Large-Scale Class Attendance Taker



Table of Contents

1 Frontal Materials…………………………………………………………………………i

1. List of Figures………………………………………………………………………..i

2. List of Tables………………………………………………………………………..ii

3. List of Symbols……………………………………………………………………..iii

4. List of Definitions…………………………………………………………………..iv

2 Introductory Materials 1

2.1 Abstract 1

2.2 Acknowledgment 1

2.3 Problem Statement 1

2.4 Operating Environment 2

2.5 Intended User(s) and Use(s) 2

2.6 Assumptions and Limitations 2

2.7 Expected End Product and Other Deliverables 3

3 Proposed Approach and Design Results 3

3.1 Proposed Approach 4

3.1.1 Design Objectives 4

3.1.2 Functional Requirements 4

3.1.3 Constraint Requirements 5

3.1.4 Technical Approach Considerations and Results 5

3.1.5 Testing Requirement Considerations 6

3.1.6 Recommendations Regarding Project Continuation or Modification 7

3.2 Detailed Design 7

3.2.1 Overall Design Architecture 7

3.2.2 Registration sub-system 8

3.2.3 Identification sub-system 9

3.2.4 Storage and Display Subsystem 10

3.2.5 User Interface sub-system 11

3.2.6 Parts List 12

4 Estimated Resources and Schedules 13

4.1 Estimated Resource Requirement 13

4.1.1 Personnel Effort Requirement 13

4.1.2 Other Resource Requirements 13

4.1.3 Financial Resource Requirements 14

4.2 Schedules 15

5 Closure Materials 19

5.1 Project Team Information 19

5.1.1 Client Information 19

5.1.2 Faculty Advisor Information 19

5.1.3 Project Team Information 20

5.2 Closing Summary 21

5.3 References 21

5.4 Appendices 21

2 Introductory Materials

This section includes seven subsections, which give a general overview of what the project is about, who it is intended for and how it will operate.

2.1 Abstract

A growing problem with university classrooms is the inability to effectively and efficiently record classroom attendance. The solution to this problem is a simple, reliable, stand-alone microcontroller-based system to efficiently record and process student attendance. A device that can uniquely identify and recognize many students will ensure that each student is present for the entire class period. This project will revolutionize attendance taking which, in many professors’ eyes, is a long standing problem in many classrooms around the nation.

2.2 Acknowledgment

None.

2.3 Problem Statement

This subsection states the problem in which the attendance system is to solve. It also contains a general description of how the problem will be solved.

Problem

It is difficult to accurately and efficiently record attendance in a large classroom. A device is needed to accomplish this task more efficiently. With the current means of attendance collection, it is easy for students to cheat the system. The speed of this new procedure is another concern. The process should not cut into valuable class learning time. A way of taking attendance is needed that can uniquely identify an individual without error, and also quickly log the individual’s attendance information. In the end, the attendance data needs to be easily accessed by the professor.

Approach

The attendance device needs to be easily carried from one place to another. A rechargeable power supply or batteries would be ideal for the device. A microcontroller could be used to drive the device and keep track of various dates and times when students log in and out of the device. Since fingerprints are difficult to falsify, a finger print scanner would suffice to produce a unique code specific to the student. A memory or disk drive is required inside the device to store the login/logout information from the microcontroller and finger print reader. Finally, a way of getting the information from the device to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is needed. This could be accomplished with USB or serial ports from the device to the PC. A software program is needed to store, manage, and send data between the device and PCs.

2.4 Operating Environment

This device shall be portable so it could operate indoors, or outdoors. Dust exposure is a possible problem. The device could be dropped or knocked around by the many hands it will come into contact with. The device could become dirty by many people handling it everyday. Food or beverages could be spilled on it. If used outdoors, it could be rained on, or affected by excessive temperature changes. Transporting the device from freezing temperatures outside into a much warmer room or from high temperatures outside into a much cooler room could hinder its immediate functionality. Condensation occurring or liquid crystal displays failing to function are some examples of temperature problems.

