Project Topic Ideas (Fall 2005 List)

Transportation

Gas type warn

Societal Problem: There are two different major types of engines (conventional & diesel). Both use different types of fuel. What if you fill up your tank with the wrong type of combustible? Total malfunction of the engine is the answer.
Proposed Solution: A device that sends your car's VIN number to the gas pump and selects the right fuel for your engine.
Topic's Computer Component: Wireless technology, some storage device (i.e. flash memory), software to interact with the gas pump and the device.

Chase Stopper.

Societal Problem: There are many police chases in the US causing uncountable material loses and sometimes even lives. Stolen cars.
Proposed Solution: A device that stops the car's engine, locks the wheels, and locks the doors.
Topic's Computer Components: GPS signal, database, software to drive the database and interact with it.

ODU Parking Network

Problem: Parking is a problem here. Lots get full, and cars taxi around the lots looking for open spaces where there is none, wasting time and gas.
Solution: Place at least 2 cameras on a few (if not all) of the lots at ODU, and have the cameras take pictures at regular intervals. Once the shots are taken, a program would analyze the shots, looking for open parking spots, that information would be relayed to a low-power AM radio station (very similar to 610 AM for Hampton Roads traffic information) for an automated, self-repeating report of which lots have available parking.
Computer Component: Analysis of camera images. Program to run automated report over radio.

Windwise

Problem: With increasing gas prices, alternative sources of energy are needed to reduce gas dependency.
Solution: All cars have a place where air flows into the engine area of the car, the idea is to funnell that air past a device that catches the air, spinning a turbine that generates electricity. The air would then flow into the engine as would normally happen. That energy would be stored in a seperate battery under the hood of the car, and a chip could be developed to release that energy to keep the wheels spinning at the current speed and greatly increase highway gas mileage. The system only has effective use on the highway or other high speed roadways since it is completely wind powered.
Computer Component: Chip to determine battery strength, car speed, when/how much energy to release to keep the car moving.

IED detection & destruction

Problem: Road side bombs are causing many unnecessary casualties to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Solution: An effective mechanism that would detect the presence of the IED and, using a laser or a small ground-based missile or other weapon, destroy it before it could affect the convoy.
Component: IED detection tools (radar, infrared, etc.) and a means with which to destroy the IED (missile, rocket)

GPS navigation system add-on

Problem: Depending on a navigation system on your car can take you to a route that is unfinished, no longer there, or dangerous (crime-ridden).
Solution: Have the navigation system link into a database from the police department that would indicate whether the route went through a crime-ridden neighborhood, or a neighborhood with many sexual predators, etc.
Component: n/a

Current Speed-Limit Display

Problem: It is often easy to miss speed limit signs, especially on unfamiliar roads. Everyone is at a disadvantage when they are not aware of the speed limit (There are those who want to obey the speed limit, and there are those who might want to go a certain number of mph's over it).
Solution: Active RFID tags are placed along the roadside in existing
Component: n/a

Building up

Problem: Traffic congestion continues to grow as a problem in America. It takes longer and longer each year to reach even the simplist locations. Everywhere you go there seems to be a traffic jam.
Solution: I suggest building extra roads to relieve traffic. Instead of trying to expand roads already built, I think we should try building above the current roads. Add a second road above an existing one for those who are traveling long distances and do not need to make a lot of turns.
Component: The software needed to design effective roads that will relieve heavy traffic would be vital.

Park-o-Lot

Problem: It is almost impossible to tell how many, if any parking spots are still available in a given parking lot. This leads to countless hours spent each year trying to find that space, following people down the rows, and getting absolutely frustrated!
Solution: The solution is simple, have and automated counter that counts each car as it enters and exits by using the counters that you see everyday on your streets and incorporating them into a larger network of billboards to notify commuters as they approach. Then the data can be sent to a main computer which can run statistical analyses of the fullness of the lots, at any given time, to give the commuters the best options as to which lot they have the best chance of parking in when they arrive on campus.
Components: Server, LAN, LED Displays

Speed No More

Problem: Too many people speed on our roads and this leads to many accidents. So what we need is a way to make sure people are unable to speed.
Solution: Governors can be placed in cars to make sure the car doesn't go above the posted speed. There can be transponders at certain intervals and with posted speed limit signs that send information to the newly upgraded car computer. The computer can then use this information to make sure that the speed of the car does not exceed the posted speed limit within a certain statistical variation based on the posted speed limit, time of day, and weather conditions.
Components: Bluetooth wireless, sensors

