Teaching Embedded Systems in the Context of Internet of Things (IoT)

摘要

Abstract Teaching Embedded Systems in the Context of Internet of Things (IoT) Abstract The global adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in a wide range of industry sectors has enabled a seamless confluence of our cyber and physical worlds [1]. The rapid proliferation of IoT devices is attributed to advances in key enabling technologies, among which communication and networking are paramount. As embedded systems converge with ubiquitous connectivity, it gives rise to an IoT ecosystem that drives a digital transformation, inspires innovation, and fuels economic growth. The resulting change in the technology landscape is creating a shift in demands of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) workforce. This emphasizes the need to reassess ways in which ECE programs prepare graduates in bridging the skills-gap. This paper documents the process of integrating IoT-based activities in an Embedded Systems course at Seattle University, for two consecutive years. In the first iteration, the course included a two-week long project that had students work in teams of two to build a voice-based control system using custom Alexa skills, in other words, a DIY Amazon Alexa device for voice-controlled robots. Over the duration of this project, students encountered concepts related to wireless communication, computer networking, cloud computing, and network security, among many others. In the second iteration, computer vision and image processing, in addition to the above-mentioned concepts were used to implement a hand-gesture-based control system. Survey and focus group results provide qualitative feedback on students’ learning experiences. A comparative study on the differences between implementations and resulting feedback from both iterations of the course is presented. Observations and lessons learned contribute to the body of knowledge on curricular enhancement using IoT and help identify best practices for teaching Embedded Systems in a world that is more connected now, than ever before.