Next Generation R/WIS: Concept and Prototype Implementation

Traditional R/WISs offer limited scope of data types, limited communication methods, and proprietary incompatibility problems. The R/WIS in Minnesota District-1 experienced the typical problems of the traditional R/WIS. This project looked at solutions to these problems--developing a new layered hierarchical architecture referred to as NG-R/WIS. Four layers--a sensor layer, a data integration layer, a database layer, and an application layer--for the basis of the NG-R/WIS. This architecture allowed integration of heterogeneous systems thorough the data integration layer and provided structured data to applications through a standard relational database and computer networks. This project developed three applications: web page service, automated voice service, and live stream-video service. The web pages and automated voice serviced provided a new class of information. The report concludes with the recommendations and future direction of the proposed NG-R/WIS.