CS 410 Project Ideas

Title

Help! Where do I go?

Category

University

Problem

At the beginning of every semester, students and faculty scramble to figure out where they're supposed to be and when. Classrooms move, construction closes walkways, traffic makes crossing streets especially hazardous to those on foot. What students and faculty need is an interactive map of ODU's Norfolk campus, where they can create maps and routes to make getting around just a little easier.

Solution

Google has released the API for their Google Maps application. This API, along with Leo Online/Banner's course schedule and the MIDAS authentication system, can be used to allow students and faculty to create walking maps and routes customized to their schedule and the campus's traffic, tied to their MIDAS account. Maps and routes can be accessed through mobile devices or printed out in hardcopy from a personal computer or (potentially) at kiosks.

CS Component

System incorporates the Google Maps API, the MIDAS authentication system, and Leo Online/Banner's course schedules in a web-based application accessible from mobile devices and personal computers or kiosks.

Title

Fire Containment and Monitoring

Category

Public Works / Safety

Problem

As is evidenced by the large and uncontrollable wildfires that hit the western United States, controlling the outbreak of such a disaster is no easy task. In addition, it can also be difficult to monitor the movement of such fires due to changing wind conditions.

Solution

Uncontrollable forest fires are almost expected to occur in drier regions of the United States, so the use of sensors in key areas could help to track their progress. Temperature sensors could be used to identify the outbreak of fires, and the diffusion of high temperatures from sensor to sensor could be used to help better track the movement (velocity) at which the fire spreads. Also, wind sensors could be used to further help in predicting where the fire will go next (its predicted acceleration).

CS Component

The placement and coordination of data from several different types of computer sensors would be necessary in order to create a better picture of the fire's movement. There would also be a need for wireless terminals to aid in the processing of this data.

Title

Universal Data Organizer (UDO)

Category

Productivity, Business

Problem

Many students and professionals use multiple computing devices in today's society: laptops, desktops, PDAs, cell phones, flash drives, and game systems. All of these devices can hold data files, and it is often hard to keep track of where these files are actually located. Time and productivity can be lost searching for files in different operating systems on different machines, often requiring physical travel to and from locations to retrieve and search various devices.

Solution

Since almost every computing device can connect to the internet, a universal organizer could be used to catalog, track, and even update data in multiple places. When moving or updating files, a background process updates one's personal online catalog with such information as the folder/location of the file, the device the file is on, and what type of file it is. This automatically updates as files are copied, written, deleted, or moved so that they can be easily tracked from any device with online capabilities. Furthermore, this provides an easy way to search all devices simultaneously for specific files or types of files.

CS Component

The Universal Data Organizer encompasses an umbrella of device - dependent software that all communicates with a central server or servers. These servers also require software to receive, organize, and provide other functionality related to the data.

Title

SCACS

Category

Education

Problem

Scantrons and computer terminals make administering assessments easy and fast for the professor to grade, but also easy and fast for the student to cheat.

Solution

The Seating Chart Anti-Cheating System (SCACS) would compare the percentage of similar answers between students as opposed to their proximity to each other during the assessment. It would then give a percent chance that one or more students were cheating for further analysis and followup.

CS Component

The scantron- or computer terminal-based tests and the actual SCACS software are the main computer components.

Title

BIO Grip

Category

Firearms

Problem

Unauthorized use of firearms is a problem that has plagued gun owners for years. Children opening an unlocked gun safe, or bypassing trigger locks is am all too common occurrence. Making a gun active only when the registered owner or trusted person is in control of the firearm would fix these problems.

Solution

Develop a biometric fingerprint reader that is integrated into the grip of the gun to control if the gun can be fired or not. This would be more effective than a gun lock that can be disengaged via a key or by lock picking.

CS Component

Fingerprint reader and fingerprint matching algorithm.

Title

Speech to Text

Category

Cellular phone

Problem

Many automobile accidents are occurring in the US due to drivers being distracted while text messaging.

Solution

Software and/or hardware which will compose and send a text message from human speech. A Smartphone would use a software application and a non-smartphones would use a hardware component.

CS Component

Cellular phone, software, hardware

Title

Customizable On-Screen Keyboard

Category

Home

Problem

Elderly people sometime want to chat with other using instant messenger, but they can be slow at typing. It would be best if there's a program that would allow them to simply click on the word, phase, or sentence that they want and the program fill in the info for them. This is particular helpful for Asian such as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese where people had to learn the specific ways to type to get the character they wanted. With additional typing methods to learn, it limit their computer usage and discourage them from using computer.

