Maine students develop Android Phone App for university navigation
16 May, 2011
category: Education
University of Maine students have developed an Android app that will help students find their way around campus. The program enables students and others to view weekly class schedules, class locations, textbooks and contact information for instructors.
It also provides information on parking, a building map and a directory of faculty and staff.
The students also created their own database for information retrieved from several University of Maine online databases and then wrote a script to collect data ranging from student, faculty and employee contact information and maps showing buildings and parking lots to university calendars, classes and sports and special events.
“This one is very helpful for new students,” said Yifeng Zhu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who taught the class. “They want to visit different buildings but don’t know where they are. It’s a great tool for visitors and new students, and even for me, and I have been here for some years.”
The app is compatible with Android operating systems but is being modified for expanded use. “Our goal is to make a similar version that will run on Apple iPhone and iPad,” Professor Zhu added.
Future features for the UMaine application include a GPS locator to identify where BAT buses are at any given time and adding campus dining service menus. Zhu said he and future students will continue development of the application, temporarily labeled “University of Maine Beta.”
The open source application is freely available through the online Android Market.