Do you know that a smartphone can be really "smart" if you assemble and reprogram its functionalities, and allow it to interact with the environment intelligently? Do you know it can:

i) measure your heartbeat rate using the built-in camera?
ii) locate where you are without running the GPS and google map?
iii) save battery power by adapting its color like a chameleon?
iv) detect whether someone is holding the phone while driving?
......

In ECE454, you will learn to come up with innovative ideas as above to facilitate your study/life/research, and realize the ideas on modern smartphone platforms (e.g., Android and Windows Phones). You will form teams of 2 to 4 members, propose a specific project, and spend the majority of the semester implementing your idea. This course will provide the Android-based Galaxy Nexus and Windows-based Lumia 900 for you to prototype and test your smartphone applications.

The course objectives include:
i) using contemporary development environment and languages (e.g., C#, Java) to develop mobile applications
ii) programing the typical functionalities of modern smartphones (e.g., light sensor, gyro, accelerometer, cameras, microphones, GPS, barometer)
iii) working effectively as a member of a team to complete a large programming project
iv) preparing for a potential job or even your own business in the growing mobile application domain

ECE454 is a 4 credit course. It has a design credit of 2 and will satisfy the capstone design course requirement for computer engineering (i.e. it will serve as an alternative to ECE 468/453/554). Undergraduate and graduate students from all areas of ECE and CS are welcome to attend, but preferably you should have background in object-oriented programming (e.g., C++, C#, Java).

The course will meet at Wednesdays 12:05pm to 12:55pm for lectures, in addition to 6 hours of laboratory work each week. Latest information will be available at the course website: http://xyzhang.ece.wisc.edu/ece454