Solution

Develop a customizable on-screen keyboard that present the users with the word, phase, or sentence that the users needed. This allow users to construct any sentence they need simply by clicking on the word or phase they need.

CS Component

regular computer

Title

Home Door Remote

Category

General

Problem

The convenience of a remote door locking system for our car, trunk and even garage is enjoyed by many. What about our Home door? Why don’t I have the option to remotely lock and unlock my home door?

Solution

A remote locking system for home doors using a RF keychain or RFID

CS Component

RF Technology, RFID

Title

ODU Class Cancelation Notification

Category

College

Problem

Students often commute all the way to school or even walk to class in the rain to find out their class has been canceled.

Solution

An ODU text and/or email alert system which will notify a student when a class has been canceled.

CS Component

Internet, Email, Text messaging

Title

Defibri-Shirt

Category

Health

Problem

Senior citizens and heart disease prone people are almost always caught off guard when a heart attack or heart arrhythmia occurs. When this happens a defibrillator may not always be on hand. For people with extreme heart failure risk a defibrillator always on hand could be the difference between life and death.

Solution

A defibrillator sewn into a specially fabricated compression shirt attached to a mobile heart monitor can detect these occurrences and give the person a life saving service when or if ever in need.

CS Component

Heart monitoring equipment and algorithm to decide what course of action to take dependent upon if a heart arrhythmia or attack has occurred.

Title

Receipt Tracker

Category

Shopping

Problem

Keeping track of receipts. When you buy something, you usually don't expect to take it back. So, sometimes you end up just throwing away the receipt. If something was to happen to that item, you would have to provide the receipt in order to get it replaced, get your money back, etc.

Solution

A card that is able to store all receipt information. This will show when you purchased the item and when the receipt expires. This will be a type of card that you can just scan at every purchase. To implement, you can do it at a particular store, or have a generic machine that will adapt to just about any computer system within a department store.

CS Component

A "credit-card" like memory card. An external system (database) that stores all the information.

Title

Power Savings

Category

Energy

Problem

High electricity bills. Electricity is a necessity, therefore you have to pay the bill for it.

Solution

Generate a system that conducts a mandatory power outage at a certain time (when power is least used in a house; maybe when you're at work, etc.) when you might not necessarily notice. This could save energy and money.

CS Component

Computer system (database) that stores trend information showing when you use the least amount of power in your house (likely causing the least impact). Create a switch that will automatically shut off power for a certain amount of time.

Title

NTXT - (No Text)

Category

Transportation

Problem

Since texting while driving is now illegal in VA (and most likely other states), there should be something that disables texting automatically when you are driving.

Solution

When you start your car, sensors detect if your cell phone is in the car. If it is, then it automatically disables the text feature until the car is turned off.

CS Component

Sensors that exchange information between the cell phone and the car.

Title

Wildfire Detector

Category

government

Problem

Wildfire happen every year on the west. It usually takes days for the firefighter to put it out and force hundreds of people to evacuate their home. Usually, by the time firefighter received the call, the fire is already at a uncontrollable size.

Solution

Develop a wildfire detecting system that will detect and notify the nearby fire station before the fire start to spread.

CS Component

heat sensor, smoke detector, gps device, computer.

Title

birthday buddy

Category

personal

Problem

Forgetting family and friends birthdays

Solution

To have a service that will send out birthday cards and presents using a web based program that correlates the birthday boy’s/girl’s wish lists from companies such as Amazon and to wrap and send them out along with preselected cards

CS Component

The web program that automatically makes orders and purchases cards

Title

parking ticket nomore

Category

Govt

Problem

Getting a parking ticket because you miss a sign and park illegally.

Solution

A system that will inform the driver if he/she is parking in a no parking zone through a heads up display

CS Component

A reciever in the car or an ap for a GPS system or smartphones and a transmiter on the street signs as well as a program to manage it.

Title

GPS miss direction

Category

personal

Problem

GPS systems taking you into undesirable areas and restaurants to save a minute

Solution

An option that you can choose on GPS devices that eliminates driving through high crime neighborhoods and an option to eliminate poorly rated restaurants from a search.

CS Component

A data base that has all the high crime areas as well as times of day and restaurants rankings as well as an ap to manage them in all GPS devices

Title

Alfred

Category

House and Home

Problem

No one ever remembers to write anything down on the shopping list when they use the last bit up. Planning dinner based on what's in the fridge and pantry can be a daunting task, for even the experienced cook. And, cooking can be a lonely chore without some sort of background distraction.