2.5 Intended User(s) and Use(s)

This subsection states the users of the system and how it is to be used by the users.

Users

The intended users are college professors who need to accurately and efficiently collect attendance in large classrooms. They need to have experience using a PC and the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program. College students will also use this system to record their attendance in a class by entering their identity into the device.

Uses

The student users of this system must identify themselves by logging into and out of the device. The collected attendance data will be downloaded to a PC and easily transferred into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using the software that accompanies the device. With this system, professors will be able to record the times and dates students arrive and depart from class. This system could be used as a substitute for in class quizzes, sign in sheets and other distracting methods of collecting attendance, thus saving valuable class time.

2.6 Assumptions and Limitations

To complete the project successfully the following assumptions and limitations shall be taken into account.

Assumptions

The assumptions made include:

-A way is needed to initialize new students or new classes into the system since the device could be used for a number of classes.

-IBM compatible PCs are to be used to download data from the device.

-The PCs will have Microsoft Excel loaded in order for the software to work with the PC.

-It will be an independent device from the PC to aid in portability.

-It will have its own portable power supply in case power outlets are not available.

-A signal will display whether a successful or unsuccessful login happens so students will know whether they need to try again or not.

Limitations

The limitations placed on the project include:

-The memory size or drive capacity of the login device limits the maximum number of students that the device can handle at one time to 900.

-The cost should not exceed a few thousand dollars. This amount is negotiable with the client since the price of the hardware needed can vary in price considerably.

-The device is limited to work only in the USA. International factors such as outlet plugs for the power supply or other varying factors between countries could cause incompatibilities.

-The device will be less than 10 pounds and smaller than a cubic foot.

-Only one professor may upload class data to the device at one instance.

2.7 Expected End Product and Other Deliverables

1. The stand-alone attendance-taking device.

This is a small box containing functionality for electronically collecting and storing students’ ids and the times and dates that they were collected.

2. Users manual.

The user manual describes the device and software functionality in depth as well as the downloading procedures and operating instructions of the device and software.

3. AC adapter/battery pack.

An AC adaptor and a battery pack are included to aid in portability and differing electricity needs.

4. Software.

Software is included which allows a professor to download the collected attendance data from the attendance taking device to their PC and formatting this information into an Excel document.

5. USB or serial cables.

Cables are included to aid in downloading data from the device to the PC.

6. Project poster.

The project poster is a means to communicate the purpose and description of the project in a constrained time and space.

7. Project design report.

A documentation of how the end product is designed.

8. Final report.

A document that provides a complete record of the project, its activities, and its results.

3 Proposed Approach and Design Results

The following sections define the proposed approach and design results for the automated attendance system.

3.1 Proposed Approach

This section will describe the overall approach that will be taken to successfully complete the project. The approach includes the following components: design objectives, functional requirements, design constraints, technical approach considerations and results, testing approach considerations, and recommendations regarding project continuation or modification.

3.1.1 Design Objectives

The following design objectives are necessary for a successful solution to the large scale attendance problem.

a. Student registration

Develop a registration process that matches a student to their fingerprint associated with their class.

b. Identification device

Develop a system with the ability to identify and store fingerprints. The system must be portable and identification must be done in a timely fashion.

c. Storage and display

Develop a software system to store and display the attendance records of a large class for an entire semester. The professor will use this system to transfer attendance data from the attendance device to a PC. The data will be displayed in Microsoft Excel.

3.1.2 Functional Requirements

a. Identification of a student.

The system shall be able to uniquely identify each student in the class. The identification must be done either when the student enters and exits the classroom or when the device is passed around the class. The identification will be done real time or done with post-processing.

b. Time stamping of identification.

A time and date shall be associated with each identification in order to assure the student has been in attendance for the entire class period.

c. Storage of students identified.

The device shall be able to store which students were identified and the time stamp of their identification.

d. Downloading data to Microsoft Excel.

The device shall be able to connect and download the identification data to an IBM compatible computer. The data must be formatted and opened in an Excel spreadsheet.

e. Display student’s name after identification.

