Technical Description

Touch Screens:

Interactivity with technology

By Luis Hidalgo

What is a touch screen?

A touch screen is an electronic display on technology that utilizes a screen. This technology allows users to interact with the digital contents displayed on a screen. This technology has been around since the 60s, but didn’t become popular and more common until 2007 when Apple released the first iPhone completely changing the way people use and interact with technology, replacing the analogue keyboard and the mouse with a screen display.

How do touch screens work?

A touch screen works by using a digitizer to turn physical interaction (touching the screen, to type, create pictures and drawings, etc.) into digital signals. Touch screens utilize electricity and touch sensitive detectors. The display of the touch screen uses a nonconductive material such as glass coated with a layer of conductive material called indium tin oxide. This material has a low voltage connected to it giving it a small electric charge, so  when a finger touches the screen the charge goes to it. The touch sensitive detector then finds the point on the screen that lost the electrical charge allowing it to detect which point on the screen has been touched.

Types of touch screen?

Capacitive: the screen panel is coated with material that stores electrical charge and with circuits at each corner the charge is measured  and the information is sent to be processed. Most commonly used in phones, tablets, and some laptops, capacitive touch screen allows for the best clarity with high sensitivity and responsiveness for the best performance

Resistive: resistive touch screens have panels that are coated with a thin metallic layer that is both conductive and resistive. When touched a change in electrical current occurs and this change is registered and processed. Resistive touch screens are commonly used on camera screens, in-flight entertainment, medical equipment, and Global Positioning systems (GPS). 

Infrared: Infrared touch screens use infrared beams which are sent out by light-emitting diodes/LEDs with a receiving end. When the beam is blocked by a finger on the display the interruption gives an input on where the finger is located. Infrared screens are used in ATMs, interactive white board/smart board, factory automation, and  office automation

Keywords

  • Display: an image or picture superimposed on a screen
  • Interact: to engage in an action, physical or otherwise
  • Digitizer: A computer input device that allows users to draw images and graphics
  • Digital signal: A signal that represents a sequence of information collected
  • Touch Sensitive Detectors: Are also called tactile sensors, is a device that recognizes and records physical touch on a screen or other device
  • Nonconductive: unable to conduct electricity
  • Conductive: to be able to or have the of conducting electricity to a certain extent
  • Voltage: The quantitative expression of the force of a potential charge that allows electrons to flow
  • Screen Panel: An electronic screen on which information is displayed
  • Circuit: A fixed circular path that electricity flows through
  • Capacitive: having the potential or properties of being able to collect and hold an electrical charge
  • Resistive: having the potential to withstand the action or effect of pressure
  • Infrared: A type of energy that can’t be seen with the human eye, can only be felt as heat

Proposal Project

The Space for You: 

CCNY’s very own improved student center

Fig 1: Anarchist Architects architected the student center 

November 6th, 2023

The Anarchist Architects

Karif Davis

Michael Fulgencio

Luis Hidalgo

Aisha Pimentel

Introduction

“Sometimes you need to forget how you feel and remember what you deserve.” College is not only about preparing yourself for a specific career, it is also about enjoying your life as a young adult before you go out into the real world. As students of The City College of New York also known as CCNY, we have noticed the lack of space for students to enjoy themselves. Most students spend most of their time in the library or hanging around school till their next class. Yes, time can be used to study but it’s not always about studying, we deserve a break as well. Due to this problem, student life at CCNY is very minimal and a good percentage of students find it hard to make social connections. Improving student life at CCNY will not only help with academic performance but as well as providing a recreational and social space for students to unwind and promote CCNY as a college dedicated to helping their students.

  Change is needed to unlock the best version of oneself. This is why a student center at CCNY will help others find the things they enjoy. Our data method of choice was a survey because it allowed us to collect a large amount of information, to understand the concerns and opinions of the students at CCNY. This way we will be able to accommodate their needs. Based on the data that was collected approximately 80% of students agreed with the idea of a student center because of the little social life CCNY has. As well as providing a space to hang with friends which according to students being a good student leads to a good school. On the other hand, approximately 20% of students do not want a student center because of the lack of time they have. Furthermore, student answers will be available to read in the appendix with more detailed information.

