Intro:
As growth of The Engineering Network continued, a larger experiment was started with the aim of increasing engagement with digital signage content as well as providing a way for users to navigate information about different buildings (and the offices, professors, and services therein) in the engineering complex.
Challenge:
Prototype and build a proof-of-concept digital kiosk device with software allowing building occupants to view building and campus maps, directories, course listings, and the interconnections therein contextualized to the current user and kiosk location and allowing integration and engagement with nearby digital signage content.
Work:
I developed a high-fidelity AIR-based prototype that displayed building floor maps, research office and lab listings, and staff directories with a team of three other engineering students. The software was built for a touchscreen powered by a Windows desktop and connected to an RFID scanner capable of reading McGill ID cards. Upon placing a user’s ID card on the scanner, the software contextualized building information to the user’s course list (allowing them to view the staff that teach their courses and maps and directions to the classrooms for each of their courses). Additionally, the kiosk was designed to communicate with nearby digital signage and display its content on the kiosk, allowing the user to browse the entire content library on the touchscreen and view more information about the content. Finally, the system allowed the user to email any pertinent onscreen information to themselves by dragging maps, directions, directory entries, or digital signage content to a virtual representation of their ID card.
