dispersed by aircraft ("[[chemtrails]]") or injected via vaccines to enable tracking or mind control. A peer-reviewed survey of atmospheric scientists found no evidence for a secret large-scale atmospheric spraying program and concluded that purported "chemtrail" evidence is consistent with ordinary contrails and atmospheric deposition.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shearer |first1=Christine |last2=West |first2=Mick |last3=Caldeira |first3=Ken |last4=Davis |first4=Steven J. |title=Quantifying expert consensus against the existence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=2016 |volume=11 |issue=8 |article-number=084011 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084011 |bibcode=2016ERL....11h4011S |doi-access=free }}</ref> Fact-checking organizations have likewise found no evidence for related claims, including that Hitachi's so-called "smart dust" RFID chip has GPS capability or could function if ingested,<ref>{{cite web |title=No evidence GPS 'smart dust' is being implanted in humans |website=Full Fact |date=12 November 2021 |url=https://fullfact.org/online/hitachi-smart-dust-gps/ |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> and that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips or "nanobots"; the lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines are delivery vehicles for RNA, not tracking devices.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fact check: Lipid nanoparticles in a COVID-19 vaccine are there to transport RNA molecules |work=Reuters |date=5 December 2020 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-vaccine-nanoparticles-idUSKBN28F0I9 |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=FDA-Approved 'Electronic Pill' Isn't Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccines Contain Microchips |website=FactCheck.org |date=26 May 2022 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2022/05/scicheck-pfizer-ceo-not-referencing-covid-19-vaccines-contrary-to-false-impression-in-posts-about-microchips/ |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> Analyses of social-media discourse further indicate that the chemtrails narrative dominates much online discussion of geoengineering despite scientific rejection of the theory.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tingley |first1=Dustin |last2=Wagner |first2=Gernot |title=Solar geoengineering and the chemtrails conspiracy on social media |journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications |date=31 October 2017 |volume=3 |article-number=12 |doi=10.1057/s41599-017-0014-3 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-017-0014-3 |access-date=26 August 2025|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Privacy and environmental concerns ==

The application of smart dust has led to discussion about potential privacy concerns, mainly due to the extremely small size and inconspicuous nature of the devices, which is a defining characteristic of smart dust technology <ref>{{cite web
 |last=Geißer
 |first=Otto
 |title=Smart Dust – unsichtbare Augen, die alles erkennen
 |url=https://www.bigdata-insider.de/smart-dust-unsichtbare-augen-die-alles-erkennen-a-83c8e8f2c0049a725cdd993f0d1c9e33/
 |website=BigData-Insider.de
 |language=de
 |access-date=10 December 2025
}}</ref>. Because smart dust sensors are designed to be embedded in their environment and operate without being easily noticed, this lack of physical visibility has been cited as a factor that complicates transparency regarding when and where sensing takes place.

Environmental concerns have also been associated with smart dust concepts. Early research describes smart dust systems as consisting of large numbers of miniature sensor nodes distributed across an environment to collect data on physical conditions such as light, temperature, or motion <ref>{{cite publication
 |last=Pister
 |first=Kristofer S. J.
 |author2=Hsu, V. S.
 |author3=Kahn, J. M.
 |title=Wireless Communications for Smart Dust
 |publisher=University of California, Berkeley
 |year=1998
 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kristofer-Pister/publication/2857506_Wireless_Communications_for_Smart_Dust/links/02e7e5214dcba6658c000000/Wireless-Communications-for-Smart-Dust.pdf
 |access-date=28 December 2025
}}</ref>. Due to their extremely small size and the large quantities in which they are intended to be deployed, recovering individual devices after deployment is generally impractical, raising concerns about their long-term presence in the environment.

Related research in materials science has explored biodegradable and transient electronic systems as a way to reduce the environmental impact of small-scale sensing devices. For example, silicon nanomembrane-based sensor systems have been developed for environmental monitoring and medical applications that are designed to physically degrade after a limited operational lifetime, thereby reducing persistent electronic waste <ref>{{cite journal
 |title=Biodegradable flexible silicon nanomembrane-based NOx gas sensor system with record-high performance for transient environmental monitors and medical implants
 |journal=NPG Asia Materials
 |year=2020
 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346503564_Biodegradable_flexible_silicon_nanomembrane-based_NOx_gas_sensor_system_with_record-high_performance_for_transient_environmental_monitors_and_medical_implants
 |access-date=10 December 2025
}}</ref>.

