CS 6204: Physical Computing in Computer Science
Fall 2011
Francis Quek
The focus in this class is on the role of physical prototyping for Computer Scientists. Particular focus will be on the physical components of computing systems that inhabit our world. In this world, simple devices and gadgets function together with heavier-weight computing systems in an ecology that makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. The class will cover rapid electronic prototyping with single-board computers, fabrication of custom circuits, and physical design. Students who may be interested in this class include systems engineering students (e.g. to develop smart temperature sensors for a computing system, people detectors for privacy or green computing) and HCI students (e.g. to develop custom interaction systems and physical/tangible interfaces),
Tentative textbooks:
Making Things Talk: Physical Computing with Sensors, Networks, and Arduino by Tom Igoe
Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers, Dan O'Sullivan and Tom Igoe