Fig 2. Graph of primary survey findings 

  Many colleges such as Brooklyn College, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University are prime examples of expectational student centers. These centers are also known as community centers which provide daily services and conveniences to every member of the college according to NCAT University. These centers are meant to be welcoming, diversified, integral, and student centered. With the help of these centers, they hope to improve college life and activity among the students. As we create this student center, we want to create an environment where students have the opportunity to access everything in one space.

Action Plan

Looking into what we are building for the school we expect to have a full student center complete with A lounge, Food Court, Gaming room, and commons room. This student center will be located in Wingate Hall entering the first room being the lounge area (75x15ft) being connected to the commons which will provide smaller rooms for group projects (12’7×17’8ft). Connecting to the lounge room will also be the gaming room which is a medium-sized room (15×25’3ft) that will have games for students and areas to relax. Lastly will be the Food Court which will be a big room (40x40ft) providing food served from the school cafeteria with vending machines with snacks and drinks. 

Our first room introducing you to the student center will be the lounge area, this will be complete with couches and beds where students can sit down and relax as well as for in-between rest or a quick nap before a long commute home. This area will also be where students can get their work done in groups where tables and chairs will be located with charging ports to keep laptops and phones alive. Students who choose to work alone can choose to work in cubbies that have charging ports. 

Fig 3. Lounge area 

The commons room is similar to the lounge room but smaller allowing for students in groups to have a quiet session in groups. This room will have a large table where students can sit around as well as a projector where they can connect their electronics and host work, watch videos/ presentations for class, and a whiteboard for group note-taking. Also Provided with charging ports and cubbies for bags and hangers for clothes.

Fig 4. Private Room (The Commons)

Another room leading into the food court where there will be rows of tables for students to sit down and enjoy some food provided by the school, serving an array of foods provided for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Food Court will also have a café and such as (blank) and Food Court will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., vending machines will also have snacks and various other energy drinks, coffee, water, etc.

Fig 5. Food Court

Students can transition into the Gaming room for extra relaxation and pause their studies where they can socialize and play multiple types of games. This room will provide TVs that will have multiple Xboxes and games for students to play with multiple controllers, students can also bring consoles from home and hook them up to the TV allowing students to kick back and play with each other. Other games that will be accessible are a variation of tabletop games such as cards, board games, and roleplaying tabletop games.

Fig 6. Gaming Room

Cost/benefits

When we asked about what improvements students wanted to see in the student center, some of the most common answers were an overall improvement to the space itself, with areas used for rest, gaming, and building social connections. When students are out of class they have constant worry about getting their work done. There is no real place on campus where students forget about their work for a short period and just decompress. With that being said, students responded to our survey saying that they use a lounge to simply relax. Students also said they wanted more accommodations such as more food options, and an area for gaming. And lastly, students want a place where they can build strong connections with other students. With students wanting a completely new/improved student center, there also comes the cost.

Construction timetable:

Installing each room will take a certain amount of time as some rooms have more resources than others and some are bigger and need more time for renovations. This chart takes into account the furniture and materials needed and how long it’ll take to have it shipped and set up, this chart also tracks the renovation of the rooms themselves and the necessary time to construct and build the rooms from the ground up. These renovations also consider bathrooms and other necessary resources such as charging ports, programs, TVs, etc.

Fig 7. Our timetable for furniture and renovations.

Area of Student CenterCost
Renovations (floors, bathrooms, furniture, etc)$11,000,000
Lounge$60,000
Food court $193,772
Gaming room$791,000
Commons room$35,000
Total$12,079,772

Fig 8: Total budget for construction and contents.

Now that you know what the students want and approximately how much it would cost to make that happen, now we can look at the benefits. With a newly improved student center, students will be able to relax before, after, and even in between classes. With a place to relieve stress, students will be more inclined to do homework and classwork without feeling overwhelmed. With much less stress, homework grades will improve, and with better grades, professors, students, and overall faculty will be happier. Furthermore, a place where students can gather together will make a stronger community and a much better college culture [networking]. A better community will appeal to the eyes of people looking to take classes at CCNY. With more people coming to CCNY, the expensive improvements to the student center will eventually pay for itself.

