Patent ID: 7756667

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring physical characteristics, the apparatus comprising: a framework having a plurality of sensors, each sensor being at a different location on the framework such that the plurality of sensors defines one three-dimensional unit cell, and each sensor for measuring a physical characteristic of an environment within a data center such that the plurality of sensors is for contemporaneously measuring the physical characteristic in the one three-dimensional unit cell within the data center, and wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is thermally isolated from the framework; means for moving the framework through the data center at defined increments corresponding to one or more dimensions of the one three-dimensional unit cell such that the plurality of sensors is located at increments of the three-dimensional unit cell to measure the physical characteristic of the environment; and means for communicating at least one of: the measured physical characteristic from at least one of the plurality of sensors; location information within the data center of at least one of the framework and a sensor on the framework, based on movement of the framework within the data center, wherein the location information corresponds to the set of defined increments; and orientation information of the framework wherein the orientation information corresponds to the set of defined increments, to a data storage device.