Solution

Alfred is a small, unobtrusive computer with a wall-mounted (potentially touch) screen that allows the user to keep track of what's in the pantry and refrigerator, and automatically builds a shopping list on demand based on what's almost used up. It has a built in recipe search by ingredient, cuisine, course, or dietary restriction, and suggests available substitutions for missing ingredients. Alfred also allows the user to stream music from the Internet or play from its harddrive, as well as watch tutorial videos on basic kitchen tasks such as chopping, sauteing, etc.

CS Component

Alfred uses a small form-factor computer and monitor mounted in the kitchen, as well as custom software built on a to-be-determined distribution of Linux. Other features are provided by a custom configuration of open-source and/or free software and web applications such as Firefox, Pandora, and Songbird.

Title

Flash Security

Category

Govt

Problem

Recently flash drives have been used to deliver self propagating virus to government facilities, as such flash drives have been banned in all government facilities. How do we allow their use and still retain security?

Solution

A firewall that runs in the background and detects when a flash drive is inserted into the computer, then monitors what is being transferred to and from the flash drive. If something is not user initiated then the firewall blocks the transfer.

CS Component

PCs, Laptops, etc.

Title

Narcotics Tracking

Category

Law Enforcement

Problem

Undercover narcotics agents are constantly buying narcotics in order to build a case against sellers. As such, it is extremely difficult to keep track of where, when, and from whom they bought those narcotics.

Solution

This system will keep track of which drugs were bought, the amount bought, the cost and the seller.

CS Component

Database system

Title

NonGPS Electronic Navigation

Category

Military

Problem

The navy has become increasingly reliant on GPS navigation, however what happens when GPS satellites are destroyed? How do ships navigate in the open ocean? One solution is the use of a sextant, however that is very unreliable.

Solution

Develop a system that uses the properties of a sextant to determine a more accurate location of the ship.

CS Component

Navigational computers on ships

Title

Exercise Rewards

Category

Health

Problem

Obesity and heart disease continue to be major problems in the United States, and the continued proliferation of electronic devices can make it harder to encourage children to play outside and get healthy amounts of exercise and sunlight.

Solution

Install software on the children's devices that locks the devices unless a certain amount of 'credits' are provided. While children play outside, a sensor on them detects movement and UV rays. Based on these readings, children earn credits for playing outside that can be used later for computer or video game time.

CS Component

A small, hardy wireless sensor that detects light and movement as well as specialized software for various computing devices.

Title

The Braille Touch Screen

Category

Disabilities Assistance

Problem

Many blind people are loosing jobs as technology advances because they are unable to use a mouse. Many times software is coded in a visual manner that is unfriendly to assistance software that is designed to describe what is displayed on the screen.

Solution

A small pad (approx 800x600) with individual "pixels" that will raise and lower to emulate the visuals on the screen. The pad's software will pick out distinct borders around windows, web pages, text areas, etc., and will re-display that to the blind person in the form of raised and lowered plastic dots. The pad will also translate the on-screen text to braille and substitute it into the proper locations. In addition the pixels will need to be sensitive to pressure so the user can "click" in a location. This will act the same way a current touch screen works and translate the pressure into a mouse click.

CS Component

A software package as well as a hardware component will need to be developed to translate on-screen images to the physical pad. In addition to a mechanical raise/lowering of the pixels the pad will also need to have a sensor to read when pressure is applied and respond as if a mouse had been clicked.

Title

V2T-Voice to Text

Category

Traffic

Problem

Drivers texting while driving. Texting while driving is a dangerous act and has been outlawed in several states.

Solution

As hands-free phone conversations are still considered legal in most states, having a hands-free text could help prevent texting accidents and traffic violations. Using the cell phone to convert incoming texts to sound messages, and allowing the user to reply via speech to text software could be a possible solution to the texting problem.

CS Component

Cell Phone Hardware Text to Speech/Speech to Text software.

Title

Quick HRT

Category

Transportation

Problem

The Hampton Roads Transit Bus routes can take two hours for a simple thirty minute commute. This long delay causes frustration in commuters and prevents people from wanting to use the busing system.

Solution

Developing a system to design busing routes that would help to expedite service. Finding better routes, how implementation of more express routes and future integration of the light rail could cause the reduction of bus time for the individual bus user.

CS Component

Modeling and Simulation

Title

One Step Electronic Ethanol Percentage Tester

Category

Automotive

Problem

We all see on gas pumps that we are now getting up to 10% Ethanol with our gasoline. However, there have been many know cases in which stations were tested and found to have much higher levels of ethanol in their tanks. For those of us driving cars not designed to run on ethanol, having more than 10% can cause problems. Cars will perform very poorly and small engines, such as lawnmowers and generators, will sputter and cut off.