Airbags sensor

Problem: airbags
Solution:A sensor that detects if some one is sitting in the front passenger seat depending on the weight of the person, to turn off and on the airbags, so kids won't get hurt if airbags goes off.
Component: n/a

Interstate Radio Station Finder

Societal Problem: Many times I've gone out of state on trips tried to find decent radio stations which fit my preferences. Often you have to listen to dozens of stations to find one you like.
Proposed Solution: Develop a database which contains all radio stations in a region of the country, as well as information about the signal ranges of the stations. Using a GUI for PDA's, cell phones, or laptops, a person could search for radio stations in the area based on city name, zip code, and GPS coordinates. Information could be delivered wirelessly or in an all at once download.
Computer Components: PDA's, Cell Phones, Personal computers, server, databases, wireless tech.

CarPool Directory

Societal Problem: Heavy-traffic commutes on the ride to and from work/school.
Proposed Solution: An online resource that lets commuters set up car pools based on travel locations.
Computer Components: Devices with access to the internet, web server, databases

Transit Tracker

Problem: Buses and other public transit are often not on time leading many people to not use mass transit due to the uncertainty of where they actually are and when they will be at the stop.
Solution: Develop a system which would track the vehicles and display their current locations as well as the expected time until one arrrives based on the current data.
Components: GPS uplink for buses, tracking software, and displays adn software for the bus stops.

Where am I going?- car travel identification scheme.

This idea could go two ways, one, a simple display is put in a car, and it broadcasts the destination of occupants, thereby eliciting the formation of caravans of people going to the same place. It could also be driven by a mainframe, where people enter the destination, and alerts other people in the area.

Traffic Condition Reporter

Problem: Knowing traffic conditions in realtime
Solution: Text display that mounts on dash-board updating traffic conditions and accidents.
Component: small display with radio reciever built-in to pick up a configured traffic signal.

Health/Medicine

Medical ID Card.

Societal Problem: When there is an emergency there is almost no time to run test in the injured person to determine allergies, blood type. This issue kills people everyday.
Proposed Solution: SIM cards located in GSM cell phones have some storage capacity. Who doesn't have a cell phone today? We could implement a database in this card that matches the cell phone owner and is readable by the medical personnel in case of an emergency.
Topic's Computer Component: Memory cards, database implementation, software to interact with this database, wireless technology to automatically update the cell phone's memory card.

Mother Medicine

Problem: There is too much abuse and scandal with prescription and nonprescription drugs. People easily trick out current system into giving out more medicine than needed or invalid prescriptions.
Solution: I suggest using networked computer system that keeps track of patients and what drugs they are using. We can limit those who try to abuse the system and prevent fake prescriptions from being filled. It will also keep track of those who might be dangerously abusing over the counter drugs.
Component: The computer network would be liable for the patients accross America.

Self-Help Interactive Tool

Problem: Sometimes you just feel horrible. You feel like you can't do anything right or that everybody hates you. And while you are probably right, this handy little device will make you stop feeling like its name implies.
Solution: This device, designed much like a PDA, will contain volumes and volumes of common and some rare self-help topics. It can help you through life's little peculiarites and rough spots. It can be updated every night by attaching it to your computer and while you are out and about and it finds a wireless network to update itself with Bluetooth technology.
Components: PDA like device equipped with Bluetooth, Server with database

An artificial hand scrapper.

Problem: People are losing their hairs, especially men which is very frustrated for some of them
Solution: The artificial hand would massage the scalp to stop the fall of the hair. It is know that heat will make hair to regrow.
Component: The use of a laser inside the hand.

Healthy Choice System (HCS)

Problem- Heart attack patients are immediately forced into lifestyle changes that they may not be familiar with (diet, exercise, and stress reduction). Patients shopping at grocery stores have no idea what the proper food choices may be.
Solution- Create a program that tracks store inventory, calories, total fat and sodium etc. The user simply chooses the type of food, selects the criteria (search by least fat, calories, sodium etc.) and the program determines the best choice.
Component- Database for food items, program to scan inventory, interface for user.