The device may have the ability to display the student’s name after identification. This will allow the instructor to insure the student is in the class when, for example, the student hands in an exam.

f. Student registration.

The instructor will need to be able to register each of the students and their unique thumbprint into a database.

3.1.3 Constraint Requirements

a. Unit must be portable.

The device must be lightweight and small making it is easily transportable between the classroom and the instructor’s office (their computers). This also will allow the instructor to pass the device through the class room to take attendance.

b. Internally powered.

The device shall operate on internal power and will be used in different classroom configurations.

c. Stand-alone.

The device will operate independently.

3.1.4 Technical Approach Considerations and Results

In completing this project, the group will divide the product into segments of work depending on what needs to be accomplished. The group will make a diagram representing the different blocks and how they are going to work together. The main parts of the project include the technology that shall be used to identify the students and how the information taken from the class will be stored and made available to the professor.

The group has researched the different types of identification technology to decide how the students will be identified. Several technologies were identified: fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, barcode scan, magnetic strip on an id card, proximity card, voice recognition, signature recognition, and a simple keypad. Each of these technologies has advantages and disadvantages.

The barcode scan, magnetic strip and proximity cards have similar advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are the speed of identification and processing, storage capabilities, and ease of use. The main disadvantage of these technologies is the ease of fraudulent identification. One student could easily give his identification card to another student. The keypad can be easily implemented but is not very secure and has a slow transaction time.

The signature recognition technology is fairly inexpensive and portable. However, it is difficult to process and has a relatively high failure rate as well as a slow transaction time. Voice recognition has the capability of being secure but a student may record his voice and give the recording to another student enrolled in the class. Furthermore, it has a slow transaction time and a problem with background noise. Two approaches for facial recognition were considered: taking a picture of each student as they enter and exit the room and taking a group picture and picking each face out and identifying it. The single picture has the advantage of having easier processing. The disadvantages of this approach include the device taking a picture at the right time and also being flexible enough to work in classrooms with wide doorways and multiple entrances. The group picture approach has the main advantage of a quick transaction time; one picture can be taken for the whole class. One disadvantage of this approach is the difficulty in processing the photo to recognize all of the students. Also, some classroom configurations would make it tough to get the each individual in the picture, i.e. a room with a balcony or a room that has no slope to it. The last technology considered is a fingerprint reader. Advantages of this technology include the security is provides, and the speed of processing. Another advantage is the ease of making this a portable technology since most of the readers researched meet the size constraints of the project. The disadvantage of this approach is the transaction time for each student.

Ultimately, the fingerprint reader is considered to be the best option for this project. This decision was made because the benefit of security, quick processing time, and portability out weigh the slow transaction time. Also, there are ways to decrease the processing time. One way is to use more than one unit to identify the students. Also, the unit could be passed through the class so each student could identify themselves during class. Last, most of the fingerprint readers come with a SDK that will help customize the reader to suit the projects requirements.

For the software needed on the PC the group shall choose a programming language. Perl and Visual Basic are the most feasible languages. An advantage of Visual Basic is that all members in the group are familiar with it. Visual Basic also works well with file parsing, especially in Microsoft Excel. Perl is a language that works well with file manipulation. It can easily parse through a file to find and format the data in a specific way. Although Perl would work well with this project not all of the group members are familiar with this language. However, Perl is a scripting language that is not very difficult to learn. The best solution is to use Visual Basic, which carries a smaller learning curve than Perl. Visual Basic is also closely tied into Microsoft Excel, which is a large advantage considering the final data will be stored in a Microsoft Excel document.