Solution

The One Step Electronic Ethanol Percentage Tester, a handheld electronic device that you place over the gas pump nozzle. It will give you an electric readout of the percentage of ethanol in the fuel. It will also store in memory the percentages and locations of high ethanol stations.

CS Component

Digital readout to screen as well storing information of percentages and locations.

Title

Linked List Education

Category

Education

Problem

Teaching Linked Lists to students can be a hard task. Trying to convey the concept to a student through text is often lacking for those that enjoy the hands on approach to learning. Having a non-textbook based method of instructing the student out of class may help the learning process

Solution

Develop a game/toy that can physically be moved around and work like a linked list. Develop a program that helps students learn to navigate through and write linked lists

CS Component

Programming, Electronic Toys

Title

Disease tracking and alert system for cell phone

Category

Health

Problem

Every year, there's always news about some form of disease spreading across a large amount of area. Some people might not know that the area they are in are highly infected by the disease. This could help speed the spread of diseases and cause a lot of problems.

Solution

Design a system that will alert the users using their cell phone when they enter a highly infected area

CS Component

gps capable cell phone. computer.

Title

Handicap Helper

Category

Health

Problem

Most paralyzed people have real hard time communicating with the people who are taking care of them. Some are so restricted that they can't even ask for a glass of water or food when they are hungry. Most of these people do have very small movement in some part of their body, whether its head, hands, feet or fingers, its depends on each individual. How can we make communication better with these people?

Solution

My solution to this problem is to place sensors in their wheelchair's pads around the part of the body that has movement. These sensors would be connected to a software that will analyze the movement and study it. It would then offer them a choice of the tasks they would like to perform, i.e. need a glass of water or need to use restroom. Initially it would offer quite a few choices but by studying the movement through the sensors and the tasks they would select from using a joystick (ex: Stephen Hawking), it would be able to study the movements and relate them to the tasks. This way it makes them communicate faster with the people around them.

CS Component

Monitor screen, Sensors, self-learning software

Title

Eliminate Weeds

Category

Lawn

Problem

If you have ever taken care of a lawn, the biggest problem anyone faces is how to keep the weeds out of it. Its a task that is done manually by walking through the whole lawn and finding it with your own eyes. And if you miss something for a small period of amount, it spreads like wild fire throughout the lawn. Only if there was some way to find them without depending on the guy working with minimum wage for Lawn Doctor.

Solution

My idea was to build a machine that you ride through a lawn, much like a lawn mower, that would be able to sense where the weeds are located. It would be able to determine the type of weed it is and spray the right type of solution that is needed to kill it. There would be a light underneath the machine that would shine on the lawn and it would use the reflective properties of the grass and the weeds to sense the difference between the two using sensors.

CS Component

Sensors, software

Title

Speed Limit Tracker

Category

Cars

Problem

Everyone of us have faced this small problem at one time or another. If you are in a new area, and you just turned on to a road from the road that you were traveling on, but you can't find the speed limit sign. It might be half mile, one mile or maybe even more before you find the posted speed limit sign. Until then, you are just guessing the speed limit of the road by judging the size of the road and the speeds that the other cars are traveling. And there are times where you might be going quite a bit faster than you were suppose to before you see the sign and adjust accordingly. What happens if you meet that not-so-friendly law enforcement officer during the time you were clueless about the speed?

Solution

My solution would be add a device to your car that could sync with the GPS in the vehicle and display the speed limit of the road on the GPS screen as soon as your turn on to the road. Another way to implement this would be to broadcast the speed limit from the signs on the road and cars would have sensors that would be able to pick the speed limit and display it on the road. This way, people who regulate the speed limit would be in control of broadcasting and could change the value accordingly, in case of constructions, floods, etc.

CS Component

Sensors, GPS, Display screen

Title

Class Updates

Category

Education

Problem

Many times, students who do not get the chance to check their e-mail prior to class find themselves showing up to class only to discover it has been cancelled, postponed, or moved to another room. This can be very frustrating and inconvenient to students, especially commuters who have to plan their schedules a little more wisely due to travel time, traffic, work, etc.

Solution

Students will sign up for an alert system that allows them to receive SMS updates on their cell phone at any time, notifying them of the status of their class. Professors can send out messages with this system, and all students registered in the class will have the option to register. Students will also have the ability to request an update on the class by sending a "request" message to a specific number.

CS Component

Databases, SMS messaging

Title

Where's My Food?

Category

Restaurant

Problem

Customers often find themselves wondering "Where's my food?" or "How much longer are they going to take?" when waiting at a restaurant. Due to disarray in the kitchen and a lack of communication, not everybody in the restaurant is always on the same page, and this makes the customer even more angry. If there is one thing managers hate, it's angry customers.

