Faculty and students research Internet of Things

People interact often with the Internet of Things (IoT), but they know it by a different name. Voice-activated technology used to control lights and other functions in a home is a prime example.

A pair of faculty members in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Mike Cottrell College of Business are taking advantage of a Presidential Incentive Award to expose students to the workings of internet-connected devices. Dr. Mingyuan Yan and Dr. Jianjun Yang, associate professors of computer science, have incorporated IoT research into their teaching and partnered with two student researchers.

Grayson Smith and Justus Whitmire have constructed a robot car with a Raspberry Pi brain. The robot uses a small camera to gather data and sends it back to the researchers via the internet for analysis.

Yang said these types of technologies rely on sensors to collect information, then funnel it through a single internet-connected sensor that transmits what it captures.

"Since IoT is a hot topic right now, we want to bring our research to the students. They have this talent, and we want to give them an opportunity," Yan said. "It connects what students learn in classes and brings it all together."

The work with students builds off a peer-reviewed article Yan and Yang published in May 2020 about wireless sensor networks.

One of the most tangible benefits of the research is that it gives Smith and Whitmire experience with hardware, as most of UNG's computer science classes are software-based.

Smith, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science, has enjoyed building the robot car from the parts Yan ordered and seeing how it works. This research opened up a new opportunity.

"I had never worked with physical hardware in computer science," Smith said. "I'm very thankful that we are able to try something new."

IoT devices like the one the faculty and students are exploring can monitor agricultural crops, report environmental phenomena, or help keep loved ones safe. For their current project, the robot car's camera can send an alert and live video to a parent inside a house if children playing outside go past a pre-set point.

Yang also asks students in his class to construct communication algorithms for these technologies to show their understanding of the processes.

"This makes the classes and the projects more interesting," Yang said.

Yan enjoys seeing the lightbulb go off for her students.

"They learn and they enjoy it. After they finish a project, it helps them see computer science isn't just about coding," Yan said. "We want our teaching to extend beyond the theory to the new concepts in the field."

Whitmire, a senior from Canton, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science, is thankful to be part of such an innovative project.

"It furthers my critical thinking so I can apply what I've learned in classes at UNG to a real-world situation," he said.