3.1.5 Testing Requirement Considerations

There will be several levels of testing performed before the end product is complete. The identification equipment will be properly tested ensuring that the student’s information is correctly read. The group will also check the ability to register students into a database. Then, the ability to process the student’s information accurately will be tested. A test will be made on the connection by downloading data from the device and testing the format to make sure it is compatible with Microsoft Excel. The end product testing will consist of creating a class to be tested. The group will recruit other people who don’t have knowledge of the project to take part in identifying themselves, helping simulate the entrance and exit of a classroom. The end product accuracy shall be 99% and above. The group will also recruit other people to run the attendance-taking program to check for easy use without knowledge of the project. After all testing is complete the areas of testing shall include testing of software on the professor PC, testing of device for accuracy, testing of log time. There shall be forms for participants checking difficulty using the device, the program, and number of times the participant has to place finger on the fingerprint scanning device. Forms that the group will fill out during all testing periods with the participants will include time each participant takes using the device, the program and time for entire testing group. All testing forms shall also include who did the testing and what was tested, the date and time of the testing.

| |Cost |ID time |Process Time |Reliability |Security |

|Fingerprint |3 |2 |4 |5 |5 |

|Facial Recognition |2 |5 |1 |4 |5 |

|Voice Recognition |3 |2 |4 |3 |4 |

|Signature Recognition |4 |1 |4 |4 |4 |

|Magnetic Strip |4 |3 |5 |5 |2 |

|Proximity Card |3 |4 |5 |5 |2 |

|Barcode |4 |3 |5 |5 |2 |

|Keypad |5 |1 |5 |4 |1 |

Table 3-1. Technology Considerations

3.1.6 Recommendations Regarding Project Continuation or Modification

Modifications were discussed to make the project a research project to see what technology is best suited and let another group fully implement the chosen project. Selecting a different identification technology to modify project, while using the existing software on the PC. The most probable choice for this would be facial recognition. The only reason for modification would be concerning time for an entire class to log their attendance; security of the fingerprint recognition doesn’t need any modification.

Continuation of the attendance taking system could be designing a display that shows the students name and timestamp ensuring students that their attendance was successfully recorded.

3.2 Detailed Design

This section will thoroughly describe the details of the system design that will meet the objectives described in section 3.1.1. It will include a parts list, design diagrams, and cost.

3.2.1 Overall Design Architecture

The overall design of this system will be broken into four different subsystems: student registration, identification, storage and display, and user interface. These subsystems will work together to form the automated attendance taking system. To begin, the students will register with the fingerprint-scanning device prior to the beginning of the attendance-taking period. Following registration, the students’ fingerprint signatures shall be stored within the device. After the professor has collected the attendance records for the session desired, he/she will transport the device to his or her personal computer. The device will then be connected to the computer by use of a particular port. After connection, the professor will run a program, which extracts the data from the device and stores the information in a Microsoft Excel file for viewing purposes. This process is displayed in figure 1.1 below.

[pic]

Figure 1.1 Overall Attendance System Design

3.2.2 Registration sub-system

Each student enrolled in a class that will be using this device will be required to register with the attendance taking system. This will be done before the professor starts to use the system in the class. The professor will determine registration information, such as date and location. After the professor determines when and where the registration will take place, he/she will contact the students regarding the registration date and location. This could prove to be difficult as there may be three different class scenarios: (1) class with a lab, (2) class without a lab, and (3) a class such as computer engineering 492 where multiple students will have already registered for 491. In each case it shall be up to the professor regarding how they wish to register their students. If there is a lab, it is recommended that the professor register the student during lab. If it is a large class without a lab it is recommended that the teacher have the department secretary help with registering the student by printing a datasheet of the student’s pictures for quick identification, or having a set time to do the registration in the department office. If the student has already registered, he/she may sign a waiver that allows the professor to pull the fingerprint template from the previous class the student registered for. If a student adds the class after the registration period, the student must meet with the professor to arrange a time to register into the system. If a student decides to drop the class, the professor may simply remove the student from the system using the software provided.

The student will then register with the fingerprint-scanning device by placing his or her finger upon the glass surface of the scanner. The professor will enter the student’s information into their PC through a GUI. The software will then take this student information and fingerprint template. Using this information the software will open the corresponding class file. If the class file is not found the professor will be prompted, asking if he wants to create a new class file for the entered class name. If the class file does exist the software will search the class to determine whether or not the student has already registered. If either the student’s name or fingerprint template has been found a message will be displayed that informs the professor of a previous registration. If a student’s information or fingerprint template is not found, this information and template will be stored in the class file.

