CIS 400/401 Senior Design Projects 2008/2009

Instructor Information:
Instructor:Insup Lee
E-Mail:lee [at] cis.upenn
Office:Levine 602
Office Hours:4:15-5:15 Tu Th
Teachign Asst:Andrew G. West
E-Mail:westand [at] seas.upenn
Office:Levine 613
Office Hours:By Appointment

Schedule:
4/27:View the final webpages/reports for all teams -- and congrats on your upcoming graduation.
4/22:The final project materials due on 4/24 (the final report and project webpage) need to be turned in to BlackBoard by 11:59PM on that date. Please use PDF format for the final report.
3/26:To facilitate the commercial printing of your posters for 'Demo Day', posters are now due (via BlackBoard) by 11:59PM on 4/22, without exception. As a reminder, any team who has not sent their presentation slides to Andrew should do so whenever possible (PDF format is required).
3/19:Responding to e-mail questions, I have created a document containing interview preparation suggestions (DRAFT). Please take a look. Further, a conflict has erased some meeting slots and others have been freed. Afflicted groups will be notified. The corrected schedule is below.
2/27:The times for final project interviews are: [3/23: 4:30-6:30] -- [3/24: 12:00-3:00] -- [3/25: 9:00-11:00 and 2:00-4:00]. A sign-up sheet will be posted closer to the interview dates. Groups should prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation summarizing their work.
1/21:Final due dates have been set. Please take note of them below.
12/5:Many progress reports suffered from common errors. This document describes them and how to fix them. Self-edit before setting up an individualized review with Andrew at your convenience.
10/2:For future submission of electronic documents please use the PDF file format.
9/30:When turning in proposals/reports, hard copies should be given to Melissa Mele in Levine 311. Electronic copies are to be submitted via BlackBoard.
9/16:Few people attended last Thursday's research session. For those who did not, attendance is MANDATORY @ 4:30 on 9/16. Please note the location change to Moore 100B.
9/16:Several project ideas have been added recently; check out the idea page for inspiration.
9/11:Please remember the research sessions are being held tomorrow (9/11) and next Tuesday (9/16) at the normal course time. They are in Moore 207. Attendance will be taken.
9/4:Douglas McGee will host research information sessions on Thursday 9/11 and Tuesday 9/16 at the normal course time. Attendance at ONE of these sessions is REQUIRED. Location: Moore 207.
9/4:Our first course meeting will be on Thursday, 9/4, 4:30-6:00 PM, DRL room A7

Milestone Dates:
GENERAL INFORMATIONN/A [Intro Slides] [General Rubric] [Tech. Comm. Rubric]
400: Project Proposal9/30, 5PM [Proposal Specification]
400: Progress Report12/4, 5PM [Progress Report Specification]
401: Final Project Interview3/23-3/25 [Interview Preparation Suggestions (DRAFT)]
401: Project Poster4/22, 11:59PM [Poster Specification] [Example]
401: Final Project Report4/24 [Final Copy Specification]
401: Project Web Page4/24 [Webpage Specification]
401: Demo Day Presentations4/27 To be held in Levine Hall
SEAS Design Competition5/1 To be held in Levine Hall


Course Structure:

Goals: The goal of this course is to provide an opportunity to define, design, and execute a project of your own choosing. Evaluation is based on your ability to select an interesting topic, communicate your objectives in writing and presentations, to accurately gauge what resources are required to complete your chosen task, and your ability to execute your plan.

Course Mechanics: In CIS 400 you are required to submit two revisions of your project description. After the first submission you will sign up for a design review meeting. During the 20-30 minute meeting we will review your document, discuss, and tweak your objectives (This first portion is 20% of the CIS 400 grade). The second revision, due later in the semester, is expected to be a longer and more technical account of your approach and progress. It should also include a prototype demonstration. (This portion is 80% of the CIS 400 grade). Additional review meetings will be held during the spring semester (CIS 401) to asess your progress. At the conclusion of spring term, poster presentations will be held, with prizes awarded to outstanding projects.


Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Are team projects allowed? Pair projects are often approved assuming the project scope reflects the additional team member. Teams with more than two members are not likely to be approved.

  • Can I have a project advisor from outside the CIS department? Yes, but I will likely require an additional advisor within the CIS department who can evaluate your work from a CIS perspective.

  • Can I register for a class that conflicts with CIS 400/401? Yes, but you are required to sign up for and attend the individual project review meetings and any other additional meetings.


    Ideas & Past Year's Projects::

  • PROJECT SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS
  • Senior Project's 2007/2008
  • Senior Project's 2006/2007
  • Senior Project's 2005/2006
  • Senior Project's 2004/2005


    Project Resources:

  • Senior Design Project Course Guide @ Penn Libraries
  • Information Resources in CIS @ Penn Libraries
  • Science & Engineering Libraries @ Penn

  • Derwent Innovations Index (Patent Library)
  • CiteSeer Digital Library and Citation Repository
  • ACM Digital Library
  • IEEE/IEE Electronic Library
  • Full-text version of "Lecture Notes in Computer Science" (lots of books)

  • Plagiarism - What it is and how to avoid it -- DON'T DO IT!