Automated Food Server Informer

Problem: Stop misuse of time for waiters / waitresses by automatically informing them when the customer would like something.
Solution: Install an electronic signaling device on the customer's table that when pressed will notify your waiter/waitress through a pager that they are wearing that you would like there attention.
Component: Pager, signaling device

Sport

Automated Lap Counter (ALC)

Problem-Swimmers must manually count their laps swum and must awkwardly position themselves to view total time (check watch or other external source) and while swimming, must manually calculate their split time.
Create a device that incorporates an LCD with a timer for total time, resetable split time, a pressure pad that when pressed, will increment displayed lap number and reset split time, and a button to stop total time.
Component- Timing program, interface with LCD, pressure pad and manual buttons.

magnetic weights.

A normal bar, with a magnet on each side could be utilized for bench-pressing and other weight lifting practices. From adjusting weight with the push of a button, to emergency shut-off capabilities, it could prove quite useful.

Education

Weekend Woodworker Assistant

Problem: There are hundreds of thousands of "weekend woodworkers" throughout the United States. When planning a woodworking project, most still rely on paper and pencil. This is mainly due to the fact that most computer based drawing programs are either too generic (i.e., they draw general lines and shapes) or too complicated (e.g., CAD programs). Even the simplified CAD programs such as Turbo CAD are complicated to learn. Then, once learned, they are designed to do very complex drawings. The "weekend woodworker" needs something that is simple to learn and simple to use and has built in features specifically geared toward hand crafted wood projects (such as joinery or drawer building techniques).
Proposed Solution: A software drawing program that allows the "weekend woodworker" to develop project plans. This would obviously include the ability to develop working drawings but it would be more than just another drawing program. The user should be able to select a joint (e.g., where the top of a bookcase meets the side of the bookcase) and specify type of joint he intends to use. The program would automatically add the appropriate lines and hidden lines to the working drawing. The program would also have the ability to make recommendations based on proven woodworking techniques and have a library of templates from which to start. For example, there are many projects that begin with a basic carcase. Also included would be the ability for the program to determine the amount of material to buy to complete the project. This would take into account the typical dimensions of lumber available at local stores and how they could be cut to maximize the use of the material purchased.
Computer Science Component: This is almost entirely a computer programming effort. Additionally, a website could be set up where subscribers could exchange project plans, get professionally designed plans that could be modified using the software, and get answers to questions about woodworking, tools, species of wood, and the all important finishing of the project.

Course Enrollment Prediction

Problem: Universities and colleges have difficulties with budgeting and scheduling based on the varying size of the student body every year.
Solution: A software suite that would be able to predict based on various parameters how many students would be in the courses based on past courses, etc. and how many would continue in these courses. This would make the planning and scheduling of instructors needed/classrooms required/etc. easier in advance.
Component: n/a

Study Buddies

Societal Problem: Students have trouble meeting people in their classes and setting up study groups due to schedule conflicts.
Proposed Solution: An online solution that allows students to register their classes for each semester, and form groups online with other students in the class. The software will be able to manage student schedules, keep group notes/minutes, etc.
Computer Components: Browser-enabled devices, web servers, databases

Multimedia to learn foreign languages.

Problem: Improve voice quality, voice recognition for some types of accents. Peopl e with accent sometimes are not understood by the automatic answer machines.
Solution: Different accents can be recognized by automated answers machines. This would be a very nice software to help people who speak English as a second language
Component: Database for voice recognition.

E-Attendance

Problem: Ever year, precious budget dollars are spent identifying who is attending Tele-TechNet classes through the use of non-renewable resources (attendance sheets).
Solution: Create an electronic card scanner that reads the ODU Student ID card and records the student's name, class they are entering, and time the student has arrived.
Component: ODU Student ID Badge, scanner, computer program

Script Manager

Problem: Sysadmins having trouble finding scripts adn distributing them publicly.
Solution: An online script distribution system in which scripts are submitted, reviewed, tested, and then made publicly available for download.
Components: A web/ft/rsync server for updating the client and for allowing the clietn to aquire new scripts, as well as custom client software.

Assignment Repository

Problem: Keeping track of old tests, answer keys, assignments, and turned in assignments.
Solution: A centralized, highly secured repository for all such data which is completedly seperate from internal and external networks and contains built in backup capabilities.
Components: A server with a built in or attached tape drive, custom software, as well as either as homebrew or commercial database application.

Media Finder

Problem: Finding out what data is on a hard drive and what system it used to be in is often time consuming.
Solution: RFID tags embedded in hard drives containing info on what they are used for; Server racks will have embedded readers and sysadmins will have portable readers and programmers.
Components: RFID tags and readers/programmers.

