SENDORA project focuses on developing innovative techniques based on sensor networks, which will support the coexistence of licensed and unlicensed wireless users in the same area. The capability to detect spectrum holes, without interfering with the primary network currently in use, is the actual major difficulty faced by the cognitive radio, all the more as a fine granularity of allocation (time and frequency) is targeted. The key innovative and original concept proposed in SENDORA project consists in developing a "Sensor Network aided Cognitive Radio" technology, which will allow solving this issue, thanks to the introduction of sensor networks and associated networking capabilities.

Beyond the limited current state-of-the-art on cognitive radio (e.g. IEEE 802.21 in static UHF TV spectrum allocation), this technology will allow to address a very dynamic and competitive mixed radio access between cellular and broadband technologies. First, different types of scenarios are proposed, corresponding to real needs, mainly identified by the potential integrators of the solutions. On the technical point of view, novel spectrum sensing and actuation techniques are proposed to be able to identify spectrum holes, analyzing the co-existence of cognitive radios with primary licensed technology without generating harmful interferences. The design, dimensioning and networking of the wireless sensor network is deeply addressed. Finally, a proof-of-concept demonstration is developed to assess the studies and simulations provided for each technique described previously. 

European Commission