SAPIENZA Università di Roma, M.Sc. in Product Design
Smart Objects (6 CFU)
General Information
This course introduces the basics of smart objects, i.e., objects able to interact with the external environment, including other objects. The aim of the course is to provide students with the background needed to equip a product prototype with interaction capabilities. The topics covered in the first part include the notion of smart object, principles of object-environment interaction, and some basics on programming, with emphasis on command execution. The second part of the course is devoted to the prototyping platform Arduino, and covers aspects of elementary circuit design and Arduino programming. Students will learn how to make a product prototype able to interact with the external environment, through a simple circuit controlled by Arduino.
- Course taught from Oct 7, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016
- Lectures will be held on Wed 14.30 - 19.00 in classroom F7
- Student hour: please check
here
(Tentative) Programme
- Smart Objects: Overview
- The Sense-Think-Act Interaction Paradigm
- Overview of the Arduino Structure
- Basics on Programming (Sketch for Arduino)
- Sensors and Actuators
- Interfacing with Sensors and Actuators
- Elementary Circuit Assembly
- Arduino Projects
News
- Oct 7, 2015: Course starts
- Oct 9, 2015: The Smart Objects lecture of Wed 14 will take place 9-13.30
- Oct 15, 2015:
The Smart Objects lecture of Wed 28 will cover the whole day (9-19)
- Oct 27, 2015: Please note that The Smart Objects lecture of Wed 28 will be held according to the regular scheduling (14.30-19)
- Dec 2, 2015: Today's Smart Objects lecture will take place in Room F5
Course material
Arduino
Students are required to buy the Arduino platform together with some components that will
be used during the course. Teams (of max 3 people) can buy a single platform (+ components)
to use in their project. A basic shopping list is announced below. This will be used to learn the
basics of Arduino programming and circuit assembly. Additional components
may be needed, as the course progresses. These will be announced as well.
Of course students can buy additional components, if needed by their prototype.
Slides
Course slides can be downloaded here
Lectures
- Oct 7, 2015:
Course introduction;
smart object overview, Arduino structure, programs. (Slides 1-23)
- Oct 14, 2015:
Sketch basics: pinMode, digitalWrite, digitalRead, delay, variables, constants, comments. Exercises. (Slides 24-52)
- Oct 21, 2015: Delivery #1
- Oct 28, 2015: Delivery #1 review; presentation of Delivery #2;
if-then-else; conditions. Excercises. (Slides 53 - 67)
- Nov 4, 2015: Delivery #2 review.
- Nov 11, 2015: (Double lecture) Loops: while, for. Powering Arduino.
analogRead, analogWrite. Serial Port.
Basics on Electric circuits (current, voltage, basic components, short-circuit).
Exercises. (slides 68 - 114)
- Nov 18, 2015: (Double lecture) Short circuit. Basic components: resistors, diodes, LEDs.
VOltage reading thorugh analogRead. Basic components: LDRs.
Basic circuit assembly principles (sensor and actuator circuit decoupling).
Exercises. (slides 114 - 128).
- Nov 25, 2015: No Lecture.
- Dec 2, 2015: Lab (students work on their project).
- Dec 9, 2015: Lab (students work on their project).
- Dec 16, 2015: Delivery #3 (final) review.
- Dec 23, 2015: Class suspended (Christmas Holiday).
- Dec 30, 2015: Class suspended (Christmas Holiday).
- Jan 6, 2016: Class suspended (Christmas Holiday).
- Jan 13, 2016: Lab (optional).
- Jan 20, 2015: Lab (optional).
Information about exam
The exam consists in implementing a prototype product that features interaction capabilities,
using the Arduino platform. For students who are attending Product Design I, it is required that
the project be the same. Project deliveries will take place together with those of Product Design I.
During the exam, questions about interaction aspects (including Arduino and programming) will be asked
to all team members who take Smart Objects. These will contribute to the final mark.
Marking (1st delivery, 2nd delivery, final project and exam): 10% 10% 80%