Job Fair Pervasive Computing System
Project Plan
Project Team: Dec0912
Client:
Iowa State University
Faculty Adviser:
Qiao, Daji, PhD
Course Coordinator:
Jason Boyd
Team Members:
Adam Lee
Kartik Subbu
Nicholas Oakman
Gabriel Semonis
REPORT DISCLAIMER NOTICE
DISCLAIMER: This document was developed as a part of the requirements of an electrical and computer engineering course at
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. This document does not constitute a professional engineering design or a professional land
surveying document. Although the information is intended to be accurate, the associated students, faculty, and Iowa
State University make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, quality, or adequacy of the
information. The user of this document shall ensure that any such use does not violate any laws with regard to professional licensing
and certification requirements. This use includes any work resulting from this student-prepared document that is required to be
under the responsible charge of a licensed engineer or surveyor. This document is copyrighted by the students who produced this
document and the associated faculty advisors. No part may be reproduced without the written permission of the senior design
course coordinator.
Job Fair Pervasive Computing System, Group Dec0912
Page 1
Table of Contents
1
2
3
Tables Figures, and Definitions ............................................................................................................. 4
1.1
Tables ............................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2
Figures ........................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3
Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1
Problem Statement and Executive Summary ............................................................................... 5
2.2
Operating Environment ................................................................................................................ 5
2.3
Intended Users and Uses .............................................................................................................. 5
2.4
Assumptions .................................................................................................................................. 6
2.5
Limitations..................................................................................................................................... 6
2.6
Expected End Product ................................................................................................................... 6
Proposed Approach............................................................................................................................... 7
3.1
Concept Sketches .......................................................................................................................... 7
3.2
Functional Requirements of System ............................................................................................. 9
3.3
Constraints and Concerns ........................................................................................................... 10
3.3.1
Generalized Constraints and Concerns ............................................................................... 10
3.3.2
Specific Instances of Constraints......................................................................................... 10
3.3.3
Individual Constraint Scenarios........................................................................................... 11
3.4
Technology Concerns .................................................................................................................. 12
3.4.1
3.5
I/O Devices .......................................................................................................................... 12
Technical Approach ..................................................................................................................... 13
3.5.1
The V Model ........................................................................................................................ 13
3.5.2
Prototyping ......................................................................................................................... 13
3.6
Testing Requirements ................................................................................................................. 14
3.7
Security ....................................................................................................................................... 14
3.8
Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 14
3.9
Intellectual Property ................................................................................................................... 15
3.10
Commercialization ...................................................................................................................... 15
3.11
Risks and Risk Management ....................................................................................................... 15
Job Fair Pervasive Computing System, Group Dec0912
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3.11.1
Time Management .............................................................................................................. 15
3.11.2
Traceability/ Tracking Procedures ...................................................................................... 15
3.12
4
5
6
7
8
Milestones and Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................. 17
Statement of Work.............................................................................................................................. 18
4.1
Problem ....................................................................................................................................... 18
4.2
Technology and Implementation Considerations ....................................................................... 18
4.3
End Product ................................................................................................................................. 18
4.3.1
Design.................................................................................................................................. 19
4.3.2
Implementation .................................................................................................................. 21
4.3.3
Testing ................................................................................................................................. 21
4.3.4
Documentation ................................................................................................................... 21
4.3.5
Demonstration .................................................................................................................... 21
Estimated Resources and Schedules ................................................................................................... 22
5.1
Personal Effort Requirement ...................................................................................................... 22
5.2
Estimated Resource Requirement and their Financial Requirements ........................................ 22
Schedules ............................................................................................................................................ 23
6.1
First Semester ............................................................................................................................. 23
6.2
Second Semester......................................................................................................................... 24
Closure Materials ................................................................................................................................ 25
7.1
Project Team Information ........................................................................................................... 25
