This interdisciplinary design course aims to provide a holistic introduction to Internet of Things (IoT) and train students on the core technological and communication skills through community engagement and working on real-world applications. IoT has become an enabler for new economic activities and provides potentially cost-effective solutions to a wide range of societal challenges. Students team up with community partners throughout a semester to tackle a real-world problem using IoT technology. The project topics include, but are not limited to, energy, environmental, civic infrastructure monitoring. The project teams will apply engineering design principles and critically examine sensor selection, sensor deployment, wireless communication, data quality, security and privacy as well as value proposition for IoT-based solutions. The key learning outcome of this course is that students will grasp how to develop IoT-based technological solutions and become competent in communicating how to use the IoT technology responsibly to create positive societal impact.

Outcome 1
Students will be able to develop IoT-based solutions to address community partners’ specified needs.

Outcome 2
Students will be able to apply the principles of data security and data privacy in IoT designs.

Outcome 3
Students will be able to engage with community partners in designing the IoT-based solutions and communicate the designs effectively with community partners and peers in both verbal and written forms.

Outcome 4
Students will be able to evaluate the feasibility of the IoT-based solutions and articulate the potential improvement.