The Media Computing Project (Winter '24/'25)

  Class Information

Lab Wed, 14:30 - 16:00
  Seminar Room (3220|2.73)
Language English
Credits
7

  Important Dates

Kickoff 09.10.2024
Midterm Checkup TBA
Presentations 29.01.2025

The Media Computing Project is our hands-on lab ("Praktikum") for Master students in Computer Science. Build an interactive system with an unusual user interface in hard- and software that creates an awesome user experience! It's a great gateway into our lab's research and teaching focus on User Interface Design, Human–Computer Interaction, and Personal Fabrication.

This course has limited seating. You need to register to obtain a seat in this course.

Instructors

Prof. Dr. Jan
Borchers

René
Schäfer

For any questions about the class, please contact René Schäfer.

Syllabus

This year, you will work in groups of three to create an exhibit in the realms of deception called Deceptive Dungeon. For this, each group will conceptualize an interactive experience that takes people into the world of deception. All projects will be combined to form the dungeon. Little Gameboy-like devices called PyBadge serve as logic controllers for your prototypes. To build your projects, you will fabricate the needed parts in our Fab Lab. You will be creating software and hardware within the constraints, which poses interesting challenges for things like conveyed mood, deceptive techniques, and user experience. Your goal will be to make sure that basic Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) principles are still incorporated. During the semester, you will learn:

  • the role of HCI in software/hardware prototypes;
  • how to use beginner-friendly ATmega-based Arduino microcontroller boards and PyBadge, as well as the Arduino IDE to program interactive behavior in embedded software;
  • how to create components for your game using our Fab Lab;
  • the role of user tests.

After some quick introductions to these tools, you'll then have most of the semester to iteratively design, prototype, and test your ideas.

Fields of Study

  • Informatik (M.Sc.)/Angewandte Informatik
  • Media Informatics (M.Sc.)
  • Software Systems Engineering (M.Sc.)

Course Allocation and Registration Guide

Number of SWS: P3 (Aachen)
ECTS Credits: 7 (CS) / 7 (MI)
Course language: English for all lectures, assignments, and exams

Only 32 seats are available for this course. To get a seat in this course, you have to register for it in SUPRA in the appropriate timeframe during the lecture period one semester before the course is scheduled to start.

Please note that the course takes place in person and that attendance is required for all presentation sessions. Failing to appear without a medical certificate on any of these dates results in failing the course.

Read the pdfEthical Guidelines for the Authoring of Academic Work (pdfEthische Richtlinien für das Verfassen wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten).

Previous Offerings

WS23/24 – WS22/23 – WS21/22 – WS20/21 – WS19/20 – SS19 – WS18/19 – SS18 – WS17/18SS17WS16/17SS16WS15/16SS15WS14/15SS14WS13/14SS13WS12/13SS12WS11/12SS11WS10/11SS09SS08SS07SS06

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