Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-2018

Subject: LCSH

Internet of things, Technical writing--Handbooks, manuals, etc, Engineering--Study and teaching

Disciplines

Engineering Education | Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering

Abstract

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is one of the most prominent technological eco-systems and an engine of growth with an estimated market size of $14 Trillion to $33 Trillion by 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute). The IoT eco-system uses well-established technologies in many fields; and it adds new and often challenging requirements on extant techniques. For example, many wireless schemes are or being redesigned to address battery life and cost of solution issues. At the same time, the industry needs to hire and retrain many technical personnel to address these issues and support this newly evolving eco-system in many different markets. These facts culminate in the need for engineering students to be skilled to handle the new challenges and match the hiring market needs. As importantly, the more experienced technical personnel need to be retrained to understand this evolving eco-system. In this light, we have taken parallel symbiotic steps to address these challenges. We have piloted a course in IoT covering the most critical technologies in a typical end-to-end IoT system, including various access technologies and higher layer protocols and standards as well as prominent cloud services. Our industry partner has developed new measurement equipment to address more accurate and sensitive current draw of circuits to assist with power-frugal designs for long battery life. They have also developed a programmable board along with several experiments geared towards IoT applications. Last summer a small group of graduate students, with the guidance of a senior faculty member, used the IoT board to assess its efficacy for less experienced engineering students. The board and the associated experiments were found to be very useful and a good addition to the program. The experiments are also valuable for continuing education purposes for developing specific skills in the development of IoT systems. The team created an updated and tailored user’s manual to better serve the needs of less experienced engineering students and to alleviate the initial frustration associated with setting up the system. In this paper, we will present the experiences of the pilot program and the key points that present the enhancements of technical manual for a teaching environment. We will present the value that the IoT board and its experiments bring to the students in order to enhance their experience when learning about the IoT eco-system.

Comments

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Publisher Citation

Sarraf, M., & Karimi, B., & Golbazi, A., & Lizotte, A. (2018, June). A Pilot Program in Internet-of-things with University and Industry Collaboration: Introduction and Lessons Learned. Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. https://peer.asee.org/29710

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