TDDD63:
Projects
2
jonkv@ida
Course Overview
Courses in parallel…
TDDD73: Functional / Imperative
Programming in Python
First
period
Introduction to Python:
6 HP
TDDD63:
Perspectives in CS and CE
Introductory Lectures / Quizzes:
2 HP
Python Programming Project:
5 HP
Second
period
Why?
Can we really
do this now?
What can a
project
consist of?
What’s
required to
pass the
course?
Why a programming project?
 Direct hands-on programming experience early in your education
▪ Don’t wait to learn everything and then apply it
 A chance to create something larger
▪ Not just a sequence of short lab exercises illustrating specific topics
 A chance to practice working independently
▪ You are at the university now!
▪ Take personal responsibility for what you do and what you learn
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Project: Now?
Can you really do a project now?
 Of course – though the end result may not be perfect!
▪ Still early in your education
▪ Haven’t learned about data structures, algorithmic techniques,
programming paradigms, …
 We will:
▪ Provide detailed instructions for an introductory phase
▪ Provide additional guidance for the main phase
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Project: Why?
jonkv@ida
jonas.kvarnstrom@liu.se – 2015
Project: What Is Software Development?
Can you really do a project now?
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What is involved in software development?
 We expect you to:
▪ Dive head first into the world of programming!

Much more than writing code! For example:
 Keeping track of code
▪ Version control using Subversion
▪ Spend a great deal of time on your project:
Work hard, write a lot of code
 Knowing what the users want and need
▪ Reading instructions – all of them
▪ (Otherwise: Running as fast as possible –
in the wrong direction?)
▪ Try different approaches, solve a lot of problems
▪ Make mistakes!
Project: Preferences
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▪ Learn as much as possible from the mistakes,
▪ and show us what you learned!
Signup opens 150916
Five distinct project types
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
Take your time, think about it
Tell us your preferred project using WebReg
Deadline: Tuesday 150922
No sign-up  we must assume you have dropped out…
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Project: Now?

We randomly generate project groups of 3 students
P1
P2
Professionalism:
Work with the
people you are
assigned to
P3
We consider your
preferred projects,
but no guarantees
(group size limits!)
#4
#1
#4
#3
#6
#1
#7
#2
#5
#8
#9
#4
#3
#6
#1
#7
#2
#5
#8
#9
#7
#2
#5
#8

150911
This lecture


150914
150915
150916
150917
150918
WebReg open for signing up








#9
150921
150922
150923
150924
150925
10
Deadline: Sign up, tell us your preferred project
Groups assigned…
Groups assigned…
Preliminary group assignment sent out
Mandatory participation: Meet partners, learn about the project…


150928
150929
150930
151001
151002

151005
Full speed ahead!

#3
#6
Project: Startup Timeline


Deadline: Tell us by lunch if group members are missing!
Notification: Final group assignment
Game:
Capture the Flag
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Project: Group Assignment

Capture the flag: Traditional outdoor sport
Capture the Flag: Electronically

Electronic versions exist since 1984…
 Each team has a flag and a territory of its own
 Objective: Capture the other team’s flag
▪ Without being tagged/touched
in the other team’s territory
Capture the Flag: Project

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jonkv@ida
Image: Wikipedia
Project: Implement ”Capture the Flag” in Python
 Basic framework given
▪ Graphics, 2D physics
 Mandatory or potential tasks:
▪ Implement part of the basic game
▪ Add sound effects
▪ Add destroyable and movable objects
▪ Implement an AI player
(artificial intelligence)
▪ Add support for networking
with multiple players
▪ Write a level editor
allowing new levels to be easily defined
▪ …
Image tiles given –
focus on programming
Game:
XPilot-AI
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Capture the Flag: Outdoors

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XPilot-AI: A programming game
 Control a spaceship
 Write code to control the spaceship: An intelligent agent
 Rotating, thrusting,
 Find ways to:
▪ Navigate
▪ Avoid the enemy
▪ Shoot at targets
▪ Fly as an escort
▪ Learn the environment (you can only “see” a certain distance)
▪ …
firing on the enemy
 Avoid other ships / obstacles
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XPilot: classical game
XPilot-AI: Artificial Intelligence
jonkv@ida

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XPilot: Introduction
 At the end:
▪ Maybe a tournament between project teams?
Mapping: Introduction