7.2
Closing Summary......................................................................................................................... 26
References: ......................................................................................................................................... 26
Job Fair Pervasive Computing System, Group Dec0912
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1 Tables Figures, and Definitions
1.1
Tables
Table 1 – Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Table 2 – System Requirements.................................................................................................................. 10
Table 3 – Examples of possible costs .......................................................................................................... 11
Table 4 – Testing Requirements.................................................................................................................. 14
Table 5 – Security Requirements ................................................................................................................ 14
Table 6 – Example evaluation ..................................................................................................................... 17
Table 7 – Personal Task Estimates .............................................................................................................. 22
Table 8 - Possible resources and services needed ...................................................................................... 22
Table 9 – Faculty advisor............................................................................................................................. 25
Table 10 – Team members.......................................................................................................................... 25
1.2
Figures
Figure 1-Concept Sketch ............................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2-Pre Check in and Check in Concept Scetch ..................................................................................... 8
Figure 3 – Employer booth check-in ............................................................................................................. 9
Figure 4 – Example of possible GUI for employer’s computers .................................................................. 12
Figure 5 – Testing model ............................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 6 – Screenshot of file repository ...................................................................................................... 16
Figure 7 – Rough sketch of product ............................................................................................................ 19
1.3
Definitions
Table 1 – Definitions
Term
Algorithm
CprE 489
Filter
Greedy algorithm
GUI
ISU Card
RFID
USB
Definition
Sequence of finite instructions used for
calculations and data processing
Communication Networking Class at Iowa State
University
A method by which unwanted elements are
removed from the selection process
Algorithm that makes the locally optimum choice
at each stage
Graphical User Interface
Iowa State University Student Card
Radio Frequency Identification Device
Universal Serial Bus
Job Fair Pervasive Computing System, Group Dec0912
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2 Introduction
2.1
Problem Statement and Executive Summary
Organizing a job fair is an important task for any university to provide opportunities for students to seek
employment opportunities and also for the employers to recruit employees with right skill sets. The
Iowa State Engineering Career Fair is the largest collegiate career fair in the entire country [1]. Given the
magnitude of the event, ensuring that the event serves its purpose for both employers and students is
of utmost importance. The job fair process becomes complex especially when the number of students
and employers is very large. Students should be able to meet with the right set of employers, and viceversa.
The Dec0912 project team will develop a pervasive computing system composed of embedded
systems/software and wireless networking components. A system that will not only improve the
coordination of the job fair but will also lead the prospective employers/ employees to have a more
absorbing and fruitful experience. The team will develop a prototype demonstration application for
solving the job-fair coordination problem.
The proof-of-concept system will be designed to solve complex problems with multiple constraints like
real-time deadline and connectivity. The goal is to design a pervasive computing system that can
improve the efficiency of the job fair process, with the following objectives:
(i)
Maximize the chances of students meeting as many suitable employers as possible.
(ii)
Maximize the chances of employers meeting as many suitable students as possible.
2.2
Operating Environment
The new pervasive computing system will be installed in Hilton Coliseum and Scheman Building,
locations where the Engineering Career fairs are held every year at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.
The centralized server’s database will be handling information of over 2000 students and over 250
employers. There will be a wireless network environment, where each laptop has access to the internet.
2.3
Intended Users and Uses
Three types of users will utilize the system. The first type includes students and prospective employees
whose information the central server holds primarily. The second types of users are the employers who
come to ISU to recruit prospective employees. For these types of users, information can be made
available if needed. The third types of users are the administrators of the servers and other people with
special access to the data. These users can modify the settings and the functionalities of the system.
Each type of user can use the system in a variety of ways. The varied uses also depend on what the team
defines as the scope of the project. Under the current vision, these three users will have the following
uses of the system:
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2.3.1 First type of users

Query the system to list out potential employers to visit in an ordered preference based on
different parameters like line length, employer needs and student preferences.
 By actively sending information to the server using a certain communication module, help the
system make real-time decisions for other participants
2.3.2 Second type of users


(Optional) Query the system to find out how many potential employees visited them over the
entire course of the career fair.
(Optional) View potential employee resumes and help reduce paper clutter by taking down
electronic notes on the resume and save it for later reference.
2.3.2 Third type of users


2.4
Troubleshooting tasks involving the centralized server, the database and potential problems
with the front-end aspect of the system hierarchy.
Update and modify system functionalities as the required needs/demands of the system change
over the course of time.
Assumptions
Mentioned below are some of the assumptions incorporated in designing the system




2.5
No more than 300 employers and 2000 students will be present at any point in time at the
career fair.
Wireless Internet connectivity will be provided throughout the career fair.
All employers will bring along with them their laptops.
Employer laptops have USB capability
All students will get their ISU cards/remember their Student ID numbers
Limitations
The system has some limitations which must be considered when designing it.
 The system must implement most, if not all features as mentioned in the problem statement.
 The user interface (front end) needs to be compact and easy to use.