Economic/Business

ODU Remote Payment Gateway

Problem: briefly described below
Solution: research all technical sides of leoonline, develop secured interfaces to provide prompt payment processing for any affiliate organization.
Benefit: ability to charge small percentage from each transaction. annually only VATPDC may bring over $2000.
Components: only programming issues

Hydrogen Replacement

With the recent soar in gasoline and diesel prices, it has become clear that another alternative must be found to transport goods. Retailers like Wal Mart have declared second quarter losses due to high prices in fuel. With a high dependence on shipping goods from main warehouses to individual stores, retailers could save millions every year by finding another alternative fuel.
I suggest using a hybrid fuel cell / electric engine that will run off of electricity as its only fuel. It will work off of a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen with the only output being water. A single tank of 3.75 gallons of hydrogen can allow a vehicle to travel up to 160 miles. The trucks will also make use of the AC electricity that can be generated from any wall socket.
The software in the new shipping trucks will keep track of the available electricy and switch to a back up battery when the truck begins running low. The back up battery will be recharged with AC electricity and will allow the truck to continue up to 250 kilometers.

Smart Cart:

Problem: Many of us lose track of the total we will spend when we go out shopping at place like wal-mart especially if you buying lots of things. Keeping track of all the total would help so we know how much we are gonna spend.
Solution: Before a person would something in the cart, they would scan the barcode located on the corner of handlebar and then drop it in the cart. A LCD display in the middle of handle bar would keep display of the total number of items plus the total price. This way we could keep track of how much we are gonna spend, so we wont have any embarrasing moment at the cash register, like when they ask us more than we have available and we have to go back and put something back. Also it could be programmed that if the number of items in the cart can be determined by the just quickly counting them, cashier could just get the scanned data from the cart, so they wont have to repeat all the steps.
Component: Scanner connected to store's database for prices, an LCD display

Eatable straw, to save the economy.

Problem: n/a
Solution: n/a
Component: n/a

Credit card Fraud

Problem: Nowadays, There are a lot of fraudulent purchases for people who use credit cards that do not belong to them.
Solution: The solution is to have software that display the fraudulent purchases information, so the persons who committed the crime can be punished.
Component: The software would research all purchases for examination of possible fraud.

PAYper Plates

Problem: High speed food service is often hampered by the lac of fast cashiers and peopleincorrectly ringing up food.
Solution: Develop a system where the plates, cups, etc are tagged so that a RFID reader at the checkout will automatically ring up all of them on the tray.
Component: Specially made food service supplies with RFID tags,RFID reader, software/hardware to interface with cash registers.

MicroEase

Problem: TV dinners can need to be cooked for very different amounts of time and given the busy lifestyle of those eating them it would be an advantage to not have to look for the amount of time to cook it for.
Solution: Use an embedded tag in the TV dinner tray to tell the microwave how long to cook it for.
Component: New microwaves with RFID readers and RFID chips embedded into microwave dinner trays.

Geography

Automated Beach Survey System (ABSS)

Problem- Military units conducting amphibious landings do not have an accurate system of surveying the beach for obstacles, hazards and sand bars, crucial for vehicle safety and personnel drop-off, which can result in massive causalities (WWII).
Solution- Combining GPS, Fathometer and Mapping technology, create a system that automates the process of gathering data to accurately map and display water depths and hazards at specific locations.
Component- Interface with GPS and Fathometer, Mapping program.

Home

Key Reminder

Problem: It is easy to lock one's self out of the home, office, or car. This can be both incredibly inconvenient and dangerous.
Solution: When a door is opened, an RFID transceiver is switched on which queries for a programmed RFID tag or tags (which would be placed on a key or keyring). If the tag is not detected, a warning will sound, alerting the user that he or she is about to leave without the key required to return.
Components: RFID transceivers and transponders, as well as some form of memory to hold the stored ID's.

Automatic door mat cleaner:

Problem: when it rains, and your shoes gets all muddy there is a senor that washes the bottom of your shoe to clean it.
Solution: The automatic door mat cleaner prevents mud and dirt to get on the bottom of your shoe.
Component: n/a

Smart Controller

Problem: Control of smart home away from home.
Solution: Controler can be accessed via answer machine. This allows control from cellphone or any other phone.
Component: Answer machine with smart home controller built in. touch tone menu.