Solution

An electronic display board with a queue of customers' orders, times, and ETA. When the customer orders the food, the waitress places it into the system and it is time stamped and placed on the board. Based on prior entries, difficulty, number of orders, etc., the system will then calculate an ETA on the meal and the cooks will update it when their meal is ready.

CS Component

Databases, Software

Title

License Scanner

Category

Automobile

Problem

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System at the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration), there were 43,313 automobile fatalities in 2008 (119 deaths per day). The fatality rate is up 5.49% from 2007, the highest increase on record since 1975. Some of the most common causes can be somewhat prevented, however.

Solution

A digital license scanner that does not allow the car to start until a valid DMV-certified drivers' license is inserted and approved. The license can contain information including, but not limited to: -Expiration -Driving Record (demerits) -Alcohol consumed at bars, restaurants, etc. -Court Summons/Warrants It can even be used as an anti-theft device, preventing anybody not on the user-controlled list of approved operators. The possibilities are almost endless.

CS Component

Databases, Electronic Card Scanners, Software, GPS

Title

Automated Physics & Math Simulation Software

Category

Education

Problem

Math & Physics are two of the hardest subjects for most people to learn simply due to the amount of teaching / comprehension required from an instructor vs. the level of comprehension one can obtain from a technical text book. In order to promote math & physics scores (in a country where math and physics are much lower than that of the rest of the world) I suggest fully automated teaching via computer software.

Solution

Some sort of Web Based or Desktop application which can teach math & physics step by step with an entire database of worked out examples and solutions with descriptions for each one. Comprehension should be much simpler than trying to understand cryptic writing from an ancient old textbook.

CS Component

Set of central servers and Personal Software for Desktop (preferrably open source and free to make it widespread).

Title

Automatic Laundry Machine

Category

Home

Problem

Getting the family to sort and wash their laundry is a task. Noone ever seems to want to do it because laundry piles up over the week and becomes one giant chore for whoever has to do it on the weekend.

Solution

Create a system that would automatically allocate the perfect size of a laundry load and start the washer when needed. This would encompass two shoots for laundry, one for whites and one for colors. As the laundry builds in the shoot it measures out the weight of the load. Once a full load has been reached for either whites or colors it automatically dispenses it into a basket and pushes the basket out to be washed. All the user has to do is load it into the washing machine already sorted and ready to go. The machine will also dispense the proper amount of laundry detergent in a disposable container to pour into the load and make sure no detergent is wasted.

CS Component

A scale to measure out the proper load size and a system to monitor resources such as available baskets and laundry detergent. If there is a lack of any necessary material it will alert the user.

Title

Automated Convenience Stores / Fast Food / Etc.

Category

Economics

Problem

It has been suggested that automation of jobs such as Fast Food Restaraunts, Video rental Stores, Convenience & Grocery Stores, Pharmacys, etc. can have a positive effect on the economic state of our country. It may be kind of difficult (and have a very negative effect in terms of loss of jobs) at first but the introduction of automated businesses would increase competition in the work place and promote a sense of workplace survival of the fittest that may have an overall positive effect on both the education of the populous and the economic state.

Solution

Robotic and computer automation of These Jobs.

CS Component

Software & Hardware

Title

In Car WiFi

Category

Transportation

Problem

When driving long distances the passengers in your car loose productivity due to internet loss. New phones can help with this utilizing 3g networks but they are still limited to a tiny screen to do their web browsing on.

Solution

Use the car's own metal frame to transmit a wireless signal inside the vehicle utilizing a 3g or 4g network service. Allow for full wireless internet access as long as the user is inside the vehicle. Because the body is the antenna and the signal does not need to go very far, there is no need for a high signal power

CS Component

The car will need to be fitted with a wireless networking device that uses the car's frame as a low power antenna.

Title

Anti-Drowning

Category

Health

Problem

Fishing has the most deaths of any sport, largely due to drowning.

Solution

Have some sort of system, that could be turned off as the boater may want to go for a swim, that uses devices to determine if a boater has unwillingly been brought into the water, and will allow safety devices to drop from the side of the boat in order to make it easier to at least stay above the water while rescue is being called.

CS Component

System to maintain the devices.

Title

Scary Scanner

Category

Security

Problem

It seems like a lot of times recently when there has been some big murder it has been publicized all over the internet without anybody taking it seriously (or the majority not knowing it).

Solution

Some sort of Scanner which would go through small & personal web-sites and scan for violent material.

CS Component

Software

Title

Wasteful energy

Category

Energy Consumption

Problem

All devices use more energy than necessary when considering they are not even on.

