Welcome to the "Computer Hunt" - where first-year computer scientists transform into digital detectives! In this team adventure, you'll uncover the hidden world of embedded computer systems lurking in plain sight. Prepare to see your surroundings through the lens of a computer scientist, and perhaps discover that the machines have already taken over.
Scan your team's QR code to get started - it will sign you in to your team.
Lost your sheet? Ask for another one.
Don't have a team? Ask for a QR code to start a new team, or scroll to the end of this page to look for teams looking for members.
The brief
Your team's mission, should you choose to accept it (and you should, because it's a great way to meet folks and see Cardiff), is to:
- Identify and photograph 10-30 examples of computer-controlled or embedded computer systems in everyday life. Examples may include: bus countdown screens at bus stops, parking meters, cash machines, adaptive traffic lights, etc. Think beyond the obvious - surprise us with your discoveries!
- For each discovery, note what it is, where you found it, and its functionality (what it does and how) - that's exactly what the form on your team's page asks for.
- Select your team's "funniest picture" or "most ingenious find" - perhaps a particularly ironic, unexpected, or cleverly hidden system.
Winners in both categories will be selected by a capricious and undocumented process, and announced in Week 1.
Your hunting grounds are strictly limited to the area outlined in purple on the map below - within the building or anywhere else on or around campus inside the boundary is fair game. Beware entering an infinite loop trying to find your way back - we cannot afford to lose any more students in this exercise. May your discoveries be plentiful and your phone signal strong!
Looking for members
Want to join one of these teams? You'll need to meet in person to scan the team's QR code! (Maybe tell each other your names and something about yourself - we're only pretending to be secret agents here, after all!)
Looking for a backend developer and someone handy with a camera!
Need one more teammate, ideally a photographer.