 The system must allow for different functionalities for the different types of users.
 The centralized server must have a back-up if it crashes or malfunctions at all.
2.6
Expected End Product
The expected end products for the project will be a functional pervasive system with all necessary
hardware and software components along with their interfaces, something that both potential
employers and students can use.
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3 Proposed Approach
To develop the system to meet the needs of Iowa State and the realistic needs of those that would
eventually use the system, team Dec0912 developed a list of functional requirements. These are broken
down from the very general system requirements to those of the individual sub-systems and
components. As for the system, the most fundamental functional requirement is that it shall be set up in
such a way that students may use it in order to save time. Later the project plan will describe a timeline
for acquiring materials and programming functionality into the system. In approaching the project our
report will cover the functional requirements, constraints and concerns, and the technical approach.
3.1
Concept Sketches
Figure 1-Concept Sketch
Figure 1 describes how the system will look at the career fair. A student will check in, receive a card after being verified by the server. That card
will be matched to his user profile on the database and he can then swipe at employer booths which will then query his information on the
database. To receive where the student should go next he can swipe at terminals which will print off a list of where to go next. There are other
methods to receive that data that have not been shown in the figure.
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Figure 2-Pre Check in and Check in Concept Scetch
Figure 2 describes how the pre check in and check in processes will look according to the end-user.
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Figure 3 – Employer booth check-in
Figure 3 describes how the booth check-in works from the end-user perspective.
3.2
Functional Requirements of System
In order to complete the project, team Dec0912 is employing a commonly used methodology of utilizing
system requirements to gauge how well they are meeting the project demands. The most basic and
general system requirements are presented below, and a table is given.
The system design will employ multiple input devices to best determine which booth a student should
visit next. The next visit decision shall use a best fit matching algorithm that takes into consideration
number of students at each both and each student’s established criteria. There will be an interface put
up that will allow user input of his/her filters and information for use by the system. There will be a
check-in kiosk in which a user is assigned an input device. There shall be a way for which the user will
receive his next destination. There shall be a mechanism which will check-out a user with minimal
interference to the employer or the student.
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Table 2 – System Requirements
Requirement
System Requirement 1
System Requirement 2
System Requirement 3
System Requirement 4
System Requirement 5
System Requirement 6
3.3
Statement
The system shall employ multiple input devices to
best determine which booth a student should visit
next.
The next visit decision shall utilize a greedy
algorithm that takes into account the number of
visiting students at each booth and criteria based
on student or employer pre-set filters.
There will be an interface that allows user input of
relevant information.
There shall be a check-in kiosk where users can get
their unique input device.
There shall be a way in which the user will retrieve
his next destination information.
There shall be a way for a user to be checked out
of an individual employer booth.
Constraints and Concerns
3.3.1 Generalized Constraints and Concerns
In general, team Dec0912 is worried about the complexity of the project and how they can implement it
in a secure and realizable fashion. The system being designed for the indoors makes planning a bit
easier, as they do not have to worry about adequate power, connectivity, and integrity of the system
against outside effects. Cost is a major constraint and concern, and the team has already run into
barriers regarding access rights and has been lectured on privacy concerns. The usefulness of the endproduct has also been under question, and whether or not the system will be non-disruptive has come
up. The product must provide more utility than it takes away, and this is the goal when it comes to the
project in general.
3.3.2
3.3.2.1
Specific Instances of Constraints
Access Rights
In order to effectively use something, one must have rights to do so. The team has not been given
permission to use the ISU card in any way, so the team tried to get the said permission, but was
unsuccessful in doing so.
3.3.2.2
Cost
Cost is a major factor in our project. According to our tentative plans, the team is going to be installing
sensors or readers at each employer booth. This eliminates some of the more expensive options such as
certain RFID readers. The team is trying to find existing resources to use in our project, and is looking
into other alternatives such as using bar-codes or manual user input.
A few examples of initial costs that would be incurred using different implementations of our project:
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Table 3 – Examples of possible costs
RFID Scanners
$80 Each;
$24,000 if 300 employer booths
Magnetic Card Readers
$70 Each
$21,000 if 300 employer booths
Passive RFID tags
$.50 Each;
$5000 if 10,000 unique visitors
Terminals
$500* Each
$2000 for 4 terminals on each corner of coliseum
NOTE: These are initial costs, and will decrease after reusing system
*Note that much of this equipment may already be owned by Iowa State and free to use.
