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The concept of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) emerged in the last decade, with various applications proposed. It was envisioned that the ubiquitous sensing and communication devices would soon be integrated into our daily life, to provide information and convenience wherever and whenever we need. However, to date, we have yet to see mass adoption of such applications, mainly due to the lack of viable wireless sensing devices, as well as the fragmentation of the data storage, computing, and networking infrastructure. Recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing, as well as concurrent attempts in standardization in low-power wireless networking and security, are paving the way for the commercialization of WSN applications. With the commercial ecosystem getting in place and infrastructures becoming mature, the challenge lies in the research and development in low-cost, miniaturized, and self-sustaining circuits and systems, to realize sensing and wireless communication functionalities which are critical in the future WSN landscape.

In this special issue, the latest research efforts on circuits and systems for wireless sensing are presented. 10 research papers are published in this issue, covering a wide variety of topics including MAC and routing protocols for wireless sensor networks, integrated circuits, and devices for wireless sensors, as well as complete wireless sensor systems for real world applications. The highlights of these papers are summarized as follows.