Throwbox Relays
To enhance connectivity between mobile nodes, we have designed throwboxes that act as stationary routers. Throwboxes are untethered from any power-supply, or backend wireless or wired connectivity. This makes throwboxes easily deployed ad hoc into a challenged environment using batteries for short-term deployment, or solar for longer-term use. Throwboxes are designed to use a combination of COTS low-power platforms, such as the Stargate PXA255 platform, and low-power microcontrollers. One of the unique features is the incorporation of the MaxStream long distance radios on the low power boxes. This allows vehicular nodes to hail the throwboxes, which can turn its 802.11 radio on and off in advance of a vehicular node entering its range.
We reported on our use of throwboxes relays in several places:
The boxes were also in the local news: in 2006.| A UMass Throwbox deployed on the roof of the Computer Science Building |  |
| Outside a UMass Throwbox |  |
| Inside of a UMass Throwbox |  |