PHYSICAL COMPUTING

Required Texts:

Course Textbook: Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers. Tom Igoe, Dan O'Sullivan. (Course Technology PTR, 2004).

Additional readings will be available as PDFs for download from the course website.

Course Requirements:

Readings: Assigned readings are to be completed prior to the class session in which they will be discussed.

Lab Exercises: Lab exercises are designed to be completed during the lab session. You are responsible for completing each exercise. In the second half of the semester, Open Lab sessions are reserved for you to develop your projects. You are required to attend each lab.

Lab Journal: You are responsible for maintaining an online journal (blog) that documents your thought process and development steps for each project. These blog entries should consist of text and images that explain your work clearly. We will be using the course website for producing these blogs.

Projects: There are two short projects and one final project. These projects will involve designing and building physical working prototypes. For the short projects you will work in small groups. For the final, you will work alone. Specific details regarding each project will be announced in class as listed on the schedule and posted to the course website.

Materials and Tools:

You will need to purchase materials and tools to complete your work for this course. You should plan on spending at a minimum between $125 and $175 for the basic items needed, depending on the tools you already own. Additional expenses will vary depending on the scope and complexity of your projects. You can keep this cost down by scavenging and reusing parts. A list of required materials and tools will be distributed during the first class and discussed in the first lab.

Grading:

Attendance and Participation: 20%
Lab Journal: 20%
Project 1: 15%
Project 2: 15%
Final Project: 30%

Attendance:

Students are required to attend all class sections and to be on time to class. There is no such thing as an “allowable” unexcused absence. As your participation in class discussions amounts to 15% of your grade for this course, ANY missed class will result in a lowering of your grade. Arriving more than 15 minutes late for two (2) classes is considered one (1) absence. MISSING MORE THAN 3 CLASSES WITHOUT AN ACCEPTABLE EXCUSE WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE. NO EXCEPTIONS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. Acceptable excuses include sickness, accidents, severe weather, family crisis and other contingencies. Let’s face it. Sometimes *$%! happens. However, when it does, it MUST be documented in some concrete form in order not to be counted as an absence.

Incomplete Policy:

Incompletes are only granted in the case of legitimate, documented emergencies, and only to students in good standing in the course.

Academic Integrity:

Students are reminded of University Policy regarding Academic Integrity, as stated in the University at Buffalo Undergraduate Catalog 2001-2002:

"The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors. By placing their name on academic work, students certify originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments."

This policy includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Students should not cheat on exams.
2. Students should not submit previously completed work as original work.
3. Students should not submit work done for one class to fulfill the requirements of another course without the permission of the instructor

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is literary theft and a betrayal of trust. The term is derived from the Latin word for kidnapper and refers to the act of signing one's own name to words, phrases, or ideas, which are the literary property of another. Plagiarism comes in many forms, all to be avoided: outright copying or disguised use of words and phrases from an unacknowledged source. This includes copying and pasting from any online source. To avoid Plagiarism, students are encouraged to make it their habit to put quotation marks around words and phrases, or to isolate and indent longer passages that you are using from someone else's writing. Students can cite the source in a footnote/endnote, or within parentheses in your text. The penalties for Plagiarism can be severe: from an F for the particular assignment, to an F for the course, and to referral of the case to the Dean of Undergraduate Education for administrative judgment.

Specific Needs:

Students with specific needs that require attention should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester. If you have a disability (physical, learning, or psychological) which may make it difficult for you to carry out the course work as outlined, and/or requires accommodations such as recruiting note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and assignments, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 25 Capen Hall, 645-2608. The office will provide you with information and review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations.