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The present invention provides a distributed sensing system in a networked environment for identifying an analyte, including a first sensor array connected to the network comprising sensors capable of producing a first response in the presence of a chemical stimulus; a second sensor array connected

The present invention provides a distributed sensing system in a networked environment for identifying an analyte, including a first sensor array connected to the network comprising sensors capable of producing a first response in the presence of a chemical stimulus; a second sensor array connected to the network comprising sensors capable of producing a second response in the presence of a physical stimulus; and a computer comprising a resident algorithm. The algorithm indicates or selects the most relevant sensor in the network to identify the analyte. The sensors can be separated over large spatial areas, wherein the sensor arrays are networked. Suitable networks include a computer local area network, an intranet or the Internet.

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What is claimed is: 1. A distributed sensing system in a networked environment for identifying an analyte, said system comprising: a first sensor array connected to said network comprising sensors capable of producing a first response in the presence of a chemical stimulus; a second sensor array or

What is claimed is: 1. A distributed sensing system in a networked environment for identifying an analyte, said system comprising: a first sensor array connected to said network comprising sensors capable of producing a first response in the presence of a chemical stimulus; a second sensor array or single sensor connected to said network comprising sensors capable of producing a second response in the presence of a physical stimulus, wherein each sensor of said second sensor array or said single sensor is an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, a radiation sensor, a thermal sensor or combinations thereof; a computer connected to said network; a computer readable algorithm for execution by said computer, said computer readable algorithm comprising: (1) instructions for indicating or selecting the most relevant sensor modality to use within each sensor array for a particular application in said network, or (2) instructions for comparing a combination of said first response and said second response with combinations of responses of a particular analyte or mixture of substances that are known so as to identify an unknown analyte. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable algorithm comprises instructions for indicating or selecting the most relevant sensor modality to use within each sensor array for a particular application in said network. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable algorithm comprises instructions for comparing a combination of said first response and said second response with combinations of responses of a particular analyte or mixture of substances that are known so as to identify an unknown analyte. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each sensor of said first sensor array is a member selected from the group consisting of a bulk conducting polymer film, a semiconducting polymer sensor, a surface acoustic wave device, a fiber optic micromirror, a quartz crystal microbalance, a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor, a dye impregnated polymeric coatings on optical fiber and combinations thereof. 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein each sensor of said first sensor array is a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor. 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of said first response is conducted via wired communications. 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of said first response is conducted via wireless communications. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said wireless communications are implemented using communications technologies selected from the group consisting of infrared technology, satellite technology, microwave technology and radio wave technology. 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said networked environment is a member selected from the group consisting of a worldwide computer network, an internet, the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, an intranet and combinations thereof. 10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said networked environment is the Internet. 11. A method for transferring a combination of chemical and physical data over a computer network for identification of an analyte, said method comprising: transmitting sensory data from a first sensor array comprising sensors capable of producing a first response in the presence of a chemical stimulus to a remote location; transmitting physical data from a second sensor array or single sensor comprising sensors capable of producing a second response in the presence of a physical stimulus to a remote location, wherein each sensor of said second sensor array or single sensor is an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, a radiation sensor, a thermal sensor or combinations thereof; and processing said sensory and physical data at said remote location, wherein said processing comprises: (1) indicating or selecting the most relevant sensor modality to use within each sensor array for a particular application in said network, or (2) comparing said first response and said second response with known combinations of responses so as to identify an unknown analyte. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing comprises indicating or selecting the most relevant sensor modality to use within each sensor array for a particular application in said network. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing comprises comparing said first response and said second response with known combinations of responses so as to identify an unknown analyte. 14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising employing a sensor selection algorithm to determine sensors in said first array. 15. The method according to claim 11, wherein each sensor of said first sensor array is a member selected from the group consisting of a bulk conducting polymer film, a semiconducting polymer sensor, a surface acoustic wave device, a fiber optic micromirror, a quartz crystal microbalance, a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor, a dye impregnated polymeric coatings on optical fiber and combinations thereof.