PCC IntraTech
Computer Science – Engineering – Industrial Technology Cross-‐func<onal STEM Experimental Course Summer 2012
17 Feb 2012
What is PCC IntraTech?
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Technology Jobs Technical Skills People Skills PCC’s CET and Transfer programs address the need for these combined skills requiring a mix of technical coursework and humani<es. HOWEVER… Modern workforce jobs also require employees to engage in cross-‐func<onal technical teams to realize complex products. Today, engineering design, computer programming, and prototype fabrica<on are all essen<al employee skills.
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In response to the observed gap between industry needs and current program offerings, PCC IntraTech is being launched as an explora<on into the possibili<es of integrated technical learning.
PCC IntraTech Plan
In order to collabora<vely engage engineering, computer science, and industrial technology students and faculty, we needed to come up with project– one that would be fun, challenging, and impressive. a concept Yet more importantly, this project’s intent is to flush out the details necessary to establish a long-‐term working rela<onship between these departments, hence the name PCC IntraTech. A\er considering several project op<ons, we struck on the idea of inven<ng and building a cu]ng edge telepresence robot; one which will (at least hypothe<cally) enable remote students to par<cipate in on-‐ campus classroom ac<vi<es. The code name of our project robot is iVatar: internet-controllable avatar
iVatar’s basic func<onality can be seen in the video below created by Johnny Chung Lee, a Google engineer/futurist who built this low-‐cost robot to keep in touch with his family in Seaele while he worked in Silicon Valley. iVatar’s stretch goal func<onali<es include: • Robo<c manipula<on arm
• Onboard screen projec<on system
• Full-‐rota<on auxiliary camera • Autonomous naviga<on
Ø I Planning– Winter 2012 q q q q q q q q
Ascertain Project Funding Select demonstra<on project Assemble project team Order materials and demonstrate proof-‐of-‐concept Generate department faculty and student interest Explore op<ons for course logis<cs including CCOG dra\ List op<ons for long-‐term PCC IntraTech ac<vi<es Obtain finalized project sponsor approval
Ø I Status Update 2-‐18-‐2012
Ø II Prototyping– Spring 2012 q q q q q q q q q
Document Summer 2012 course syllabus Document iVatar project specifica<ons Iden<fy possible compe<<on events Request Advisory Board feedback (where applicable) Select student volunteers & complete beta build Procure all project material Iden<fy auxiliary student reading requirements Finalize course loca<on and instructor(s) Adver<se course offering to aeract enrollment
Ø III Execu?ng– Summer 2012 q q q q q q q
Build iVatars Publish results Complete course logis<cs (eg grade submieals) Hold compe<<ons Demonstrate results to PCC administra<on Collect student feedback Assemble faculty notes and recommenda<ons
Ø IV Assessing– Fall 2012 q q q
Analize student and faculty feedback Generate long-‐term plan (IntraTech Cer<ficate?) Request future funding
Ø I Status Update 2-‐17-‐12 ü Select demonstra<on project iVatar has been selected as our telepresence class project. A second robot, eVatar is being considered as a companion robot and together they will evolve into fully func<onal telepresence robots with added features as <me and skills permit.
ü Assemble project team Sponsors Dieterich Steinmetz – Science and Engineering Charmagne Ehrenhaus – Computer Science Dan Findley – Industrial Technology Faculty Leads Gregg Meyer Li Ling Pat Kra\ ü Order materials
– Engineering ( Project Manager) – Computer Science – Industrial Technology
The following items have been ordered and received: • iCreate robot plakorm from Turtlebot (1 base-‐ only and 1 full kit with computer) • Robo<c Arm to aeach to iVatar’s torso • Kinects X-‐box vision system • Foscam IP Camera
Ø I Status Update 2-‐17-‐12 (cont.) q Demonstrate Proof-‐of-‐Concept Faculty leads are in the process of unboxing, assembling, and striving towards basic func<onality of subsystem.
q Generate Department Faculty and Student Interest Just beginning to happen now. More will follow as we get hardware and so\ware opera<onal and have “show and tell” material (~ Mar 1st) q Explore Op<ons for Course Logis<cs Not started q Create List of Ideas for Long-‐term PCC IntraTech Educa<on How can we maintain our momentum? • Look for exis<ng intra-‐department programs within the community college network • Is an IntraTech cer<ficate viable? We could require students to complete introductory classes in CS, ENGR, and MC, then finish the cer<ficate with a capstone class similar to what we’ll offer this summer. • Could we create guest lectures where an ENGR faculty member tailors two 2 hour sessions aimed at Industrial Technology students and CS students? (plus reciprocal arrangements from other faculty) q Obtain Finalized Project Sponsor Approval End of Winter Term