3.3.2.3
Effectiveness
This project should help people in saving time and energy, and if the project itself is not effective then
spending the time and money to develop the system would be a waste. Since the ISU Career fair is the
nation’s largest collegiate indoor career fair [1] and is held twice a year, this would be the best place to
start this system to benefit the most people.
3.3.2.4
Non-Disruptiveness
The system should not be disruptive, or cause too much effort to be put forth on the user’s side.
Examples of disruptive behavior would be if text messages are sent too often by the system, checking in
becomes a hassle, or installing the software on employer laptops is disruptive.
3.3.3
Individual Constraint Scenarios
3.3.3.1
The ISU Card Debacle
While planning out the project, the team came up with a variety of options in how to implement the
system. However, many constraints were found. Chiefly among them were policy and security related,
as the group was not able to utilize the ISU Card system already set up based on both intellectual
property concerns and privacy and security concerns. The group found through meeting with a former
adviser Roger Bentley that although the card system is already well established and can provide the
information needed to simplify the task if it was feasible, it was not up to him or ISU but a corporate
entity that manages the ISU card system. Furthermore, ISU would not allow this to be done anyways
based on privacy and security issues that come with having access to ISU card data.
3.3.3.2
The Ranged RFID Cost Concern
One of the options the team came across was the hassle-free crowd detection feature, where sensing
how crowded each part of the coliseum was based on how many cards were detected within specific
ranges on an array of active RFID reader/scanners. This turned up too costly, however, and also the
issue of interference and complexity came up.
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3.4
Technology Concerns
3.4.1
3.4.1.1
I/O Devices
The Input Devices
The input device that the group will use in the project has by far been our biggest quandary. The group
has gone through five options, the ISU card, RFID cards, text messaging, local terminals, and a web
interface. Of the five options we have decided to utilize at least one of them, the RFID card.
3.4.1.2
The Output Devices
As for how we will output the data, the team has also come up with quite a lot devices including:
printers, text messaging, web interface, and terminal display. Of these the team is leaning towards
utilizing all of them. As for the employer application, the team also needs to figure out what operating
systems should be supported and in what language. Below is a sample display of how non-interfering
the employer application would be:
3.4.1.3
The Employer’s Program
In all implementation schemes an employer must utilize a program to access information related to each
student’s input device. Most likely each employer will need to install a program on their computer to
process and interact with the system and input device, and pull data from the information server. A
simple yet functional user interface is required [see Fig 1]. Employer operating system must also be
dealt with, as one operating system may process input differently and not handle certain types of
programs. Also memory and space requirements must be considered. As the program is planned to be
very small it should not be a big problem in terms of memory space or processor consumption. See
figure 1 for a rough estimate of the user GUI.
Figure 4 – Example of possible GUI for employer’s computers
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3.5
Technical Approach
3.5.1 The V Model
As project is developed, the group is mindful of the risks of getting behind. To minimize this risk our
approach will be based on first a logical sequence and then on the V model because it allows us to plan
for testing beforehand while following the basics of the waterfall model. This model will be used in code
development and can also be used to describe our project development in general.
Acceptance
Testing
Requirements
Analysis
Architecture
Design
Design Test
System
Design
Module
Design
System
Testing
Integration
Testing
Unit Testing
Coding
Figure 5 – Testing model
The use of this model ensures testing at each stage of development as well as a logical sequence for us
to follow. This semester the group will cover the left hand side of the V model including designing tests
for the system components and levels.
3.5.2 Prototyping
Before physically implementing the system, a prototype will be constructed without the input devices,
and will test the back-end server and the client programs. In this case the team will simulate users by
manually typing identification keys and testing the next visit algorithm and interface look and feel.
Registration System Prototype
 The registration system may be prototyped and deployed as a separate component
which can be tested locally before being deployed and integrated.
Check-In System Simulation
 Simulated check-ins without the corresponding I/O
Device Testing
 Test the basic functionality and behaviors of the devices separately, and report on
their characteristics.
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3.6
Testing Requirements
Table 4 – Testing Requirements
TR1 (requirements)
TR2 (system)
TR3(architecture)
TR4(code
3.7
The project itself will be graded by the faculty
advisor Daji Qiao, the final project will be tested by
him for requirement correctness.
The prototype system shall be tested by a variety
of users and under boundary conditions and nonsequester events. The system including hardware
and software will be tested.
