Abstract--In this paper, we contend that there are significant advantages in treating some classes of sensor networks as biological-like systems-both in structural design characteristics and in operational processes. We show how this design process leads to a sensor network system that is robust to topological changes, is scaleable and self-organising-and has a number of other desirable features. The operating system kOS was designed to support the operation of distributed biologically-inspired algorithms, in order to accomplish tasks in a sensor network system. We look at t h e design of kOS and anaiyse its performance. The work presented has been implemented in an environmental monitoring project, and has applications in other areas.
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