Another module to this subsystem is the ability to create a new class file by selecting an option on the GUI. This process is displayed in figure 1.2 below.

[pic]

Figure 1.2 Student Registration Sub-System Design

3.2.3 Identification sub-system

After the student has completed the registration process, he/she will be able to be uniquely identified for classroom attendance. Before class the professor must download their respective class file into the device. The identification of the student shall be done one of two ways. The professor shall have the ability to set the stand-alone micro-controller based fingerprint-scanning device on a desk or pass it around the classroom. Students will then press their finger on the device and their attendance will be logged. Before the professor arrives at class, he/she shall upload the student’s name and fingerprint template from the respective class file. This process is displayed in figure 1.3 below.

[pic]

Figure 1.3 Identification Sub-System Design

3.2.4 Storage and Display Subsystem

After the class has dismissed the professor will return to his personal computer and open the attendance-taking program. This program will open as a GUI and the professor will connect the attendance-taking device to his or her computer. Once the device is connected the professor will select the download data option from the GUI. This option will automatically create a temporary file, which stores all of the information from the attendance taker. Once complete, the instructor will be given an option to select whether he/she had the students record their attendance once or twice during the class period. After the professor has selected the attendance option and entered their class time, the program will go through each entry in the temp file and check for a valid log time. If a valid log time is found, the program will take the student’s name and search through the professor’s Excel class attendance data file. If a matching name is found, an ‘X’ will be placed under the respective date column for that student. If the data is not found, the program will simply loop until it has reached the end of the file. Once the professor has finished, he/she will click the Exit button on the GUI, which will delete the temporary file and close the program. This process is displayed in figure 1.4 below.

[pic]

Figure 1.4 Storage and Display Sub-System Design

3.2.5 User Interface sub-system

This sub-system is used to describe the way the user will interface with the system. The user will use a GUI that will have six main operations. These operations consist of download, upload, register student, remove student, clear, and exit. Each operation will be explained in a user manual that the user will be given upon receipt of the device. The download operation will download the class attendance records. The upload operation will upload the class list to the fingerprint-scanning device. The register student operation will register a student into the database. The remove student option will give the professor the opportunity to remove a student, such as one who has dropped the course. This operation will remove the student from the corresponding class file. The clear device operation will clear the entries on the device. The exit operation will simply exit the database. The processes are displayed in figure 1.5 below.

[pic]

Figure 1.5 User Interface Sub-System Design

3.2.6 Parts List

In order to make the design work, the following parts are required:

-Fingerprint scanning device.

-Cable to connect the device to a PC.

-Microsoft Excel.

-Software to interface the device and the PC.

-User interface program.

The files that are created on the professor’s computer shall also be included within this parts list; these include: (1) class file, e.g. cpre491SecA.clss, (2) attendance file, e.g. cpre491SecA.xls, and (3) the temporary fingerprint record, e.g. 051703_att.dat.

4 Estimated Resources and Schedules

This section gives an estimate of the utilized resources as well as project schedules required to complete this project and evaluate the design report.

4.1 Estimated Resource Requirement

This section consists of three separate components that make up the estimated resource requirements; these include: (1) personnel effort requirements, (2) other resource requirements, and (3) financial requirements. There are two parts to each of these components: the original estimate, and a revised estimate.

