Alexa @Miami Dade College West Campus

Poster
Booth

Continuous innovation has long kept Miami Dade College on the forefront of accessible higher education. As technological progress continues to accelerate, it’s crucial for the college to continue its efforts to integrate the most impactful of these technologies. Many of us at the West campus believe that voice technology is the next such instance. Already, we’ve created a prototype that, utilizing the advanced artificial intelligence in Amazon’s Alexa, is able to guide students to various locations on campus, offer info on ongoing events, and answer simple, common questions such as when an office or department opens and closes. Through rapid iteration and ongoing development, the extent of this prototype’s skills has gradually expanded, with additional features currently in the pipeline; goals for the immediate future include answering more sophisticated questions related to class schedules and important deadlines, and strategically deploying additional prototypes throughout the campus.

In order to continue growth and achieve these goals, additional resources are necessary. Up to now, most of the development has been done by a single student, who will be graduating soon. While the Network Services department have been fortunate to recruit additional students willing to tackle the project in their free time, for any significant gains to be made within a practical timeline, a larger, unified commitment to the idea must be made. In order to guarantee the project’s steady growth, additional equipment must be purchased, and funds and space set aside for dedicated developers. Additionally, opportunities should be made for those interested in the project to aid in its expansion.

While a permanently accessible, immediately expandable, and continuously improving information hub is a major accomplishment, it’s only the start of something far greater. The West campus has started on a path towards providing a unique experience with helpful technology, where a lost first-time student could find their way from anywhere, a determined student could setup an appointment with a professor, and anyone marginally curious could find out about every single event the college hosts, all regardless of their location on campus, by simply asking aloud. Through unprecedented accessibility and natural interactions, the integration of smart technologies such as Alexa lower the barrier for proactive engagement at the college.

Here you can find more information about the implementation of the project:

https://youtu.be/_CwVR4Enb2I https://news.mdc.edu/press_release/mdc-student-creates-new-voice-recognition-system-using-amazon-echo-dot-to-get-around-campus/

https://www.mdcthereporter.com/feeling-lost-campus-now-can-ask-alexa/

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/12/07/student-creates-voice-recognition-system-using-amazon-echo-to-get-around-campus.aspx https://www.diariolasamericas.com/florida/miami-dade-college-un-paso-adelante-tecnologia-n4139812

A new Booth was implemented using Smart Lighting Control as well.