BZAN 2175 Physical Computing - Interactive Art, Robotics, and Tech for Good
Low-cost microcontrollers, sensors, and computing devices like the Raspberry Pi make it possible to create technical projects that humans can physically interact with. This course assumes no prior programming experience but will progress quickly through block-based MakeCode programming, then CircuitPython programming so that all students have coding knowledge necessary to create hardware projects. Students will purchase an amount of hardware and tools similar to the cost of books in a standard course, and we'll use these parts to build a series of projects that control lights, read sensors, produce sound, respond to touch and app control, capture camera images, and more. We'll also build a wheel-based robot, and students will have an opportunity to create and present several original projects and share their work with classmates. This course was formerly numbered: ISYS2170.
Course overview
- Department
- Business Analytics
- School
- CSOM
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
Requirements fulfilled
- Business Analytics: Business Analytics elective options (Class of 2027 and beyond)
- Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship elective options (Class of 2025 and beyond; designed as a second concentration)
- Information Systems: Information Systems elective options (Classes of 2027 and 2028; concentration ends after the Class of 2028)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.19 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.48 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 4
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | John Gallaugher | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 5 of 5 |
| Fall 2025 | John Gallaugher | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 7–9 hrs/week | 6 of 8 |
| Spring 2025 | John Gallaugher | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 10+ hrs/week | 8 of 13 |
| Fall 2024 | John Gallaugher | 3.1 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 10+ hrs/week | 9 of 10 |