Solution

Have a surge protector that can monitor and turn off outlets as they are not being used.

CS Component

Embedded system in the surge protector.

Title

Well Water Air Conditioning System

Category

Energy Saving

Problem

The high cost and large amount of energy lost due to home air conditioning.

Solution

Use a deep well, in most places the water temperature is very cool, around 55 degrees. Pump the well water through coils, like a radiator, and then back into the ground at another spot. Use strong fans to blow the air across the cool coils to desired location (across attic, through duct work, etc). Additionally when needed, well water will be sprayed through sprinklers onto exterior of home for cooling.

CS Component

The system will use hardware/software, with the aid of thermostats to regulate what is turned on when, and for how long. This system will be compatible with already installed air conditioners, only using them lastly, when needed.

Title

Air keyboard

Category

Health/Technology

Problem

Public keyboards are an easy source for many germs to be left over, as well as something many people like to mess up (alter key positions, remove loose objects, etc.).

Solution

A minority report like keyboard that is portable and as effective as a new keyboard.

CS Component

It is a part for the computer.

Title

Medical History Watch

Category

Health

Problem

When someone has a serious health problem, it is very important that paramedics and doctors get that person's medical history as fast as possible.

Solution

A medical watch that has an individuals medical conditions and history stored on it. With a touch of a button the watch will start audibly speaking the persons medical conditions and history out loud. Additionally the watch have a fold out USB flashdrive with the medical history as well.

CS Component

hardware/software, memory.

Title

Automated Lawn Mower

Category

Environmental

Problem

Every year millions of people must mow potentially massive lawns despite grueling heat and tremendous time constraints. Those with large properties, such as golf course owners, must pay workers to mow incredible expanses of grass at varying heights and intervals.

Solution

An automated lawn mower that can adapt to a given environment based on a given set of perimeter/boundary coordinates. The automated lawn mower would mow at any interval and at any height, then return to a docking station where it can charge and/or receive updated parameters.

CS Component

A set of calculated boundaries would be stored in the device based on a triangular or GPS coordinate system. The lawn mower would need to operate using a set of programmed operating parameters that would determine: mower height, mower movement, mower recall, mower path, et cetera. In the case of a triangular coordinate system, three or more transmitters/receivers would be used to calculate the lawn mower's position.

Title

Credit Card Capable Parking Meters

Category

Transportation

Problem

Individual Parking Meters often require coin money and too often people find themselves in short supply of coin money when trying to park. Even if a person has quarters, meters far too often expire and cause a potential buildup of unnecessary parking tickets and fines.

Solution

Individual Parking Meters that accept credit cards would ensure that a much larger portion of the population could easily park in metered spots without the need for coin money. Additionally, by using a credit card, one can park without the worry of having to run back to the meter to put in more change for fear of receiving a ticket due to an expired meter.

CS Component

The credit card swipe devices on each individual parking meter would serve as an input device to a local server that would process the credit card data and then send data back to each meter as necessary in order to complete the transaction.

Title

Grow your own tomatoes (or any vegetables)

Category

Lifestyle

Problem

Growing your own vegetables can be frustrating, especially if you have never done this before. Just simply sticking plants into soil will not work. So, it would be very helpful to know when to water plants, when to add fertilizers, and when there is not enough of sunlight.

Solution

To have some sort of monitoring hardware and software for automatic watering and fertilization of soil.

CS Component

Soil moisture and nutrients sensors, analyzing software.

Title

Real-time interpreter

Category

Lifestyle

Problem

If you travel to a certain country and do not speak and understand the native language, it would be nice to have a device that will instantly interpret whatever you and your conversation partner are saying. No need to carry a phrase book.

Solution

A mobile device with a microphone and a speaker will recognize your speech, translate it, and synthesize it back in the native language.

CS Component

Good speech recognizing, synthesizing and interpreting software running on any mobile device

Title

Augmented Reality Goggles or Display

Category

Virtual Reality

Problem

Despite great advances in the realism of video games and other interactive media, the graphics capabilities of such devices are not yet on par with that of the "real world".

Solution

Augmented Reality Goggles (or Display) would take "real" objects from a live video feed and then make them tangible virtually on the live video feed seen through the goggles (or Display). Such a technology could provide interactive information on real objects as well as provide the groundwork for advanced first person video games.

CS Component

A computer program would be required in order to identify the "real world" objects and to query data based on an identified object's parameters.

Title

Flu prevention

Category

Health

Problem

Doctors recommend not to touch your face during flu outbreaks to prevent transmission of viruses. The problem is you are doing it without thinking.

Solution

To have some sort of "Band-Aid"-type sensors on the face and hands that will give a warning feedback (audible, electrical?).