Maps used to be
on paper…

…but now they
tend to be
electronic
Software:
Mapping

 Real-time navigation
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Many popular uses for maps!
Mapping: Project
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
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Mapping: Usage
Project: Develop a web application!
 Begin using the
(in combination with GPS)
Google Maps API
to display maps
▪ But Google does not provide
direct access to roads, …
 Mashups overlaying interesting information
Heatmap: Where are photos
in Panoramio taken?
How do hummingbirds migrate?
 Add freely available
structured map data
from OpenStreetMap
▪ Generate paths for navigation
▪ …
Lego Mindstorms EV3
Hardware:
Lego Mindstorms

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Can be used to build many kinds of robots…
Mindstorms: Project
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
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jonkv@ida
Mindstorms: Robots
Project: Build (and program) a guard dog!
 Patrol an area
 Fire balls at intruders
 Chase intruders away
RoboCup: Introduction

Robocup: Robotic soccer competition, since 1997
AIBO dogs (up to 2008)
Small Size League
Simulation League
Middle Size League
Hardware:
Robocop Humanoid Soccer

Six Nao robots
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Project: Play soccer!
 Hello World!
 Basic Skills
Made by Aldebaran Robotics
57 cm, 4.5 kg
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We have:
RoboCup: Project
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
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RoboCup: Robots
 Playing Soccer
 Cooperation
Get started programming the robots
Develop simple skills like walking a certain distance
and turning the head searching for the ball
Track the ball, kick the ball, score a goal
Pass the ball
Project Timeline Overview: Phase 1
Week 38
Next week: Sign up
Week 39
Preliminary notification
Week 40
First meeting (LA1)  potential group changes
Week 41
W 42, (43)
Startup: Intro phase, with 7 occasions booked in the lab rooms
Spend more time working on your own – standard lab procedure!
LA2
LA3
LA4
LA5
LA6
LA7
Intro phase
Intro phase
Progress
report
Intro phase
Intro phase
Progress
report
Additional time outside the labs
Week 43
Re-exam period – catch up with intro phase if not finished
Week 44
Exam period
Week 47
Week 48
Week 49
Week 50
Most
weeks in
the main
phase
jonkv@ida
For some projects, you may be able to work at home – bonus!
 Example: Thinlinc
▪ https://www.ida.liu.se/local/tus/handbook/linux/thinlinc.sv.shtml
▪ https://www.ida.liu.se/~TDDD11/UPP_Course_Mtrl/tools/thinlinc/index.sv.shtml
Guidance and goals given in project-specific instructions,
together with milestones to achieve
Use your creativity and imagination,
and expand the project as much as time allows
4-hour lab
(assistants
present
for one hour)
4-hour lab
(assistants
present
for one hour)
2-hour lab with
progress reports
from each group
(not a question
session)
Week 51
Polish your project and demonstrate
Week 52
Final demonstrations + presentations in Visionen
Project: Extent

34
≈4 hours
of work
outside
the
schedule!
Deadline!
But be at the labs at well – maximize feedback!
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How much must you implement?
Project: Extent – Clarifications

 5 hp = 3.33 weeks: 133 hours
The time required to finish a milestone depends on:
 First period
Whether your implementation is rudimentary or full-featured
 Presentations
How often you run into unexpected trouble
 Second period
How many solutions you try before succeeding
Do as much as you can!
Achieving milestones is one way of showing progress;
minimum requirements are project-specific
Another is making mistakes and showing clearly what you tried,
why it didn’t work, and what you learned
Remember: Around 14 hours per week and person!

33h (14h scheduled, 19h on your own time)
2h
98h in 7 weeks = 14h per week
That's 42 person hours per group and week
 If you spend this time but have difficulties completing a milestone:
Fine (as long as you show what you have done):
You're still learning
 If you can't demonstrate that you are working hard:
Spend the time, try hard, learn, explain!
Expect additional tasks, komplettering
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jonkv@ida
Week 46
Working at Home

Main phase
Investigate, explore, implement, write a lot of code!
jonkv@ida
Week 45
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Project Timeline Overview: Phase 2

 One senior person defining the project
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For each project type, there will be:
Project: Progress Reports
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
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Project: Assistance
Once every week, hand in a progress report
 Instructions and deadlines: See the web pages
 One assistant taking care of day-to-day issues
 Names will be provided on the project web page!
When you run into problems (and you will!)…
First try to solve them yourself – especially programming problems
1)
▪
▪
▪
▪
 Anything in particular you need assistance with?
 Any problems discovered in the project / instruction / APIs?

