Reworked Technical Report for Intelligent Learning Spaces

5.2 Mobile viewing application

The second part of our solution is to implement a mobile viewing application. This will allow students from SIT to check the availability of study spaces in school before heading over to the study locations. Some features of our mobile viewing application include ability to allow students to view a live feed of the study areas which highlights the bird’s eye view of the study area. The mobile viewing application will tap on the current surveillance cameras available at each of the study areas in SIT@Dover. Taking reference to the secondary research section, our team proposes use of the existing surveillance cameras installed at the various study areas to monitor crowds.

Assuming the current surveillance cameras installed at each of the study areas in SIT@Dover utilizes the Analog system, a converter can be installed to give them internet access. If the current cameras utilize the Internet Protocol (IP) system, the video feed can be directly projected onto the mobile application. With the cameras granted internet access, the live video feed can then be extended onto the mobile application for students to retrieve remotely. 

The mobile application will consist of four pages. The login page, reminder page and two viewing pages. To access the application, students will have to log in with their SIT user account (STU/170****) and their password.

The Figures below shows the interface of the application:

Once the mobile application is launched, its download link will be uploaded onto the school’s website, a follow up email will then be sent out to all SIT’s students with step by step instructions on where to download the application and how to navigate it. As mentioned under the proposed solutions section, the instructions will also be printed out in the form of posters and pasted onto the school’s social media accounts.

The team learned, in the market, there are 2 different kinds of security cameras namely the Internet Protocol (IP) Camera and the Analog Camera. The main difference between the two are the way the broadcasts are delivered to the user.

The IP camera receives digitalised video input directly and transmits it onto an IP network for users to stream and record the feed in real time. As such an IP Camera’s feed can easily be remotely accessed with internet access.

On the other hand, the Analog camera transmits video signals by the means of a video cable to a central system before the user able to view the feed. Therefore, to transmit the video feed to the internet for remote monitoring, a converter needs to be installed to the central system

Some other differences in the two systems are the video quality and storage features. In terms of video quality, the IP Camera’s resolution is 9 times better than an Analog Camera thus can provide greater detail to the user. In terms of storage capabilities, the Analog Camera relies on a physical storage unit to record the video footage while the IP Camera’s video footage can be stored directly on a cloud. However, since the purpose of our camera is to report crowd volume at a location to the user, it is not necessary to consider storage and video quality. 

7. Alternative Solution

An alternative solution from the mobile application is to install monitor screens of the study areas at strategically high traffic locations around the campus for students to check on the crowd. This system essentially serves the same purpose of being able to check on the study areas’ occupancy remotely.

However, this idea wouldn’t be as feasible as a mobile application as this kiosk would incur many costs to setup as well as regularly maintenance. Apart from the high cost from implementing it, the monitor screens will only be limited to certain areas in the campus whereas the mobile application can be accessed by students from anywhere.

8.1 Misuse of system by interlopers

With the convenience that our implementation brings, a primary concern is that non-SIT students/staff can download the application and abuse the system, as a result compromising the security of our facilities. For prevention of such problems, the team suggests integrating SIT’s student portal into the log in page of the mobile application. This means only members of the faculty can log in and access the application’s feature. 

9.1 Primary Research

Our group also did a two-weeks site survey to understand the crowd situation in its study areas and to also gather feedback on further improvements to the current system. We hope to learn about the current issues students are facing when using the study spaces at SIT@Dover. Through the survey conducted targeted at forty-two students in SIT, the team found that students reflected a general inconvenience in finding study spaces in SIT. Of which, most students have also given positive feedback on the idea of a monitoring system and agreed it will help them reduce time wastage and effort in looking for seats. (Refer to Appendix A for detailed survey results.)

Edited 30/11/2017

Critical reflection on effective communications

During my course of studies in Singapore Institute of Technology, I was introduced to an important language module known as Effective Communications. It focuses mainly on the proper etiquette when writing a letter and report writing. Throughout my course of study in effective communication, I am required to accomplish three main assignments; reader response, formal presentation, and technical report writing. At the start of the trimester, I was worried that I will not be up to standards as I am weak in my language. However, there are certainly many key takeaways I had from this module.