CS Component

Embedded software?

Title

Third World Physicians

Category

Health

Problem

Many people in third world countries are without health care because there are far too many people per available physicians.

Solution

Cell phone communication with physician on a personal level where patients can describe symptoms and enable the physician to triage the patient and determine who needs attention first. At least one cell phone per village would be accessible to all.

CS Component

Database, and an expert system evaluator

Title

Water Pollution Monitoring Network

Category

Environmental

Problem

Oil spillage, trash and other pollution in coastal waters are hazardous to marine life and people.

Solution

An integrated sensor net will monitor pollution over the course of the title cycle and determine areas of pollution problems.

CS Component

Sensor network which relays information to larger network and maps out pollution.

Title

Illegal Immigration Preventor

Category

Government

Problem

Illegal immigration is not only a problem in itself, but also some of the immigrants can end up being criminals fleeing from other countries only to cause problems in the US or whatever country they are illegally entering.

Solution

Satellite monitoring of borders to allow authorities to be notified when boundaries are crossed not at a check point.

CS Component

Network alert system, satellite communications

Title

Common Access Card Alert

Category

Business

Problem

Many businesses are making it mandatory to have a common access card of some sort to access their computers, the U.S. Military being one of them. Leaving a CAC in the reader by accident can give someone access to sensitive information and your computer without you knowing.

Solution

An alert system that will alert you when you have gone more than a certain number of feet away from your computer without removing your CAC. This will make employees more aware of the problem and cut down on unauthorized access to computers.

CS Component

Sensing components and program on computer and employee.

Title

SMS Help Desk

Category

Misc

Problem

Currently There are a number of Help Desk systems implemented to provide service to different companies all around the world. People usually submit a ticket from an online form or send an e-mail to a specific address to receive the appropriate help. Have you ever had to deal with OCCS HELPDESK system, or the CS "rootmail" system? Most of us have. It is tedious and a person has to make an effort to get the proper service. What if you need help and there is no computer around you, and your mobile phone does not provide 3G service? You will not be helped.

Solution

SMS addition to existing help-desk systems. You simply send a text message to 757-ODU-HELP and it is automatically converted to a ticket request. Your problem is solved and you receive a reply text message stating the fact that all your issues are resolved. That would make life convenient.

CS Component

3G networks, telephony.

Title

Choose Your Own Exercise Program

Category

Health

Problem

Video exercise programs are great, but lack the ability to customize a workout to a particular person's fitness level and goals.

Solution

By logging into a subscription based web site and submitting your personal physical description and fitness goals, a complete video workout is assembled from existing videos of exercises. In addition, as the workout proceeds the intensity of the workout is automatically increased or decreased based on the user's heart rate and reps.

CS Component

A heart rate sensor worn by the user would be employed to ensure that the user's heart rate stays in the optimum range based on their fitness level and goals during the workout. Additionally, an optional web cam can be placed so that it is in view of the user as they workout. Using basic visual pattern recognition techniques, the computer will count reps and provide motivation and tracking.

Title

Listener network

Category

Mental Health

Problem

"The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief that loneliness, far from being a rare and curious phenomenon, is the central and inevitable fact of human existence" - Thomas Wolfe Why in the age of the Internet is this still true? Therapy works, but its expensive and carries a stigma. Daily frustrations seem insignificant, but it is these small frustrations that lead to larger problems. 5 minutes of "ear time" is all that is needed.

Solution

A free, ad-based website that connects users to listeners. When a user initially joins the website, they are matched with an available listener. The listener then establishes contact through chat, email or phone. After the sessions, both the listener and the user are provided with web forms to rate each other to provide the feedback necessary to discourage abuse. After a few weeks of usage, the user is encouraged to become a listener themselves.

CS Component

A web server running custom web site code. Implemented using server side scripts such as PHP with a database backend (MySQL) and client side scripting (Javascript).

Title

Education and Training Online

Category

Education

Problem

While online education and training is possible, it is either costly, unverifiable, inconsistent or regional.

Solution

A centralized web site that standardizes curriculum development and distributes revenue to curriculum developers based on the effectiveness of their curriculum. Additionally, utilizing local testing centers, students are provided with verifiable testing and certification. Close contact with public schools, universities and government would be necessary to ensure that public standards in regards to subject matter are met and that these agencies have the ability to self certify their students for a reduced fee. Utilizing a wiki paradigm (in browser editing), curriculum developers will be able to create lessons, videos, interactive exercises, homework and automatically generated quizzes. Content is provided free to users, but local testing and certifications require a fee. Part of this fee is given to developers based on user feedback.

