COMP06258 2018 Maker Lab 201

Identify, employ and trouble-shoot software/hardware components appropriate to the Internet of Things

Document, illustrate and present the process behind a developed/provided solution

Propose, articulate and investigate a problem scenario scoping the constituent issues and actors.

Demonstrate inventiveness, cooperation/engagement and exploration in the pursuit of a solution

Opportunity will be given for students will work and be assessed both individually and collaboratively. It is likely that cohorts of students from a variety of computing programmes will work as a unit to ensure maximum opportunity to develop the transferable skills of presenting, writing, discussing, working with others, and time/skill management.

The scope of the planned exercises is such as to encourage participation across different computing programmes (e.g. UX expertise would be useful as would knowledge of networking protocols). However, formal assessments will primarily focus on individual work to ensure fairness and transparency of effort/reward.

The main assessments will be a team project where students will apply design thinking to imagine an IOT solution to a real world problem. They will then produce a  prototype as a proof of concept. Students will be asked to present their solutions as well as to write a report. The emphasis is on the process; creativity, teamwork using the tools above to produce an end product.

Students must engage with module lecturer to ensure access to necessary hardware material for completion of a repeat project. 

Identify, employ and trouble-shoot software/hardware components appropriate to the Internet of Things

• Micro-controller boards
• Role, configuration, interfacing & programmability
• Development environment e.g. bash/vim/Particle/Github
• Basic circuitry, sensors, shields, actuators, LEDs etc..
• Simple programming logic to perform physical computing
• Networking of solution componentry (including security and similar issues)

Document, illustrate and present the process behind a developed/provided solution

• Technical and customer-focused documenting of work
• E.g. Fritzing for circuitry, Hackaday.io for project documentation, Github for code
• Presentation of solutions and group review

Propose, articulate and investigate a problem scenario scoping the constituent issues and actors.

• Explore problem spaces amenable to IoT solutions
• Scope possible alternative solutions focusing on constraints such as practicality, cost, durability, and power.

Demonstrate inventiveness, cooperation/engagement and exploration in the pursuit of a solution

• Workshop-based, emphasis on invention, community resources, real-world application, integration of known solutions
• E.g. weather station monitor via app, using senseHAT for RPi 

The module will employ standard (open-source where possible) off-the-shelf components such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino or Beaglebone/BeagleBoard though this is subject to change as the technology evolves.