Introduction to Physical Computing (60-223) is a 10-credit semester project-based course offered at Carnegie Mellon University by IDeATe.

Two multicolored plastic enclosures side by side. On the left, the enclosure has a pentagonal blue lid with the Penn State panther logo on it, and a green and red side facing the viewer, with different white cartoons and text boxes on them, and pushbuttons. The box on the right is a cube with a row of blue illuminated LEDs on the top and a red pushbutton, as well as a blank white screen facing us.

Augmentative & Alternative Communication Device for Maggie, by The Hickories (a final project from fall 2023). Read more about the project at the students' documentation page.

Class meetings

  • Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00–11:50am, room A10 in Hunt Library (IDeATe’s Physical Computing Lab)

Professor: Robert Zacharias, rzachari@andrew.cmu.education (subtract the cation)

Professor’s lab hours

  • Mondays and Wednesdays, noon–12:30pm, in HL A9A
  • and liberally available at other times (please email for an appointment)

Teaching Assistant: Angie Wang, chuyiwan@andrew.cmu.education (minus the cation)

  • TA lab hours TBD

Course synopsis

The first half of this practical project-based course is spent covering the basic technical skills (including electronics, programming, and hardware) needed to build simple interactive objects with embedded behavior using the Arduino microcontroller. Inputs to read information about the world include sensors such as an ultrasonic ranger, thermometer, light sensor, and human inputs like buttons and knobs. Outputs to affect the world include actuators such as motors, LED lights, speakers, and haptic feedback devices. Individual and group projects challenge students to apply their technical skills in creative ways. The class will be working with a local group of people living with disabilities who serve as design clients for the final project; students conjure and build functioning assistive devices of a practical or whimsical nature for their critique and feedback. Readings and guest speakers address topics pertaining to design for people with different abilities.

Syllabus

Syllabus PDF here.

Course flow overview

This Gantt chart shows a week-by-week course overview. Note that red exclamation points indicate due dates or singular events, while green x’s indicate ranges during which work happens.

Gantt chart showing fourteen-week semester with different projects beginning and ending at different times.

Topic and assignment schedule