CS Component

A web server running custom server side scripts (PHP) and client side scripts (Javascript) with a database backend (MySQL)

Title

Automatic Oil Pumping System

Category

Business

Problem

A oil company has a problem with finance because there are many competition oil company to sell their own oil. In this sense, the oil company is considering new system to sell oil more than other rival company.

Solution

The oil company encourages customers to join a member of the company. The company provides members to a system which automatically pump oil into their own car by reservation. The company will service areas allocated and separated by system. If customers feel the system more comfortable because they don’t need to go to oil-shop in person, the company will has fixed customer and increase their income.

CS Component

Internet, E-mail, Text and etc tools for customer to join a membership and reserve. DB, Network, Software for Management systems. RFID? for identifying customer cars for practical automatic-service.

Title

Automatic Presciption Refiller (APR)

Category

Health

Problem

There are a number of pharmacy facilities on the market that provide a subscription refilling service to nursing homes and hospitals. One of those is Neighbor Care Inc. Each of those facilities have a number of departments that are involved in the process. First department receivees a refill request and puts it in their system. Another departments fills a small container with the proper pills for a patient in the hospital or the nursing home, then another worker from a different department puts a label on the container with the proper person, facility, and pills' description. A pharmacist then checks all the containers to make sure that the pills inside correspond to the pills on the lable. A driver then delivers all the refills to the appropriate place, nurses distribute them to the patients. Each of the two departments described in the process have about 15 people in each of the NC Inc. and the Pharmacy spends a total of $700,000 every year to pay those workers. On top of that since humans are involved in the process of doing a tedious repetitive manual labor, mistakes are a common thing. A survey has shown that on average 10% of all pills sent to hospitals are not the ones that had to be sent. That means that 1 out of 10 patients swallows pills that he is not supposed to, thus endangering the life of millions of people.

Solution

Currently there is a PAS (Pharmacy Automated Systems) implementation which for one reason or another is not properly used and utilized in each facility. We should offer a solution to replace all the manual labor, and at the same time minize the error rates. Such a system needs to read the recipies that have already been entered in the system, fill a small container with the proper pills, put a label on it, and prepare it for the drivers to distribute them.

CS Component

Embedded system, Real Time Computing systems, RTOS, programming.

Title

Advisorbot

Category

Education

Problem

Picking classes at ODU can be difficult and premade paths don't always fit a schedule or get offered at the right times.

Solution

A web based program tied in with Leo online can recommend a path through a degree and give students a list of classes to take that semester based on prerequisite fulfillment and course availability and degree requirements.The program could also recommend minors or double majors in the cases where a student already has some of the required classes.

CS Component

Program would be web based and hosted either as a module of leoonline or a seperate service.

Title

CS410 writers unblocker

Category

Education

Problem

I can't think of a project idea!

Solution

A computer program could synthesize a project proposal based on current events.

CS Component

The program would scour the google news feed an select a trendy item. It would then glean keywords from the article and put them into a madlib-like template and submit it as a project idea.

Title

Medicine Cabinet of the Future

Category

Health

Problem

Problem: 95% all senior citizens are taking at least 1 medications on a regular basis. How often do they forget to take it? Quite often, according to my grandparents. What if there was something to remind them about it. What is there was something to tell them not only when to take the pill, but also which exact pill to take. What if the system would let their relatives if a medication has been skipped? That would be lovely. Personally, I would like it if I received a call when my grandparents have skipped a medication or have taken the wrong one. Ultimately, this new system could save their life.

Solution

Solution: A new medicine cabinet that tracks down the pills people take and all that a person needs to do is just scan a bar-code on a recipe and the new pills he puts inside this cabinet. The systems is put on the local computer network and with a simple emergency number and a speaker phone it will implement all of the necessary tasks.

CS Component

Sensor Networks, VoIP, telephony, bar-code scanners.

Title

Life Saver 2

Category

Medical

Problem

Existing life saver still have a problem which is only supports 200 unique tracking frequencies and The person's caregivers first need to notice they are missing to notify rescue team.

Solution

client usually use GPS for judging where he is and notify to rescue team in person through unique tracking frequencies when GPS point is out of safe area programed.

CS Component

Geographical db system. sofeware.

Title

Smart Login.

Category

Utility Software in PC

Problem

sometimes, old people want to use messenger such as MSN for comunicating with family members. However, they can't even log-in. They feel all action need in PC is too hard to do by themseleves.

Solution

Smart login system such as by fingerprint or eyeball helps old people easily use computer. If login is completed by the system, software automatically set up simple interface suited to old people.

CS Component

DB for need to automatically set up program. Sensor.