Individual software components will be tested as a
group.
Each function should be unit tested, and modules
of code will also be tested. (For example J Unit
Testing may be employed for java code.)
Security
Security is obviously a major point in any application. Data security is what the group is primarily
concerned with, and in order to ensure this a set of security requirements have been created:
Table 5 – Security Requirements
Sec1(data protection)
TR2 (communication protection)
3.8
The system should be programmed in such a way
that any non-authorized users cannot access
secure information. (This can be achieved through
a combination of protecting variables and limiting
available functions based on user type.)
The data transmitted across any medium must be
secure, especially on wireless unencrypted
communications. (To do this a scheme of sending a
Spartan amount of information will be imposed
and if it needs to be secure it will be encrypted.)
Safety
As the system does not utilize any major moving parts, anything sharp, or any level of frequency that has
been found to be dangerous, the group has less of a task of rigorous testing in the area of safety. Of
course the electric RFID readers should be away from water and perhaps a sign mentioning not to spill
anything on the readers or laptops should be displayed.
In any case, safety will be properly documented, and tests will be done if necessary to determine the
distinctions between the system safety precautions and those of its individual components. A few other
issues that came up in this regard:
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3.9
Intellectual Property
As the system utilizes existing technology at the device level, it is hard to imagine any intellectual
property concerns that will come up. Also, as this is not a commercial product and is for a public
university, any intellectual property that is created through this project will be in the hands of the
University when finished. As for the code in the project, the team is planning on using open-source code
or making new code. From what the group has discussed, there will be a learning curve on the clientserver code as only 1 of us has finished Cpre489.
3.10 Commercialization
One can think of many closely related projects that could be used in industry, such as a smart logistics
service or perhaps a restaurant queue system. The existing setup could also be utilized in other
university career fairs. As of now we have not planned on how we would commercialize the system.
3.11 Risks and Risk Management
3.11.1 Time Management
In order to avoid risk, the group is using Microsoft Project to create timelines of the project from start to
finish. Time is of course a major obstacle and how the each team member spends it should be
partitioned in a realizable way to finish our project. Please refer to the timelines in chapter 4 for more
details.
3.11.2 Traceability/ Tracking Procedures
In order to complete the project efficiently, much previous work must be referenced. All the work on
the project should be traced back to its owner or creator so that questions can be answered and so that
team members can build up skills in the specific area they are covering. To do this the group has set up a
Google Site with a file repository in which versions can be tracked by whom, and files can be shared
without having to worry to update as with CVS or SVN. A screenshot of our main file repository is shown
below:
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Figure 6 – Screenshot of file repository
Other version control tools the group may employ when the group gets into programming the software
are: SVN, CVS. Emails and weekly reports are often a more informal method used for communication
between the group and sending out emails detailing who should do what. Each member is responsible
for sharing accurate hours with the group, and the validity of the reported hours should be reflected by
how much work is accomplished and how well that work was documented.
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3.12 Milestones and Evaluation Criteria
Major Milestones
1. Setting up the network
a. Database
b. Communication protocol
c. Client programs
2. Programming the terminals
a. Configuring printing
b. Display
3. System Logic
a. Next-Visit Algorithm
4. Determining Input Device
a. Linking device tag to back-end information
b. Physically acquiring the devices
5. Web Interface
a. Programming
b. Testing
c. Deployment
6. Prototype System- The prototype system will be a combination of laptops arranged to simulate
the career fair. Input methods will be devised and output will be observed.
a. Set-up
b. Testing
c. Deployment
Evaluation Criteria
Each milestone will be evaluated based on completion and accuracy. Each project member responsible
for a portion of the project or a milestone will be evaluated based on the percentage of that milestone
completed. An example of how this is done is shown below:
Table 6 – Example evaluation
Work
Team Members
Due Date
Score
Prototype the Employer GUI
Adam Lee
3/3/2009
100% (prototype is functional and
documented)
Test the Web Interface
Nick Oakman
3/12/2009
40% (did not test 60% of the
interface, lacking documentation,
etc.)
Program Printing functionality
on the terminals
Kartik Subbu
4/23/2009
N/A (date not yet arrived)
Configuring peripheral devices
Gabriel Semonis
4/24/09
N/A (date not yet arrived)
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4 Statement of Work
4.1
Problem
The career fair is busy and students might have a difficult time finding which employers to talk to based
on their skills and interests. This team’s project will provide a service to ensure students meet with as
many employers as possible, as efficiently as possible. Some of the problems which are still unresolved
are which input and output devices to use. The choice is important because the system must be
pervasive, but costs must be taken into consideration as well.
