 As future computer engineers and technicians, it is important that we understand emerging technologies. The world that we live in changes very rapidly, and we need to realize that as one new method, interface, or technology emerges, it is quickly followed by a new one on a not so distant horizon. Some become "standardized" and part of every day life, while others, no matter how promising they may have been, fade away to the trash pile of history.
Some of the emerging technologies that may impact computing in the future include: 1. Biometrics 2. Using GPU (Graphic Processing Units)s for general purpose computing 3. Solid State Drives (SSD) 4. Holographic Data Storage 5. Quantum Computing 6. Screen-less Displays (ie. virtual retina display) 7. 3D Displays 8. 3D Printing 9. Intelligent Apparel 10. Swarm Robotics 11. Powered Exoskeletons 12. App Based Computing (instead of web browser based) With a partner (or by yourself if you wish), pick one of the above topics and complete your first assignment for this course. Make sure that your final work is well-researched, professional in appearance, and written at a level that your audience can understand.Also make sure that you understand Gartner's Hype Cycle, and how it applies to technology. You will have today and next Monday to work on this assignment. The evaluation rubric can be found here. You will need your boxes today, as we are going to spend the next few periods learning operating systems. For those of you who haven't passed the terminology test by the end of today's class, you will rewrite during lunch on Tuesday (if you fail to score 80% you will rewrite at every lunch from then on).
If you are still struggling with the Terminology information this website might help. Today we will be briefly exploring the role and function of a computer's BIOS. The handout that you will need is attached here.
We are starting Operating Systems today, and will be taking advantage of the class being the last period to start loading Windows 7 on to our test systems. We will also be discussing the role and functions of the "driver", and be collecting the needed pieces of software for our hardware from various sources (which may prove somewhat difficult given that our test machines are approaching 5 years old). There are various shortcuts and pitfalls that you need to be made aware of, so please pay particular attention and take notes throughout the process. Today's discussion will be brief, and you will need this organizer to help you keep your notes in order. First video demonstrates how a hard drive works, the second video explains SSD technology, and the third explains RAID. Looking for some REALLY COOL projects for the Arduinos and Raspberry Pis? Check out Adafruit's Learning Site
This is a pretty cool use of an Arduino. This costume uses digitally addressable LED strips hooked up to an Arduino microcontroller. It is responsive to sound and has 2 potentiometers and a button in the back of one of the ears for control and a microphone hidden in the front. It has 12 modes and 372 LEDs (124 chips with 3 each). Still struggling to find an OBP that you'll find challenging?
Check out this link from Make Magazine. We have a lot of these materials in the classroom. You are only limited by your imagination! A major part of your final mark is your culminating activity, meant to be a personal exploration of the skills and knowledge that you find interesting in the course. This project is meant to take a minimum of 25 hours, and should be broad in scope. While a good number of students use this as an opportunity to build a brand new computer system from scratch, the OBP does not have to involve spending money. You could complete something using the resources we have in class (ie. the Lego Robotics or the Raspberry Pi), or a program done using several free programming packages. You will need to complete the attached OBP Proposal Template (your report can be in point form), and submit it no later than next Friday (September 16th) . Make sure you use specifics ("the Internet" is not a source...a specific website or webpage would be considered a source). Please take this project very seriously, as this whole process is going to account for 30% of your final mark. Some places you might want to look for inspiration include: Instructables Adafruit Projects Reddit: Raspberry Pi Reddit: Arduino Projects Khan Academy: Lego Robotics Make Magazine (we has a subscription to this, with past issues being kept in the library) Hackaday eHow 47 Raspberry Pi Project Ideas 5 Raspberry Pi Projects To Try (from MicroMart UK Magazine)
The possibilities of the Raspberry Pi are limitless, but sometimes having infinite choices makes it hard to pick just one. If you want to try a project out but don’t know where to even start, how about picking one of these suggestions? Create An XMBC Media Centre Create your own media centre system, complete with remote control, HDMI output and 8GB of SD card storage, using this guide. Create A WhatsApp Messenger Client Ever wanted to WhatsApp from your desk? If you don’t have a spare tablet or laptop, you can turn the Raspberry Pi into a WhatsApp client using Raspian and this guide. Set Up A Cloud Server It’s a monster of a project, but follow this 30-step guide, and you’ll find yourself with Pi-based storage that you can plug into your router to access from anywhere on the internet. Improve Your Wireless Network Whether you want to extend the range of your network coverage or create a secondary guest network, your Raspberry Pi can serve as the means to do this. Just follow the steps in the link above. Create A Retro Gaming Console If you miss the thrill of playing games on your TV instead of hunched over a keyboard, why not use your Pi to reincarnate an old gaming system (this time with an HDMI hookup!) Today we are finishing up the components of a mainboard, and rebuilding our machines. We will use our problem solving skills if they fail to boot (and no giving up!). Work with a partner and try and quiz yourselves using the mainboard below as your test subject.  Any time left can be spent working on your Culminating Assignment proposal (due in final form on Friday).
Today you will get your hands a little dirty. Please make sure that you listen to all the procedures before we start. After you take everything a part, we will spend the next day putting the systems back together and labelling a diagram of a "typical" mainboard (you will want to print this out at the start of class).
It is also not too early to start thinking about your culminating project. As we talked about in class, I want to be able to support you in any direction that you would like to go in re: your own self-directed learning. We will learn many fundamentals in class, but it's during the culminating activity that you can truly push yourself to explore your interests. A good place to start for unbelievably cool ideas is Instructables. Chocked full of absolute awesomeness! Remember, the culminating activity is NOT about the $$ spent, but rather the challenge and the process |
