Abstracts of Fall 2008 332:421 Project Proposals




EZBox:   The objective is to create a wireless solution for television service providers to eliminate the hassle of coaxial cable installation. The current system requires a coaxial cable to be wired throughout the house to every television set. This creates a number of problems such as the need to request technicians to install the cables in the house and the lack of freedom in moving the television set to any part of the house. To solve this problem, the coaxial cables will be removed and replaced with a wireless system which will transmit the television signal from a wireless access point located at either the satellite dish or cable source coming going into a house. The cable box located at the television set would wirelessly receive the television signals. This wireless solution not only effectively downsizes the company’s workforce while still maintaining the same quality of service, but also targets customer convenience. (full report)


@URService:  @Your Service is a revolutionary system that will allow customers to wait in a “virtual” line while shopping elsewhere.  Upon entering a store, the patron will simply log in, and indicate the type of question s/he has, and will be placed in a queue that is dictated on a first come first serve basis.  This system will allow customers to be helped in an orderly fashion and will ultimately make their shopping experiences less stressful.  RF technology will be used to track customers throughout the store, as well as to alert them when it is their turn to be helped.  Active RFID readers will be placed on the customers’ device that they receive and carry once they log in.  RFID readers will be placed at the center of each department, and adjusted so that the range is just enough to cover the entire department.  @Your Service will be able to be expanded in the future to have the potential to allow customers to not have to wait in any line including the much dreaded, long checkout line. (full report)


BlueMsg:  This project will develop a hands-free system of communication, between a person and a phone. This system will incorporate Bluetooth technology and/or wifi system and synchronize with a regular smart phone to generate a text message without the use of fingers, enabling this activity in a car or in a mobile environment amicably. The hands-free system will be used to integrate speech to text algorithms, from concepts of digital signal processing, and wireless communications to compose a text message by command of voice; providing a option of listening to the composed message before the message is sent automatically.  The completion of such a project will provide safer means of communicating in a car which will be a step beyond the production of hands-free Bluetooth for phone calls.  (full report)


E-Paper:  The overall objective of the design is to implement wireless communication networks for applications on display technologies, such as: wireless transfer of data between displays, information scaling, and display coordination. An additional design feature is enabling the wireless transfer of data from a computer to the display. The design is envisioned to be as easy to use as possible utilizing automatic configuration, position based commands and reliable data transfer. This design project will primarily focus on quasi-static display technology, though in principle could be applied to a wide array of technologies and applications. The ideal display technology for use with this design is a new and emerging technology known as electronic paper.  (full report)