4.2
Technology and Implementation Considerations
Deciding which technology to use is a big part of the project, mainly for the devices which will be used
for students to interact with the system. For instance, for the input device, RFID could be used, which
currently seems like the best option. However, RFID readers are very expensive, especially considering
there would need to be one at each of the 200+ booths at the career fair. Another option would be
using ISU Student ID cards, which would be a convenient way to go about this since every student has
one of these cards. However, due to privacy reasons, it was not possible to obtain much information on
what kind of information is on the ISU Cards or how they could be utilized.
On the other hand, other options would be cheaper and easy to implement, such as using keypads,
where students would enter a unique code to check into the system. However, compared to swiping a
card, typing a code on a keypad takes a lot more time and is relatively disruptive.
4.3
End Product
The requirements of the end product are as follows. The end product will be a prototype, or a small
scale version of how this could be implemented at a real career fair. The prototype will only have a few
booths, although the server, database, and all software will still have to be fully functional.
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Figure 7 – Rough sketch of product
4.3.1 Design
4.3.1.1
Input Devices
The system shall employ one or more input devices to best determine which booth a student
should visit next. The input device serves as a pervasive and non-disruptive way to identify each
student. Currently, RFID, ISU Cards, and Bar code look like the possible choices.
4.3.1.2
Algorithm
An algorithm shall be developed which will match students with employers using information
entered into the registration system. The goal is to ensure students meet with as many
potential employers as possible by matching students' skills with the job requirements, and
filtering out jobs which the student is not eligible for. The algorithm shall also take into account
the queue length for each booth, and determine the order each booth should be visited to save
time.
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Algorithm Variables








4.3.1.3
Student Name
Student Major
Student Year
Employer Name
Employer Types of Position (for example internship, co-op, full-time)
Employer Required Major
Employer Queue Length
List of Employers Student has already visited
Registration System
A registration system shall be implemented. Prior to visiting the career fair, students will register with
the system, and can submit their resume and enter other information such as major, year, GPA, skills,
interests, experience, and whether the student is looking for an internship, coop, or full time
employment. Employers will also register with the system, and can enter information which will be
matched with students to find which potential employees are best suited for the job. This information
could include skills necessary for the job, if the position is an internship or full-time, and which majors
are eligible to fill this position. The registration system is simply an online form which will be used to
submit information into the main database. Another important reason for registration is so students can
enter their cell phone number, which will be needed for the text messaging system.
4.3.1.4
Check-in System
There shall be a check-in system, at both the entrance, and at each employer booth. Booths will have
readers, and students will check-in upon entering the queue for a booth. The system shall keep track of
how many people are waiting to talk to that employer. Checking in at the entrance allows students to
receive their input device if needed, in addition to a name tag. The type of readers used will depend on
which type of technology we choose as the input device.
4.3.1.5
Web Interface
The system shall have a web-based program which employers can access. This program shall allow
employers to view the resume and other information of students who are currently checked into that
booth. To accomplish this, the program will connect to a server which has a database with all
information submitted through the registration system. The purpose of this is to make it easier for
employers to obtain information about each student they talk to, and save the information if desired.
Additionally, students will not need to carry around their resume if it is already in the database. The
software will have a check-out button to allow the employer to remove the student from the queue
after they are done talking with them.
4.3.1.6
Output Device
A passive system shall be implemented which will notify students about which employer they should
visit next. This notification shall be sent after checking in at the main entrance, and any time a student
checks out of a booth. There are a few choices for which output device to use, but at this time text
messaging appears to be the most pervasive way for sending real-time updates, since most students
have cell phones.
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4.3.1.7
Information Kiosks
There will be information kiosks located around the area with computers which students can use to
access information from the system. These kiosks will mainly be for students who do not have a cell
phone, or do not wish to receive text messages. Each student will have a unique code which they can
enter into the computer, and obtain the latest update of which employer booth they should visit next.
Specific software must be developed for these computers to allow them to access the system.