The main key takeaway I had from this course was how I wrote my reader response. Through this assignment I learnt the importance of use of proper language such as proper use of tenses and also how to include appropriate citations within my reader response. I also learnt the importance of having a strong opening statement and summary to ensure my reader understands what I am trying to get at. This assignment also gave me a small taste of what writing a thesis is like and how to bring forward my argument or point with relevant facts to support it.

However, technical writing is not the only thing I have learnt from this module. With the help of my professor and classmates, I managed to brush up on my presentation skills. I learnt the proper pace of speech as well as the importance of maintaining eye contact and body posture to look professional during a presentation.

With all these skills I have learnt from effective communications I look forward to applying it to my future endeavors as well as continuing to improve on the areas that I found myself weak in.

Critical Reflection on oral presentation

On the 16^th of November 2017, my group, Team LCP RAY, was tasked to give a formal presentation on our proposal of implementing intelligent study spaces in SIT@Dover. It was nerve wrecking for me because it my first time giving a formal presentation in years. Generally, I feel that I portray both positive and negative aspects during the presentation. I hope to improve on my negative points and work harder to improve my positive points.

During the presentation, I was able to project my voice clearly to my targeted audience. I was able to give my presentation in a good pace, volume and tone. During my part on the presentation, I used numerous visual aids to help my audience better understand my content. I maintained good eye contact with each and every one of my audience to ensure that their focus is on me during my presentation.

However, there are certain areas of improvement for me as well. I noticed I used many filler words in between my sentences due to my nervousness. This meant that my audience might feel that I am not confident in giving presentations. Apart from using filler words, I subconsciously fidget too much with my hands to hide my fear.

In conclusion, there are definitely certain key takeaways I have from this presentation such as ensuring to keep my hands in a neutral position to give my audience the impression that the presenter is confident in public speaking and also to practice my speech beforehand so as to avoid filler words.

Technical Report, Draft 1

Introduction/ Background

Over a month into pursuing a degree under SIT as full-time students, our team came to realize that homework in the form of assignments, tests and projects can be overwhelming. The only way to stay ahead of the curriculum while juggling co-curriculum activities is to seize time between lectures/ tutorials and after school for revision. Doing so has become increasingly difficult due to the current situation in our campus for several reasons.

First and foremost, most courses follow similar academic timetables which means the tests and exams are approximately in the same period. The clash in academic timetable causes an influx in students needing to revise towards the end of the study terms and the start of tests. This makes finding unoccupied study areas during such periods a tedious one.

Secondly, projects are commonly assigned to students for submission in groups. The need to discuss projects in groups makes it a challenge securing study areas with vacancy to accommodate to large numbers of students.

Thirdly, study areas around school are neither given proper naming conventions nor are their locations introduced to first-year students. This significantly limits the number of possible study areas for them.

Lastly, the various study areas are scattered all around the campus thus making it time consuming for students to walk around in search for a place to study. The waste in unnecessary time spent on walking around could have been better used for self study.

The issue with having trouble locating unoccupied study areas among students in SIT can be further supported by the results of our survey. As such, our team is determined to resolve the problem at hand through the implementation of live web video feed that can be accessed by students to remotely check on the crowd situation at the various study areas. In the process, the various study areas will also be identified and allocated respective names by our team to resolve the mentioned problem.

Problem statement

The open study areas in SIT @ Dover should be easily identifiable and convenient for all students to access. However, with the locations of the various open study areas  scattered all around the university and lack of standard naming conventions, students often have to spend unnecessary time walking around the campus in search for vacant seats. With the arising problems, our team’s proposal to implement a mobile monitoring application to view crowd at study areas around the campus will allow ease in reviewing vacancy of seats at the study areas.

Purpose statement

With the problems faced by the students in mind, the objective of the report is to propose to Student Development Center for approval to name the different study areas in SIT and create a mobile viewing application which will enhance productivity of learning sessions as well as provide convenience to all students in SIT@Dover.