Security considerations have also been discussed in the broader context of wireless sensor networks, a category that includes smart dust. Survey literature on wireless sensor networks identifies challenges such as limited computational resources, constrained power supplies and increased vulnerability to interception or disruption, which complicate the implementation of conventional security mechanisms in very small sensor nodes <ref>{{cite journal
 |last=Akyildiz
 |first=Ian F.
 |author2=Su, Weilian
 |author3=Sankarasubramaniam, Yogesh
 |author4=Cayirci, Erdal
 |title=Wireless sensor networks: a survey
 |journal=Computer Networks
 |volume=38
 |issue=4
 |year=2002
 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389128601003024
}}</ref>.

== See also ==
* {{Annotated link|Claytronics}}
* {{Annotated link|A Deepness in the Sky|''A Deepness in the Sky''}}
* {{Annotated link|The Diamond Age|''The Diamond Age''}}
* {{Annotated link|Dust Networks}}
* {{Annotated link|Grey goo}}
* {{Annotated link|The Invincible|''The Invincible''}}
* {{Annotated link|Mesh networking}}
* {{Annotated link|Nanotechnology}}
* {{Annotated link|Neural dust}}
* {{Annotated link|Prey (novel)|''Prey'' (novel)}}
* {{Annotated link|Programmable matter}}
* {{Annotated link|Radio-frequency identification|RFID}}
* {{Annotated link|Self-reconfiguring modular robot}}
* {{Annotated link|Smart camera}}
* {{Annotated link|Smart camera network}}
* {{Annotated link|TinyOS}}
* {{Annotated link|Ubiquitous computing}}
* {{Annotated link|Unconventional computing}}
* {{Annotated link|Utility fog}}
* {{Annotated link|Wireless sensor network}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://computer.howstuffworks.com/mote1.htm Motes] at [[How Stuff Works]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050613075906/http://www.tinyos.net/ Open source mote designs and TinyOS operating system from UC Berkeley]
* [https://net-of-things.blogspot.com/ Rethinking The Internet of Things]—Nature driven view of M2M cloud communications based on lightweight chirp devices.
* [http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/ UC Berkeley Smart Dust Project]
* [http://sensor-networks.org/index.php?page=0823123150 Info about smart dust communications] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319184855/http://sensor-networks.org/index.php?page=0823123150 |date=2012-03-19}})
* [http://sailorgroup.ucsd.edu/ Sailor research group at UCSD]
* [http://www.specknet.org SpeckNet research groups based in Scotland]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/science/earth/10wire.html Web of Sensors]: "In the wilds of the San Jacinto Mountains, along a steep canyon, scientists are turning {{Convert|30|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of pines and hardwoods in California into a futuristic vision of environmental study. They are linking up more than 100 tiny sensors, robots, cameras and computers, which are beginning to paint an unusually detailed portrait of this lush world, home to more than 30 rare and endangered species. Much of the instrumentation is wireless. Devices the size of a deck of cards—known as motes, after dust motes..."
* [http://www.scdigest.com/assets/FirstThoughts/05-08-25.cfm?cid=221&ctype=content Technologies to watch: motes]
* [http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2009/06/molecular_shuttle_power.asp Molecular shuttle power]: Smart dust biosensors may be smaller than a grain of sand but they have big potential–An [http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Instant_insights.asp Instant Insight] from the [[Royal Society of Chemistry]]
* [http://www.betabatt.com/ Betavoltaic batteries] from 2.5 micrometres cubed upwards, 10- to 30-year lifespan.
{{MEMS Devices}}
{{Computer sizes}}
{{Wireless Sensor Network}}
{{Robotics}}
{{Ambient intelligence}}

[[Category:Artificial materials]]
[[Category:Microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems]]
[[Category:Microtechnology]]
[[Category:Sensors]]
[[Category:Smart materials]]
[[Category:Wireless sensor network]]