Personal Photonics - using light to enhance your live

Why

You want to build cool stuff to either enable the user to better design objects for personal fabrication (3D-design is still kind of not that easy with your ordinary 2D monitor) or build your own wearables - for example with depth camera and haptic output - to help people.

What You Will Do and What You Will Learn

We will first give a rough overview what we imagine as a possible system and the technologies we want to use: From micro controller programming (Arduino-style) or using the Raspberry Pi if more power is needed to the kinect and other camera system for depth images and position recognition. You will use other tools like PCB mill, 3D printer and laser cutter for prototyping if you are more into the hardware part or just making software solutions to support 3D-design tools or image filtering and marker detection.

Preferred Student Background

DIS 1 (Designing Interactive Systems 1), which we offer in the winter semesters, is a prerequisite for the course. Your project will be evaluated based on usability heuristics that were presented in DIS 1.

Hint: Please mention your background and a link to your portfolio in the free text field in your application for the lab. Also include any technologies (see above under 'What You Will Do') that you are familiar with and your level of proficiency (beginner, intermediate, expert). Providing these information will increase your chance of being selected.

Course Materials

Schedule

Every Wednesday 14:15-15:45, starting with 26.10.2016
First Week general overview, the following week developing modules for a game (using lasercutter, 3D printer, PCB mill (optional) and Microcontroller etc.), after this developing ideas for a final project and make it in the rest of the semester.

Administrative Details

Language: The course will be held in English and all submissions are expected to be in English
Tutors: Jan Thar, Philipp Wacker Credits: 10 ECTS.
General information: The course description is in the MCP landing page Grading policy: Once the project phase has started, resignation from the course will result in a grade of 5.0.

Past Semesters

MCP SS 2016 — Let's Make a Difference!
MCP WS 2015 — Tabletop Tower Defense
MCP SS 2015 — Productivity Apps
MCP WS 2014 — Digital Fabrication
MCP SS 2014 -- L2P Apps
MCP WS 2013 — Digital Fabrication
MCP SS 2013 (Bonn) — Mobile Gaming
MCP WS 2012 — Interactive Assembly
MCP SS 2012 (only available from within the RWTH-net, use VPN)
MCP WS 2011 MCP SS 2011 MCP WS 2010 MCP SS 2009 MCP SS 2008 MCP SS 2007 MCP SS 2006