Proposed solution

5.1 Assigning naming conventions to study areas

There are 6 main open study area in SIT@Dover. However, ‘The Learning Gallery’, ‘Student Societies Club & Activities’ and library were the only 3 study areas pre-assigned with names. The proposed naming conventions for the other 3 study areas are as follows: ‘Intelligence Xchange’ (IX), ‘Creative Space’ (CS) and ‘Learning Capsule’ (LC). The study location beside IEat@Dover canteen will be assigned a proposed name, ‘Intelligence Xchange’ (IX). The cozy study area which caters to discussions for small groups, located directly opposite IX, will be named ‘Creative Space’ (CS). The last study area located at the Academic Plaza Building, Level 3, will be named ‘Learning Capsule’ (LC). The proposed solution to name the three study areas will allow students to easily identify all the study areas. The dedicated study areas with new naming conventions will be clearly demarcated on a map. The map printed in the form of posters will be displayed throughout the campus to allow for familiarization among students.

5.2 Mobile viewing application

The mobile viewing application will allow students in SIT to check the availability of study spaces in school before heading over to the study locations. Cameras will be installed within the study area from a bird’s eye view which allows students to view the availability of the study area. The mobile application will consist of 4 pages mainly; login page, reminder page and 2 viewing page.

To access the app, students will have to log in with their SIT user account(STU/170****) and their password. This would prevent interlopers from misusing the application.

Reader Response Final draft - edited 23 October 2017

From the article "Duo turn plastic waste into a concrete idea", Goy (2016) stated that scientists have found an eco-friendly way to recycle plastic waste with the use of carbon nanotubes as an accompaniment to cement, reducing the use of cement. He explained that company BlueRen processes plastic into gases, following which the carbon nanotubes can be formed from these gases. The author mentioned that over the past few years, a very small percentage of plastic waste was recycled.  The usage of carbon nanotubes has a number of benefits because it has good attributes as an additive to cement. The author also reported that technology company BlueRen uses a different material which inflicts less harm on the environment.  Carbon nanotubes technology helps contribute to a greener environment while with sufficient research and prototyping, the technology has a bright future because there are a number of additional benefits to this technology. 

Firstly, Goy (2016) reported that BlueRen's technology processes plastic waste into gases, following which the gases are then further processed through a number of chambers in which the gases would form into carbon nanotubes. The way plastic waste can be used to form carbon nanotubes can significantly increase the percentage of plastic waste being recycled. Companies like BlueRen can utilize their technology in helping to contribute to a greener environment with reduced amount of plastic waste. He also stated that in the past, recycling of plastic waste was proved to be ineffective because the process of forming carbon nanotubes was expensive and the operation released harmful gases into the environment. However, to add on to a healthier and cleaner environment, Goy (2016) claimed that BlueRen uses a different stimulus material, which is a greener choice. These factors help reduce the amount of plastic waste not being recycled as well as utilizing an environmentally friendly method to churn plastic waste into something useful. 

  

Secondly, in his research article, Manzur (2016) pointed that carbon nanotubes are a good additive to cement because of the materials' immensely excellent attributes. He also suggested that carbon nanotubes have high strength and flexibility which helps in integrating them perfectly into solid composite materials such as cement. For example, carbon nanotubes have high aspect ratios as much as 2,500,000 to 1. He claimed that carbon nanotubes' attributes also aid in reducing crack size and ensuring proper distribution of load transfers. Based on his research, Manzur (2016) mentioned that cement with carbon nanotubes expresses a much higher compression and flexion strength with comparison to regular simple cement paste. With the use of carbon nanotubes as an additive, cement usage can be significantly reduced. 

Lastly, in her research article, Lytle (2017) explained that majority of plastic waste is imperishable and takes a long time to degrade, hence becoming debris that lasts for a long time if no proper clearing system is implemented. Majority of the plastic waste are being deposited onto waste dumps, taking up unnecessary space of land. In addition, she also mentioned that most plastic waste floats on water which means they are able to travel further and spread, endangering wildlife animals and destroy natural habitats in the process. With BlueRen's technology to recycle plastic waste into carbon nanotubes, these problems will significantly decrease.  

