OVERVIEW

The lectures are aimed at providing basic elements for the design and development of multimedia applications through the use of embedded systems and sensors. The reference platform for the course is the smartphone that will be used for the exercises and for the final project.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course tackles the basics of software development (Apps development) on Android mobile devices such as modern smartphones or those related to the so-called "Internet of Things". The addressed topics concern (but they are not limited to) the representation, processing and acquisition of multi-sensor signals including audio, images, radio signal (WiFi) and inertial signals (through the embedded accelerometer of the phone). At the same time, the main signal processing techniques are presented through Machine Learning and DSP algorithms together with the most modern Deep Learning techniques (AI and Neural Networks).

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the proposed training activities (lectures and exercises) and the
individual study will allow the students to:

- acquire a correct terminology for the identification of the main components and functionalities of a mobile multimedia Apps implemented on embedded systems;
- know the structure and functions of the Internet of Things;

- know the main methods to process heterogenous signal and data acquired by sensors of an embedded system and in particular of a smatphone;

- identify the main components and functions od an Android App;

- provide practical implementations of Android Apps for Internet of Things applications by implementing solutions based on (but not limited to):

1. Activities (o Fragments)
2. Services
3. Broadcast Receivers and Intents
4. HTTP requests (GET, POST)
5. Employment of signals acquired by smartphone's sensors or external ones (not mandatory)
6. Implementation of Machine Learning and/or Signal Processing algorithms (not mandatory)

PREREQUISITES

The basic knowledge acquired in the courses of FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS PROGRAMMING, EMBEDDED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS and the course SIGNALS AND IMAGES PROCESSING AND TRANSMISSION, which takes place partially simultaneously, are useful for effectively addressing the teaching contents.

TEACHING METHODS

Traditional lessons and practical exercices.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Overview of the concept of the Internet of Things, fundamentals of signals and data processing on embedded systems and, in particular, on mobile platforms such as smartphones. The Android operating system, the hardware architecture of a mobile device, the Android Studio development environment. Android programming.

Design and development of Android software modules for signal processing and transmission between Android devices.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• A.B. Carlson, P.B. Crilly and J.C. Rutlege,  “Communication Systems”, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2002
• A. V. Oppenheim, R. W. Schafer, “Elaborazione Numerica dei Segnali”, Franco Angeli
• J. Kurose, K. Ross, “Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach”, 6/E, Addison-Wesley
• S. Tarkoma, M. Siekkinen, E. Lagerspetz, Y. Xiao, "Smartphone Energy Consumption, Modeling and Optimization", Cambridge University Press, 2014
• http://developer.android.com/index.htm
• http://www.sprik.it/guida/Android4_2.pdf
• Additional material will be provided by the lecturers

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/9273/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral presentation of a project implemented by the student and related technical demonstration.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The main purpose of the exam is to evaluate the students' ability to apply the theory presented during lectures by implementing a Multimedia App, designed and implemented by the students themselves. During the exam, students should demonstrate to know the methods studied and explain the behavior of their Apps and interpreting the results obtained during functional tests.
The designed App will be evaluated taking into account the following aspects:

1. A working code that produces meaningful results (minimum requirement for passing the test);
   • See points 1) - 4) of "Aims and Learning Outcomes".
2. Efficacy, clarity and readability in the presentation of the results;
   • The student must be able to justify each design choice made along with all the source code present in the application.
3. Explanation and justification of the results, in the light of the theory;
   • The student must be able to justify each result obtained, illustrating any measurement campaign carried out, the algorithm used, the eventual choices/calibrations of the parameters.
4. Style and readability of the programs;
   • Even if with less weight, the "cleanliness of the code", compliance with OOP principles, the appropriate use of interfaces as well as the correct separation of source files are evaluated.
5. Program computation efficiency.
   • Although with less weight, the student's ability to choose appropriate algorithms to effectively solve (both energetically and in terms of calculations) the problem posed is assessed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information is available at: http://www.dsp.diten.unige.it/index.php/teachings/multimedia-apps-and-future-internet.