pointless sensor networks, or senseless pointer networks - which is worse?

so just about every sensor net i've seen is
a) static
b) battery powered but controls devices that have mains electrics
c) uses wireless links but could have done broadband down the power line
d) doesn't need more than 1 sensor (e.g .light/heat) and a few actuators

why, why why?

also, the s/w should be written in conic or esterel or some algebraic specification language and compiled onto bare metal

senseless middleware - just say NO!

so here's a problem - you have lotw of tunnels with tunnel lights and you have to adjust them deepdning on the profile of light at the entrance:- tunnel vision (and the arbitrary complexity of a generic middleware like teenylime or limey teens) - solution - put 1 BIG light at the entrance, which is solar powered and emits light in inverse proportion to the sunlight, and then clock (sorry, power down) the rest of the lights to the lowest level...

game over

show me a sensor net problem that actually needs a network:)