Requirements Engineering Semester Projects
Overview
You should choose 1 of the hypothetical large systems described below. You will do each
part of the project as if it were a real project that is unconstrained by the time and
personnel limits of this class. You will not actually implement the systems.
The information in the system descriptions is not complete. Remember that the customer
does not have a clear idea of what they want. It is fair to provide questions to the
customer's representative (i.e. the instructor).
As in real projects, there will be many unknowns. In each deliverable, you will be
expected to make and record assumptions.
The preferred formats for all project deliverables are Word document or HTML.
Graphical diagrams can be created by tools like Powerpoint and embedded in the Word
document or HTML. There is an HTML primer you can use;
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html .
Details on the project deliverables will follow shortly.
Project 1 - Audio/Video On Demand System
A new Audio/Video On Demand (AVOD) System is being developed by the Dallas
Cable Company. The AVOD system allows the user to request any song, album (set of
songs), TV show, or movie in the catalog. The requested entertainment product is then
downloaded through the internet in a compressed form and played once through the user's
TV or stereo. The user can pause but not restart. The user can schedule a series of
entertainment products to be played at specified times or in sequence. The user can
specify and change policies on blocking music and video from children based on ratings.
The user pays 10 cents for each song, 1 dollar for each album, 20 cents for each hour of
TV program. Recently released movies cost 10 dollars and old movies cost 2 dollars. The
user can look at his current bill at any time and pay for each request automatically with a
credit card number stored at the server side or get a monthly bill. On the server side, 50%
of the payment is automatically credited to the content provider (record company or
studio) and the other 50% is kept by Dallas Cable.
The client side selection program is updated once a day to include newly released music,
shows and movies. The client side program can also include advertisements for special
sales on music/video listening/viewing.
The entire system will be written in Java and use CORBA middleware services and
commercial data base management systems. The initial prototype system will serve
2000 homes. The system will eventually be scaled up to handle over 100,000 homes.
Project 2 - Highway Autonomous Vehicle System
A new Highway Autonomous Vehicle (HAV) System is being developed by the SMU
Company. The HAV system allows the user to select the desired speed and exit number
on any interstate highway in the U.S. from a menu. The car will then be driven
autonomously until 100 yards from the selected exit. The HAV system will start notifying
the driver to get ready to resume control 5 miles from the exit. The HAV will provide for
manual override and resume. The HAV system will automatically pass vehicles to
maintain the desired speed.
The HAV system will maintain a database of all interstate highway exits numbers/names
and their latitude/longitude. The HAV system will provide a map display to help the user
select an appropriate exit. The HAV system will have a Global Positioning System
receiver for locating the car's current position.
The HAV will use several types of sensors mounted on the car. There will be 2 cameras
mounted on the front of the car and 2 cameras mounted on the back. There will be a laser
range finder mounted on the front of the car and another mounted on the back. There will
be a warning radar mounted on the driver and passenger sides of the car.
The entire system will be written in Java and use CORBA middleware services and
commercial data base management systems.
Project 3 - SMU Course Registration System
In order to provide a more "student friendly" way to register for classes, the development
of a visually oriented computer-based course registration system has been proposed. Your
organization (team) has been one of those selected as a candidate to develop a Web-based
system. The teams have been judged to be equal in all other respects, so the project will
be awarded to the team that develops the best Software Requirements Specification
(SRS) and Design for the new product. Your team’s goal is to develop the winning
proposal.
The computer-based system is to have the following characteristics:
1. The student must be able to identify himself/herself to the system using a student
id and pin number.
2. The system should verify that the student is eligible to register by checking
academic status, payment of required fees, date student is permitted to register,
etc.
3. The student should be able to specify a set of desired courses through some
visually oriented interface.
4. The student should be able to check to see whether courses are full before
specifying them as part of a desired program.
5. Students should be able to add or delete courses after an initial program has been
created.
6. The system should check to make sure there are no conflicts in day or time for the
initial program and anytime a course is requested to be added.
7. If changes to a program are interdependent (i.e., a given class is to be dropped
only if another course can be added), there must be a way to specify that the
changes are to be made only if all of them can be made.
8. At the option of a department, prerequisites to a given course should be checked
before that course is added to the program of any student.
9. Access to the schedule of classes should be possible through this system.
10. The system should be accessible through the Web.
Project 4 – Airport Tram System
Our city airport wants to add a tram system that goes to all the terminals in the airport.
The trams are to be automated and not require a driver or person to be in the tram to run
it. Each tram should have some sort of a computer in it to control it. There should be a
central computer room with one or more (you decide) computer screens that control the
tram system.
The system needs to control things like:
1. The speed of each tram,
2. The location of each tram,
3. Whether or not the tram is working or has broken down.
4. The number of trams available, number running, etc.
The trams need to run 24 hours a day. During the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., the
trams need to stop at every terminal at least once every 10 minutes.
During the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the trams must stop at every terminal every
30 minutes. Now on weekdays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., there needs
to be a tram from terminal 4 to terminal 6 every 5 minutes.
The trams need to stop at the terminals for at least 1 minute. The doors need to be tied to
the computers in each tram so they open when the tram stops and close prior to the tram
moving. Each tram needs to communicate its location by reporting which segment it is
in.
The train needs to stop if:
1. The power to the track is cut
2. If another tram or other obstruction is blocking the track
3. The tram does not get a signal from the control system to enter a terminal area
4. The tram receives a signal from the control system to stop
5. A passenger on the tram pulls the tram communication cord.
Each terminal can only have one tram stop. Only one tram can be at the terminal at once.
The track between the terminals is divided into 3 segments as shown below.
You will probably find that looking at the web may help. Places like
http://www.railway-technology.com/index.html or other sites may give you some
additional details or examples for your system.