4.1.1 Personnel Effort Requirement

Table 4-1 gives a detailed estimate of the original personal effort of each team member in this project. Table 4-2 gives a revised estimate of the personnel effort of each team member in this project. The estimate was done on a task-by-task basis and includes the appropriate totals. The meetings listed include both group meetings and advisor meetings. The group estimates an average of two hours per group meeting and one hour with their advisor over a 15-week semester. The project reports column will include each project report that the group has to collaborate and write. Also included in this estimate are the weekly e-mails and other project documentation that may be involved. The miscellaneous project column is for the actual project work, including parts ordering, poster construction, and other unforeseen duties that accompany the project. The estimate is also based on the projected effort required to perform the task correctly.

|Personnel Name |Meetings |Project Reports |Project Construction |Totals |

|Broulette, Kevin |30 |30 |30 |90 |

|Feickert, Wade |30 |50 |30 |110 |

|Hobart, Joshua |30 |30 |35 |95 |

|Seeman, John |30 |40 |30 |100 |

|Totals |120 |150 |125 |395 |

Table 4-1. Original Personnel Effort Requirements.

|Personnel Name |Meetings |Project Reports |Project Construction |Totals |

|Broulette, Kevin |30 |30 |35 |95 |

|Feickert, Wade |30 |50 |40 |120 |

|Hobart, Joshua |30 |30 |35 |95 |

|Seeman, John |30 |40 |35 |105 |

|Totals |120 |150 |145 |415 |

Table 4-2. Revised Personnel Effort Requirements.

4.1.2 Other Resource Requirements

Table 4-3 helps identify the original other resources aside from financial, such as parts and materials that are required to conduct the project. Table 4-4 identifies the revised version of this table. As one can observe, the original estimate was undershot. The technology equipment, including the device and the software, will cost much more than originally estimated. The identification equipment consists of the fingerprint scanner and any extra devices that are needed to enable the scanner to operate correctly. The identification software is simply the SDK that will be purchased to program this scanner. These other resources include the project poster, the identification equipment, and the identification software. These other resources are key components to the completion of this project.

|Item |Team Hours |Other Hours |Cost |

|Project Poster |12 |0 |$45.00 |

|Identification Equipment |0 |0 |$150.00 |

|Identification Software |60 |40 |$60.00 |

|Totals |72 |40 |$255.00 |

Table 4-3. Original Other Resource Requirements.

|Item |Team Hours |Other Hours |Cost |

|Project Poster |12 |0 |$45.00 |

|Identification Equipment |0 |0 |$400.00 |

|Identification Software |60 |40 |$150.00 |

|Totals |72 |40 |$595.00 |

Table 4-4. Revised Other Resource Requirements.

4.1.3 Financial Resource Requirements

The third component involves the financial resources required to conduct the project. This plan includes a cost estimate for the project. The original resources estimated to be purchased are listed in table 4-5. A revised estimate of these resources is shown in table 4-6.

|Item |Without Labor |With Labor |

|Parts and Materials | | |

|Identification Device |$150.00 |$150.00 |

|Identification Software |$60.00 |$60.00 |

|Poster |$45.00 |$45.00 |

|Subtotal |$255.00 |$255.00 |

| | | |

|Labor at $11.00 per hour | | |

|Broulette, Kevin | |$990.00 |

|Feickert, Wade | |$1210.00 |

|Hobart, Joshua | |$1045.00 |

|Seeman, John | |$1100.00 |

|Subtotal | |$4345.00 |

|Total |$255.00 |$4600.00 |

Table 4-5. Original Financial Resources Requirement.

|Item |Without Labor |With Labor |

|Parts and Materials | | |

|Identification Device |$400.00 |$400.00 |

|Identification Software |$150.00 |$150.00 |

|Poster |$45.00 |$45.00 |

|Subtotal |$595.00 |$595.00 |

| | | |

|Labor at $11.00 per hour | | |

|Broulette, Kevin | |$1045.00 |

|Feickert, Wade | |$1320.00 |

|Hobart, Joshua | |$1045.00 |

|Seeman, John | |$1155.00 |

|Subtotal | |$4565.00 |

|Total |$595.00 |$5160.00 |

Table 4-6. Revised Financial Resources Requirement.

