Melanie Swartz

Students go through lots of consumables, like paper, markers, foamcor and batteries in a studio space. Administrative staff is often not located in the same space, so they are unaware of when these items are running low. Refills solves this problem by creating a home base for these items, which monitors how much remains. As items are removed there is an active monitor and an email is sent to the administration to let know when materials reach low levels, so more can be ordered.

Tools like wire strippers, pliers, X-acto knives, or soldering irons are often purchased by a university, but their tendency to disappear or not be around when students need them can lead to tension and an inability to finish projects in the timely manner desired. Utilities addresses this issue by putting bluetooth tags on these objects so that they can be checked out of the utility cabinet and the knowledge of who has what tools becomes clear.

It is becoming more and more common for studios to have shared spaces that are not permanently controlled by any one person or group. This can make having a meeting or a place to work unexpectedly difficult, because a student doesn’t know before they arrive if space is available and formal scheduling of spaces is rarely done. Occupancy addresses this issue by making the current as well as historic occupancy level of a space known along with the noise level.

Many people want pets but can't have them for a variety of reasons like allergies, building rules and space limitations. Robotic pets offer an appealing alternative for those desiring companionship and security. Things can go awry though in unexpected situations.

Before you head out to fish, it's always important to check the status of the river to see if the fish are biting. Rather than having to search for water data each time you wanted to fish during the week, what if you could quickly glance at a device on your desk and know the status of the river? FishWatch not only helps the fly-fishing enthusiast get their weekly (or daily) fix, but promotes spontaneous adventures out of the office when the outdoors starts calling your name.

Long distance relationships with friends, family, and lovers can be difficult. Sometimes you just want them to be there when you are experiencing something you know they would like and have the ability to share with them on demand. Music is meant to be shared, enjoyed, and connect many different people. Sometimes certain songs make you will think of that special someone. And as a way to say, “I’m thinking about you,” we have created Duet.

Introducing, Smart Blinds! This system can sense when the light is coming in the windows and automatically lowers the blinds. An LED symbolizes the motor of the blinds. When the LED is on the blinds are being lowered. As the pressure sensor is pushed, symbolizing the blinds coming to their resting point and being closed, the LED turns off showing the motor in the blinds has stopped as well. If the desired light threshold is exceeded, the above process is initiated. Otherwise, when light is below the threshold, it is showing that it is not bright enough to have the blinds down and the blind motor is off as well. Ideally, this would be part of a bigger system where one could customize their thresholds to regulate the amount of light coming through their windows. This would automate the process so your house could accommodate your desired comfort levels and make these adjustments for you.