Law

Bicycle Locator

Problem: Once a bike is stolen, it is often hard to recover.
Solution: An RFID tag is placed inside the bicycle's frame (this makes removal of the tag without the destruction of the bike a very inconvenient process). The tag represents an ID registered to the bicycle owner upon purchase. Its uniqueness can verify the true owner.
Components: RFID transceivers and transponders, databases with the ID registry

Intelligent Vocal Pitch Correction

Societal Problem : When someone is recording an album in a music studio it can take them hours to get a vocal performance completely in key. They may stray off on a few notes and ruin the otherwise perfect take. Although there are current pitch correction software programs on the market, alot of tedious manual effort is often required to get the track corrected.
Proposed Solution : A software program that would allow the user to enter the key signature the song is in and the tempo. The user would then play the melodic phrase on an electronic piano or other tuned instrument. After the phrase is recorded with a tuned instrument the user would then sing the vocal part in a microphone. The program would then compare the phrase recorded with the tuned instrument, and the phrase recorded with the vocal track. Any note in the vocal track that doesn't match the tuned instrument recording would be corrected to match it. After the automatic correction takes place, the user would then have the ability to analyze it and fine tune it to make additional corrections if neccesary.
Topic's Computer Components : An electronic keyboard or other tuned device, a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) connection, and the software program itself written in a high level programming language.

Leisure/Entertainment

Under Cabinet "Recipe Box"

Problem: Do you have a recipe box in your kitchen that is overflowing? My wife does. Wouldn't it be great to put it on the computer? Sure, but who has the time. Wouldn't it be great if you could "Google" for "prime rib recipe" and have it right there so you can prepare your gourmet meal? Well obviously you can do all of these things. All you have to do is setup your desktop computer or your notebook computer right there on the kitchen counter next to your range top and have at it. There are plenty of cookbook programs on the market. There are lots of recipes on the Internet. But who wants a computer sitting on their kitchen counter top. Many kitchens are designed today with a "planning station". I know mine was. But, my wife doesn't want a computer staring at her in the kitchen. So, if we want a recipe from the computer, be it from a cookbook program or from the Internet, we go to the study, bring up the recipe, print it off, and take it to the kitchen.
Proposed Solution: A touchscreen tablet PC with wireless network access that can be mounted and then hides under an upper kitchen cabinet. It comes with a software package that can be installed on a desktop or notebook PC. Using the software, your favorite recipes can be entered and recipes can be obtained from the Internet. The recipes can then be uploaded to the mounted tablet PC or the tablet PC can access the desktop or notebook for the database. The tablet PC software can also provide all of the other features available in desktop cookbook programs such as a glossary of cooking terms, weights and measure conversions utilities, and nutritional information.
Computer Science Component: All of the proposed solution involves computer technology both hardware and software.

Automated Usher Machine

Problem: the job of usher at a movie theater isn't truely necessary, it could be automated. It's also a pain waiting in line for them to rip your ticket and let you in.
Solution: Have 2 or 3 automated ticket machines at the front of the theatre that would take your ticket into the machine, seperate the halves, and spit half of it back out while you pass through a turnstyle type of entrance system. While you're walking through, the machine would quickly tell you the location of your theatre, in theory this system would be a faster and cheaper approach than having an usher.
Computer Component: Turnstyle lock manager, theatre locations and times database, program to run Automated Usher Machine (AUM)

TV soundwave controller

Problem: sometimes you dont want to let other people hear the sounds coming from the tv if they are in the same room or are around you but dont want the sounds disturbing them.
Solution: Inventing a device that will send the soundwave only in the direction that its pointed toward. So if you turn the device toward you, only you will hear the sound or anyone crossing the pathway between you and the device.
Component: External speaker with a specially programmed chip to control the soundwaves.

TV remote locator for all remotes

Problem: many of us spend 30 minutes looking for a tv remote rather than changing the channel manually and only few tv's come with the remote finder capabilities.
Solution: creating a plug-in device thats plugged into tv and its wireless device that can be installed into the remote and it can be made to be compatiable with the remotes already created and dont have such feature.
Component: Programmed plug-in device for tv and a chip for the remote.

control your computer from your cell

You simply call your computer, speak either an specific ID number of title of a window / program, and it can input or read output. Use it to quickly check email, chat with friends, or start a script.

Computerized dryer

Computerized dryer that automatically senses when your clothes are dry and keeps on if they are wet. Saves energy, time, and you dont have to check on your clothes every so often (somewhat mechanically complex, but not too more complex then a normal dryer. could even have a LCD that tells you how much moisture is still left, configurable..)