Show clearly what the problem is, how you have tried to solve it,
and why the solutions did not work!
Project: Progress Discussions

 How many hours did you spend? (Mainly for your benefit)
Discuss within the group, or with other groups
Search the web for information
Practice your independent problem-solving skills and learn!
If this fails, ask your project assistant
2)
Once every week, a progress session (mandatory)
 Instructions and dates: See the web pages
Individually:
 What did you do?
▪ Have you spent a week going in the wrong direction?
Tell us what you did and what you learned from this – that’s also progress!
Together:
 What's your overall progress this week (milestones completed etc)?
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

Project: Mandatory Final Demonstrations

Near the end, a final demonstration session
 Show the final result to your project assistant
 Typically 5-10 minutes
 5-10 minutes per group
▪ Demonstrate the current implementation to your assistant
▪ Discuss the reported progress
▪ Discuss difficulties, solutions, what you plan to do next, …
 Must be well prepared

Project: Mandatory Final Presentation
Last week: Final presentations (151221, 151222)!
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Project: Mandatory Final Presentation
Presentation is mandatory!
P1
P2
P3
P4
2 hours
(7-8 min/group)
2 hours
(7-8 min/group)
2 hours
(7-8 min/group)
2 hours
(7-8 min/group)
Plan your travel accordingly
Don't oversleep
Prepare 5 slides
showing how great your project is!
Main focus: The project / its applications,
not implementation / code
Practice (professionalism course)
Present in Visionen (B-huset)…

Deadline summary:
 Send in background information before each progress report session
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Project: Grading

Possible outcomes:
 Project approved in its entirety
 Final demonstration session last week
 Final presentation session last week
 Additional work needed
 Hand in the final code by 160110
 Additional work needed for some project members

Deadlines are hard!
 ”Round off” your project in time
 Don’t risk being too late
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Project: Deadlines
jonkv@ida
Have fun!
jonkv@ida

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Potential Problems
We are not making any progress!
 Don't hesitate to discuss with your assistant
 Tell us early, not when it is too late

A group member is not showing up
 This should be reflected in the progress report (hours worked, …)
 If it isn't:
▪ Discuss with your assistant
▪ Discuss with me, jonas.kvarnstrom@liu.se
Potential Problems 2

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There's too much to do!
Potential Problems 3

There are bugs in the provided hardware / software
 First, look at your time logs. Have you spent the expected time?
 These things will happen – also in industry
 No 
▪ Being a student is hard, takes time!
 Report such problems early
 We'll take this into account
▪ Fix, provide workarounds, modify assignments, adjust expected results, …
 Yes, but I still can't keep up with the exercises/milestones 
▪ Discuss the workload with your assistant
▪ Maybe your or our expectations are wrong, …

jonkv@ida
 This is not "disloyal"
▪ You are not saying "he isn't doing what he should, he should be punished"
▪ You are saying "our group is having some trouble, please help"
Others are writing all the code!
 Everyone should be involved in everything
 Even if you're inexperienced, demand the chance to write code
 We are here to learn!
If you are more experienced:
Feel free to give hints
Do not provide full solutions to others

Instructions are unclear
 Ask…

Talking to the assistant did not help / there are delays / …
 Discuss with me, jonas.kvarnstrom@liu.se

Take responsibility for figuring out how to achieve your goals
 Engineers are not given step by step instructions –
you will have tasks and objectives
 If you have a problem:
▪ Don't say "the instructions don't tell me how to solve it"
 Instead:
▪ Keep working
▪ Try to solve it
▪ Try workarounds
▪ Ask others – or your supervisors if necessary (possibly by email)
Activity

Be active!
 If
▪
▪
▪
▪
you don't get help immediately, continue doing something
Keep searching for information
Keep trying to solve the problem
Look at another exercise or milestone
Clean up your code, write technical documentation
 Real event:
▪ Demo on Friday
▪ Students: "We tried on Monday but didn't know how to continue,
so we could not do anything this week"
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Responsibility

Be proactive!

 pro·ac·tive or pro-ac·tive (prō-ăk′tĭv)adj.
Be on time
 Or if there is a deadline
▪ An engineer does not tell his client:
"But why does it matter that I'm handing in the results late?
You didn't really need it earlier anyway, and I want my salary!"
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 Example: Prepare for upcoming difficulties
▪ Read and think about upcoming tasks
so that you can ask questions on Monday
instead of getting stuck until Thursday

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 Especially if you may need questions answered
▪ Real example: Progress report handed in at 08:15:
"We couldn't do anything – we sent a question at 21:30 last night and got no reply"
Acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty;
anticipatory: proactive steps to prevent terrorism.
Pride
Timeliness
Be proud of your work!
 Don't try to satisfy the literal requirements with minimal effort
▪ "Innocent (of doing too little)
until proven guilty!"
 Construct something you can be proud of
▪ Or learn something you can be proud of,
even if the end result isn't quite there yet
 Impress your employer!
There is much more information
on the project web pages!
Don’t miss them – at your own risk!
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Proactivity