4.2 Schedules

A realistic, well-planned schedule is an essential component of every well-planned project. Most scheduling errors will occur as a result of either not properly identifying all of the necessary activities or not properly estimating the amount of effort required to correctly complete the activity. Two types of schedules are shown in this section. The first schedule is Figure 4-1, a Gantt chart showing tasks versus the proposed project calendar. For each item worked on to date, the chart contains a line for the original schedule and the actual schedule that occurred. For each item to be worked on in the future, the chart shall contain a line for the original schedule and a line for the revised schedule. The second type of schedule, Figure 4-2, is a Gantt chart that indicates when each project deliverable will be delivered. For each deliverable completed to date, the chart shall contain a line for the original project schedule and the revised project schedule. These Gantt charts will cover the entire project, from beginning to end. They are shown on the following two pages.

[pic]

Figure 4-1. Gantt chart showing tasks and associated subtasks versus the proposed project calendar.

[pic]

Figure 4-2. Gantt chart that indicates when each project deliverable will be delivered.

5 Closure Materials

This section consists of four components, the project team information, the closing summary, the references, and the appendix. As the title indicates this material appears at the end of this document and places a closing touch to the design report.

5.1 Project Team Information

This component has three distinct elements: (1) client information, (2) faculty advisor information, and (3) project team information. They are described below.

5.1.1 Client Information

C: Iowa State University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Contact Information: Dr. John Lamont

Professor Ralph Patterson III

Client Address: 324/326 Town Engineering 

Ames, IA   50011

Client Phone Number: (515) 294-3600

Client Fax Number: (515) 294-6760

Client E-Mail: lamont@ee.iastate.edu

repiii@iastate.edu

5.1.2 Faculty Advisor Information

Faculty Advisor Name: Dr. John Lamont

Faculty Office Address: 324 Town Engineering

Faculty Mailing Address: 2215 Coover 

Ames, IA   50011

Faculty Telephone Number: (515) 294-3600

Faculty Fax Number: (515) 294-6760

Faculty E-Mail Address: lamont@ee.iastate.edu

Faculty Advisor Name: Prof. Ralph Patterson III

Faculty Office Address: 326 Town Engineering

Faculty Mailing Address: 2215 Coover 

Ames, IA   50011

Faculty Telephone Number: (515) 294-2428

Faculty Fax Number: (515) 294-6760

Faculty E-Mail Address: repiii@iastate.edu

5.1.3 Project Team Information

Member Name: Kevin Broulette

Member Major: Computer Engineering

Member Mailing Address: 304 Lynn Avenue #14

Ames, IA 50014

Member Telephone Number: (402) 651-2004

Member E-Mail Address: kbroulet@iastate.edu

Member Name: Wade Feickert

Member Major: Computer Engineering

Member Mailing Address: 114 South Hyland #2

Ames, IA 50014

Member Telephone Number: (515) 292-8201

Member E-Mail Address: wafeicke@iastate.edu

Member Name: Joshua Hobart

Member Major: Computer Engineering

Member Mailing Address: 125 Campus Avenue #14

Ames, IA 50014

Member Telephone Number: (515) 292-8314

Member E-Mail Address: jwhobart@iastate.edu

Member Name: John Seeman

Member Major: Computer Engineering

Member Mailing Address: 125 Campus Avenue #14

Ames, IA 50014

Member Telephone Number: (515) 292-8314

Member E-Mail Address: seeman@iastate.edu

5.2 Closing Summary

A long-standing problem with university classrooms is the inability to effectively and efficiently record classroom attendance. The solution to this problem is a simple, reliable, stand-alone microprocessor based system to efficiently record and process student attendance. The system will ensure that the student is present during the majority of the class period, by establishing the times the student checks in and checks out. The system will be easily transportable, operate on internal power, and be compatible with the different classroom configurations on campus. Students will be uniquely identified to record attendance. This device will contain software with the ability to recognize many students. This device will be used as a stand-alone system to record the student’s check in and check out times, and then easily download this information in a concise format using Microsoft Excel to the instructor’s window-based computer. This project will revolutionize attendance taking which, in many professors’ eyes, is a growing problem in many classrooms around the nation.

5.3 References

None.

5.4 Appendices

None.

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