In conclusion, recycling plastic waste to form carbon nanotubes is a positive and favorable research technology which can contribute to a greener and cleaner environment due to company BlueRen's innovative recycling technology. 

  

References: 

Claire Lytle (2017). When the Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide. Coastal Care. Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://plastic-pollution.org/ 

Priscilla Goy (2016). Duo Turn Plastic Waste into A Concrete Idea. The Straits Times. Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/duo-turn-plastic-waste-into-a-concrete-idea 

Tanvir Manzur (2016). Potential of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement Composites as Concrete Repair Material. Hindawi. Retrieved September 24, 2017, from  https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/2016/1421959/

Edited 23 October 2017

Reader's Response Draft 2

From the article "Duo turn plastic waste into a concrete idea", Goy (2016) stated that scientists have found an eco-friendly way to recycle plastic waste with the use of carbon nanotubes as an accompaniment to cement. Goy (2016) mentioned that over the past few years, a very small percentage of plastic waste was recycled.  The usage of carbon nanotubes has a number of benefits because it has good attributes as an additive to cement. Goy reported that technology company BlueRen uses a different material which inflicts less harm on the environment.  Carbon nanotubes technology helps contribute to a greener environment while with sufficient research and prototyping, the technology has a bright future. 

To begin with, majority of the plastic waste are being dumped upon wastelands, taking up unnecessary space of land. In the article by Lytle (2017) stated that the top three items found in 2008 were plastic bags, food containers and cigarette waste. These products are imperishable and takes a long time to degrade, hence becoming debris that lasts for a long time if no proper clearing system is implemented. In addition, Lytle also mentioned that most of these plastic waste floats on water which means they are able to travel further and spread, endangering wildlife animals and destroy natural habitats in the process. 

With this in mind, Goy(2017) reported that BlueRen's technology processes plastic waste into gases, following which the gases are then further processed through a number of chambers in which the gases would form into carbon nanotubes. The way plastic waste can be used to form carbon nanotubes can significantly increase the percentage of plastic waste being recycled. This provides recycling companies more opportunities in terms of their output. Companies like BlueRen can utilize their technology in helping to contribute to a greener environment with reduced amount of plastic waste. In the past, recycling of plastic waste is proved to be ineffective because the process of forming carbon nanotubes is expensive and the operation releases harmful gases into the environment. However, to add on to a healthier and cleaner environment, Goy (2016) claimed that BlueRen uses a different stimulus material, which is a greener choice. These factors help reduce the amount of plastic waste not being recycled as well as utilizing an environmentally friendly method to churn plastic waste into something useful. 

At the same time, Manzur (2016) pointed that carbon nanotubes are a good additive to cement because of the materials' immensely excellent attributes. Carbon nanotubes have high strength and flexibility which helps in integrating them perfectly into solid composite materials such as cement. Carbon nanotubes' attributes also aid in reducing crack size and ensuring smooth transmission of load. Based on the research, Manzur mentioned that cement with carbon nanotubes expresses a much higher compression and flexion strength with comparison to regular simple cement paste. With the use of carbon nanotubes as an additive, cement usage can be significantly reduced. 

In conclusion, recycling plastic waste to form carbon nanotubes is a positive and favorable research technology which can contribute to a greener and cleaner environment. 

References: 

Potential of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement Composites as Concrete Repair Material
Tanvir Manzur (2016), Hindawi
Retrieved (27th September 2017) from:

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/2016/1421959/ 

When the Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide 
Lytle (2017), Coastal Care
Retrieved  (27th September 2017) from:

http://plastic-pollution.org/ 

Duo Turn Plastic Waste into A Concrete Idea 
Goy (2016), The Straits Times
Retrieved (27th September 2017) from:

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/duo-turn-plastic-waste-into-a-concrete-idea 

Edited 02 October 2017