Matching Items (44)
Description
Apple’s HomeKit framework centralizes control of smart home devices and allows users to create home automations based on predefined rules. For example, a user can add a rule to turn off all the lights in their house whenever they leave. Currently, these rules must be added through a graphical user interface provided by Apple or a third-party app on iOS. This thesis describes how a text-based language provides users with a more expressive means of creating complex home automations and successfully implements such a language. Rules created using this text-based format are parsed and interpreted into rules that can be added directly into HomeKit. This thesis also explores how security features should be implemented with this text-based approach. Since automations are run by the system without user interaction, it is important to consider how the system itself can provide functionality to address the unintended consequences that may result from running an automation. This is especially important for the text-based approach since its increase in expressiveness makes it easier for a user to make a mistake in programming that leads to a security concern. The proposed method for preventing unintended side effects is using a simulation to run every automation prior to actually running the automation on real-world devices. This approach allows users to code some conditions that must be satisfied in order for the automation to run on devices in the home. This thesis describes the creation of such a program that successfully simulates every device in the home. There were limitations, however, with Apple's HomeKit framework, which made it impractical to match the state of simulated devices to real devices in the home. Without being able to match the current state of the home to the current state of the simulation, this method cannot satisfy the goal of ensuring that certain adverse effects will not occur as a result of automations. Other smart home control platforms that provide more extensibility could be used to create this simulation-based security approach. Perhaps as Apple continues to open up their HomeKit platform to developers, this approach may be feasible within Apple's ecosystem at some point in the future.
ContributorsSharp, Trevor Ryan (Co-author) / Sharp, Trevor (Co-author) / Bazzi, Rida (Thesis director) / Doupe, Adam (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Through the personal experience of volunteering at ASU Project Humanities, an organization that provides resources such as clothing and toiletries to the homeless population in Downtown Phoenix, I noticed efficiently serving the needs of the homeless population is an important endeavor, but the current processes for Phoenix nonprofits to collect data are manual, ad-hoc, and inefficient. This leads to the research question: is it possible to improve this process of collecting statistics on client needs, tracking donations, and managing resources using technology? Background research includes an interview with ASU Project Humanities, articles by analysts, and related work including case studies of current technologies in the nonprofit community. Major findings include i) a lack of centralized communication in nonprofits collecting needs, tracking surplus donations, and sharing resources, ii) privacy assurance is important to homeless individuals, and iii) pre-existing databases and technological solutions have demonstrated that technology has the ability to make an impact in the nonprofit community. To improve the process, standardization, efficiency, and automation need to increase. As a result of my analysis, the thesis proposes a prototype solution which includes two parts: an inventory database and a web application with forms for user input and tables for the user to view. This solution addresses standardization by showing a consistent way of collecting data on need requests and surplus donations while guaranteeing privacy of homeless individuals. This centralized solution also increases efficiency by connecting different agencies that cater to these clients. Lastly, the solution demonstrates the ability for resources to be made available to each organization which can increase automation. In conclusion, this database and web application has the potential to improve nonprofit organizations’ networking capabilities, resource management, and resource distribution. The percentile of homeless individuals connected to these resources is expected to increase substantially with future live testing and large-scale implementation.
ContributorsKhurana, Baani Kaur (Author) / Bazzi, Rida (Thesis director) / Sankar, Lalitha (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
DescriptionThe goal of this study is to equip administrators and instructors with a deeper understanding of the apparent cheating problem in Computer Science courses, with proposed solutions to lower academic dishonesty from the students’ perspective.
ContributorsAl Yasari, Farah (Co-author) / Alyasari, Farah (Co-author) / Tadayon-Navabi, Farideh (Thesis director) / Bazzi, Rida (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Gamification is used to provide an entertaining alternative to educate an individual on a topic that has proven to be difficult, confusing, or undesirable. This thesis describes the design of a video game whose goal was to provide a way for coders and non-coders to educate themselves on programming scopes while also being entertained in the process. Reaching the goal required using the puzzle genre to create a concept where programming scopes would serve as the primary mechanic while also using various other programming concepts to complement it. These concepts include variables, values, functions, programming statements, and conditions.
In order to ensure that the game worked both as an educational tool as well as an entertaining one, informal testers were used with various degrees of experience in both coding and video games. After reaching the end of the game, each of the testers demonstrated that they understood the programming concepts in their video game form. However, this understanding came after additional verbal help was supplied and illustrated that the tutorial section of the game would need to be re-worked in order to efficiently demonstrate each concept.
In order to ensure that the game worked both as an educational tool as well as an entertaining one, informal testers were used with various degrees of experience in both coding and video games. After reaching the end of the game, each of the testers demonstrated that they understood the programming concepts in their video game form. However, this understanding came after additional verbal help was supplied and illustrated that the tutorial section of the game would need to be re-worked in order to efficiently demonstrate each concept.
ContributorsLucero, Elijah Ray (Author) / Bazzi, Rida (Thesis director) / Selgrad, Justin (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05