Computerized shoe

Computerized shoes that could automatically adjust to what kind of terrain you are walking on. Saves energy, time, but might get really expensive based on the features.. (like the spikes on soccer shoes would extract in mud, however is mechanically complex)

Automatic Music Platform

A platform that would change your sheet music's page automatically based on either time signature and a timer or on a built-in metronome. Helps all musicians that read from sheet music with their job. (should be really cheap, only slightly more than a metronome, and is mechanically smiple)

Safety

Teen Tracker

Problem: It's 10:00 PM. One hour until Virginia Beach curfew. Do you know where your driving age teenager is? This can be a frustrating and stressful time for parents. Teenagers will be teenagers. They may not always be 100% forthcoming about their wherabouts. This is true even with the "best" of teens. It is our job as parents to keep tabs on their actions. Most teens will not go anywhere without their cell phones but for one reason or another may not answer when you try to call them. Maybe they're at a movie and have it turned off. Maybe they're at a football game and cannot hear it. Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to know that they are where they said they were going?
Proposed Solution: An extremely low power consumption transponder chip is embedded in the teen's cell phone that is not turned off when the phone is turned off. When a parent calls a teen's phone, a short tone sounds and then a few seconds are alotted for a PIN code to be entered. If the transponder code is entered, the GPS position of the cell phone is transmitted. The received position can be plotted on a spatially aware device and the parent knows immediately where the cell phone is located.
Computer Science Component: The receipt and subsequent plotting of the cell phone location could be provided either through a website service or through a software program that could be installed on a home PC.

Human Tracker

Societal Problem : Missing person cases have recently proliferated in the past couple decades. Many times our lost loved ones are never found. Even when they are found it is often too late. Also when a fugitive is running from the law it can sometimes take several weeks or even months to go out on a manhunt to find them. We need something that can track people for these and other reasons.
Proposed Solution : Some sort of GPS device that can be implanted inside a person without being able to be tampered with by an outsider. Information about each person such as their name, place of birth, picture, etc could be stored in an external database. Whenever someone files a missing person report, they could give the person's name to the police or other law enforcement agency and they would be able to instantly determine the person's exact geographic location.
Topic's Computer Components : A GPS device, SQL or other generic database, a small computer chip physically implanted inside a person's body.

Empty Coffee Informer

Problem: Stop coworkers from leaving an emptied coffee pot.
Solution: Install an electronic signaling device on a coffee pot that will automatically emit an addible sound when the coffee pot is empty.
Component: Coffee machine, digital snifter, alarm

Communication

Global Talk

Problem: we all know how construction people love nextell feature "push to talk", but what if we need to send short messages over the world?
Solution: create application for windows mobile OS ( it is dominant OS on the market of PDAs), which will transmit short voice messages over Internet.
Benefit: if we make Microsoft believe that this program is necessary, we might have good reputation, plus money!
Components: pdas, necessary SDK

Don't Drink And Talk!

Problem: when you drunk, don't call your ex....
Solution: develop a chip that will detect alcohol while person is breathing. The chip must be integrated into cell phone (or any phone). There should be a small interface to provide two signals of alcohol presents, if true then software that has access to the chip blocks certain numbers from being dialed
Benefit: less problems, there is potential market
Components: some hardware knowledge, ASM

Univeral Language Handheld Translator

Societal Problem : Too often when we go to a foreign country we find it difficult to communicate with other people. If we travel to Spain and are unfamiliar with Spanish, we have to carry around a Spanish to English dictionary or bring along an interpreter. Wouldn't be nice and convenient if there were a handheld device that could do all the tranlation work for you?
Proposed Solution : A handheld electronic device that would allow the user to enter in the country their currently visiting, and the native dialect of that country or area. The user would then type the sentence they want to translate in whatever language they are most familiar with. The device would then output the translation and give the phoenetic pronunciation of each word.
Topic's Computer Components : A handheld computer chip, programmed with software written in a programming language that would make the translation. An appropriate user interface and keyboard would also be provided.

General

Manager Detector

Problem: Unable to know when your manager is near.
Solution: Install an electronic signaling device in your manager's badge. Create a program that will notify you through your computer when the manager is within your area by detecting the electronic signal emitted by the manager's badge.
Component: Badge, computer program

House Arrest Tracking System

Problem: Lack of ability to track people in House Arrest programs that are allowed to travel to and from work.
Solution: mobile system with gps that will periodically report location to authorities when not connected to home reporting system.
Components: GPS receiver, transmitter and Bluetooth device that connects house arrest bracelet to transceiver. Database to store positional information and reporting system that will alert probation authorities when out of allowed area/route.