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STUDENT WELCOME PACK TIMES | 2012
Students mobilize for new apps FSU’s on-campus lab develops technology KAYLA BECKER Senior Staff Writer In the Love Building, a dozen computer science students are working with cutting edge technology to put Florida State at the national forefront of mobile application development. This is the Mobile Lab, where students are developing apps to help the blind see, teach sick babies to feed and help the elderly who’ve fallen. And the research doesn’t stop there. The Mobile Lab is a research lab under the Computer Science Department with a strong emphasis in developing mobile-related applications, such as Android apps, iPhone apps and web apps. As to be expected in an advanced computer science lab, each computer station has an impressive set of three large monitors turned sideways and pushed together, which looks much like a digital story board poster. Each screen has the ability to display different functional windows at the same time. On the back wall, which is painted with a whiteboard, there is scribbling of computer jargon and daily goals. Aside from Gary Tyson, the faculty advisor, the mobile lab is entirely run by students. “I wanted to create a lab that looked to explore what was new about the mobile use of computers that differed from the Internet and the home computer,” said Tyson. “It’s not that you just go to the Internet anymore. Now, phones have sensors that monitor what you’re doing and know where you are […] and it can proactively say, ‘This is the information I think you want.’ ” Justin Danielson, a member of the Mobile Lab who has worked on apps including the Route Scout and Phone Star— which was pitched at an entrepreneurial competition at the 2011 Mobile World Congress—said he enjoys the collaborative atmosphere of working in the lab which is sometimes not available in regular classes. “The best thing about working in the mobile lab has been gaining familiarity and comfort in working on projects with a team,” said Danielson. “In academia, you often dread teamwork because everyone doesn’t pull their own weight. Working with a team in which everyone is committed to completing the project has been refreshing.” Tyson said their research projects were all started with the intention of helping people who have some kind of need. “We wanted to look at how we could understand how we could use the capability of these new devices and use them in a way that helps people who have real problems,” Tyson said. One example of the research they conduct that helps others is an app that aims to allow the blind to see through sound by converting the image into audio. The app is still in the development stages, and is projected to be released in six months. “They can see by hearing the representation of that picture, so that they’re able to walk better than if they had a cane,” Tyson said. “This is something you wouldn’t even have thought of doing before mobile.” He even had the chance to show the app to a blind friend, who was unsure of how the application could work. Holding the camera down to the floor, his friend heard a steady buzz—a bland representation of the carpet. He then slowly moved his hand under it, surprised to hear changes
in the sound. “This is the first time he saw himself,” said Tyson. “It was just amazing to see how he felt about that; it was one of these life-changing experiences. So I think this type of work has the ability to inspire students, just because it’s challenging and because we get to see the reaction from those we’re trying to serve.” Besides their own research goals, the Mobile Lab helps organizations within the University and outside it to develop their mobile projects. In the past, they created a mobile app for the FSView News Reader, and currently have pending contracts to develop two applications with the College of Music. One is a therapy where people see lyrics and select the words that they strongly associate with, then answer a series of questions. The other contract proposal pending is for the College of Music’s Pacifier Activated Lullaby project (PAL), a music therapy for prenatal babies that don’t know how to feed. The College of Music developed a system where the
babies suckle the pacifier, and it plays them music to get them in the rhythm of feeding. The lab is responsible for contributing their expertise to develop the app. Their mobile app research and development isn’t just limited to helping organizations, though. Frank Sposaro, a grad student and manager tech lead, said students can use the FSU Route Scout, an app that came out last October that lays out all FSU bus routes in a comprehensive map.
the lab. Sposaro said iFall, the subject of his thesis, is an automated fall monitoring system for elderly adults, which senses movement and weight change in the surrounding area of the mobile device. “Florida State is one of the few universities with a Geriatric Medical Center, and we asked them what’s a big problem, and it was elderly people falling,” said Sposaro. “That was something that I felt with the technology we have, it’s something we can help address.” International interest in the app has allowed the Mobile Lab to work with other universities on similar apps. Right now, the lab is working with a school in Italy that wanted to create a similar application. In the future, they hope to work with big name computer science schools such as Berkeley, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon. When considering applicants for the limited number of positions in the Mobile Lab, the team tries to mimic the interview process of bigger companies, like Google and IBM. “It helps the students get that real world experience and helps us interview them,” Sposaro said. “Not only does it help them go through the interview process, it helps us as interviewers, which is experience we rarely get.” Even with limited spaces, the Mobile Lab strives never to turn away capable students who want to get involved in creating apps. “We have systems in place where we give students who ask and who know have some knowledge about what’s going on permission to view our source code and add to what we’ve done,” said Sposaro, pointing to one of his three screens, showing functions and codes students have added to programs through the net. “So, it allows us to take contributions from outside students who want experience, and it’s really interactive. It helps them write code and helps us have the ability to see what students are doing that we’re not even aware of, and we can even learn from them.” Tyson, who notices a steady increase in interest in the program, said he enjoys this type of work not only because he gets to help others, but also because he loves working with enthusiastic students. “These students universally see mobile as computing of the future,” Tyson said. “So, it’s always wonderful to work with Zachary Goldstein/FSView students doing research Top, left: Computer Science students pose for a group shot because they’re always exat the Love Building on FSU’s campus. The students work at cited about it.” the mobile lab, an app developing resource run by students. Sposaro said he is very Middle: A Computer Science student in the lab. Bottom: enthusiastic about his The interior of the mobile lab provides an environment for work. designing and constructing various electronic projects. “It’s fun to work here, and we’ve given so many students opportunities to “Students can find all detailed bus stop map and travel, compete and make the stops really easily; it’s building locations. connections with our part“One thing we’re trying one of the best apps we’ve ners IBM and Google to to do is branch out and created,” said Sposaro. help get them internships Sposaro has been with see what students actually and jobs,” said Sposaro. the Mobile Lab since it’s want and what they can “We’re a stepping stone use and create those apps,” creation in 2009. trying to bridge the gap Along with another man- Sposaro said. between school and work, Any student can leave ager tech lead, Michael and we’re trying to mimic Mitchell, Sposaro is re- feedback about what apps the industry and a real prosponsible for everything they’d like to see on mogramming environment.” from research to program- bile.cs.fsu.edu on the He said working in the ming to managing students comment page. Mobile lab helped him gain Sposaro himself got into teaching the Mobile Prothe experience he needed gramming Course as teach- volved with the mobile to intern with Google. lab as an undergraduate ing assistants. “It gave me experience Through the Android app working under Tyson and making applications and market, students can type was always interested in also teaching others how in FSU Mobile solutions mobile development. In his to make them,” said Sposand any app they’ve creat- office are several technoloaro. “It helped accelerate ed will be listed. Right now, gies including the makings developing me as a proonly Android users can of a clock, pieces of rogrammer.” download the Route Scout bots the group made, and, Sposaro’s ultimate goal app, but with a new re- of course, several mobile for the lab is for people to lease due out soon, iPhone technologies. keep thinking about new To date, Sposaro has users should be able to apps for mobile devices. download the app as well. scored a coveted position “We want people to use Sposaro said the updated as an intern for Google, our apps, keep up with us version will include driving and has created a successand say, ‘Hey, what’s new direction lists, along with a ful application, iFall, within with mobile?’ ”