4.3.2 Implementation
During the first semester the project team will be focusing mainly on design, and exactly how the system
is going to work. This will involve things like deciding which input and output devices to use, which
programming language to use and whether software will be web based or native to a certain operating
system. The second semester will focus more on implementation. The implementation is where all the
programming will take place, as well as putting the system together as a whole. Some hardware will
need to be purchased, such as readers for the input devices, and possibly terminal computers for the
kiosks.
4.3.3 Testing
For testing, we will be using the V model. For more information on testing, see section 3.5.1 of this
document.
4.3.4 Documentation
Formal documents for this project will include the project plan, design report, poster, and a final report.
Also, all software will have documentation.
Deliverables:

Project Plan

Design Report

Poster

Final Report
4.3.5 Demonstration
The prototype will be demonstrated in a lab setting, with a few computers. For the demonstration,
everything will be implemented the same as if it were a real career fair, with the exception that the
number of booths will be substantially less.
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5 Estimated Resources and Schedules
This section gives an estimate of the resources needed and the schedule to be followed in order to
successfully complete the project. It will tentatively be used to keep the team on track during the entire
course of the project.
5.1
Personal Effort Requirement
This section includes a tentative number of hours to be put in by individual team members in order to
successfully complete the project.
Table 7 – Personal Task Estimates
Member
Hours (Tentative)
200
200
200
200
Adam Lee
Nick Oakman
Kartik Subbu
Gabriel Semonis
5.2
Labor Cost ( $10 / hour)
$2000
$2000
$2000
$2000
Estimated Resource Requirement and their Financial Requirements
Some of the components and resources that will be needed involve RFID tags, RFID Scanners, wireless
internet connection, Terminals and a Server. Wireless internet connection necessary to access the front
end will be provided inside the coliseum by the university itself. The server, another massive
investment, if not already available for use, will presumably be brought into Hilton Coliseum solely for
the purpose of the Career Fair, given its magnitude and importance.
Under these assumptions, resources and other services that shall be needed are summarized below (the
list is subject to change as the project progresses)
Table 8 - Possible resources and services needed
RFID Scanners
Passive RFID tags
Terminals
Printed Poster
Poster Paper
Binding
$80 Each;
$24,000 if 300 employer booths
$.50 Each; $5000 if 10,000 unique visitors
$500* Each; $2000 for 4 terminals on each corner of coliseum
$20
$30
$30
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6
Schedules
A schedule of how the work will be split up. As stated earlier, the project team will focus mostly on the
design for the first semester, and the implementation for the second semester. These schedules are only
tentative and are subject to change.
The first semester, the group will plan out the project, design and plan out the back-end and front-end
of the system.
6.1
First Semester
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6.2
Second Semester
The second semester focuses on implementation. Setting up the network, programming the terminals,
implementing input devices and designing and developing the web interface are all aspects of this
schedule.
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7 Closure Materials
7.1
Project Team Information
Iowa State University
Faculty Advisor
Table 9 – Faculty advisor
Name
Daji Qiao
Major
Assistant Professor of Computer
Engineering
Contact Information
3214 Coover Hall
Ames Iowa, 50011
(515)294-2390
daji@iastate.edu
Name
Adam Lee
Major
Computer Engineering
Contact Information
9121 Buchanan Vance
Ames Iowa, 50013
(515)708-5154
adamryanlee@gmail.com
Nick Oakman
Computer Engineering
101 N. Hyland Ave. unit 3
Ames Iowa, 50014
(563)570-0310
nmoakman@gmail.com
Gabriel Semonis
Computer Engineering
405 4th St. N.E.
Mitchellville IA, 50169
(515)554-3137
gsemonis@iastate.edu
Kartik Subbu
Electrical Engineering
2123 Fredrickson Ct.
Ames Iowa, 50010
(515)441-2209
kartiksubbu@gmail.com
Team Members
Table 10 – Team members
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7.2
Closing Summary
The job fair is a powerful tool for students to meet employers and employers to recruit students;
however, when there are a large numbers of students and employers, the process of meeting each
other can become inefficient. The team will design a pervasive system to track where students are at in
order to inform them of where to go next so that they can have the best chance of meeting with the
greatest number of employers seeking recruits with their skill sets, thereby increasing the efficiency of
the job fair. In order to fully maximize the team’s maximum efficiency, this project plan has been
created addressing key issues of our project plan and development.
8 References:
[1] “Career Fairs.” Engineering Career Services. February 20, 2009.
<http://www.eng.iastate.edu/ecs/what/fairs.html>
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