Our Team

Luis Hidalgo is a second-year college student at CCNY interested in electrical engineering, attended KIPP NYC College Preparatory High School and graduated with honors in late June of 2022. Luis likes to pay attention to detail which allows him to build his skills in organizing and planning which he utilizes in his academics to do his best in the classroom. 

Karif Davis is a second-year student at CCNY with a major in mechanical engineering and a minor in business. Before starting college at CCNY, Karif attended Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts in New York and graduated in June 2022. Karif is an organized person who can work well with the people around him if need be. Karif’s interests are anything sports. Soccer, Basketball, Football, Formula 1, etc. When Karif is not in class or consumed with work, he is most likely playing games, relaxing with friends, or playing soccer. Although Karif’s major is mechanical engineering, he does not want to work for a massive company. Karif wants to have a lowkey lifestyle with his own body shop/garage where he builds his cars. 

Aisha Pimentel is a first-year undeclared student learning to major in computer engineering at The City  College of New York. She attended Bronx Collaborative High School where she was top 5 in the graduating class of 2023. Throughout high school, she attended classes at Lehman College, while interning at the National Museum of Mathematics. Here she found an interest in computers while working with the technology department. In her free time, Aisha likes to listen to music, read, cook, and spend time with her family. She hopes to become a computer engineer at a major company like Google while hoping to someday work for a company of her own.

Michael Fulgencio is a second-year student at The City College of New York undeclared aiming to major in computer science. Michael went to Urban Assembly for Green Careers where he worked with many students on several types of projects ranging from agricultural, academic, and personal. This is how he developed skills in team collaboration and analysis. Michael’s interest in computer science started in middle school where he attended The Computer School and developed an interest through the programming class and opportunities given. Michael’s hobbies consist of reading and working out which helps further reading comprehension and discipline, Michael wants to further his skills and try for hands-on internships to advance his career in computer science. 

Conclusion

A student center here at CCNY will help provide relaxation and build a sociable community where students can hang out and indulge in common interests, as well as focus on work and their academic needs. Providing students with a central place to study, socialize, and eat all together will help bring out more students to the college and help boost grades by providing students with more resources for relaxation and fun. The future of CCNY will strive hopefully to have new organizations and groups inviting new and old students to join and build our community. This would hopefully have a positive impact on how students view their college experience and continue to strive to achieve their goals. With the creation of this center, we hope CCNY continues to thrive and continues to grow as a college community. The future of CUNY relies primarily on the engagement of its students.

References

College, Brooklyn. “Student Center.” Brooklyn College, 24 Aug. 2023, www.brooklyn.edu/dosa/administrative-services/student-center/.

Flynn, E. (2023, March 16). Game room opens in Melton Student Center. The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved, from https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2023/03/game-room-opens-in-melton-student-center 

Pride, Aggie. “The Role of the Student Center.” Welcome to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University,www.ncat.edu/campus-life/student-affairs/departments/student-center/the-role-of-the-student-center.php. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023. 

School Facilities COST CALCULATOR. (n.d.). Center for Cities + Schools. Retrieved from https://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/uploads/21csf_CC+S_School_Facilities_Cost_Calculator_User_Guide.pdf 

Appendix

The photos down below contain some of the responses we were able to collect throughout our data-gathering process.

Lab Report

The Odds:

Probabilities of rolling dice

Illustration

This report will talk about the probabilities rolling a pair of dice. The numbers from the two dice will be added to get the sum from each roll and then those numbers will be used to figure out the probability of getting a certain sum.

Luis Hidalgo

October 4, 2023

Abstract

In this experiment I attempt to find the probabilities of rolling dice. In the experiment I rolled a pair of dice 108 times then added the numbers from the two dice to get a sum as well as combining the values/scores from each die to see the minimum and maximum score I could get, the minimum being 2 and and the maximum being 12. After having done that I used the sums and the scores to create a graph in order to find a probability/chance of rolling a certain sum of scores. At the end of the experiment I found that the 2 and 12 had the lowest probability of being rolled while the number with highest probability were 6  and eight initially proving that my hypothesis was partially wrong.

Introduction:

The reason for this experiment is to understand the idea of probability and learn how probability works as well as learn how to make a hypothesis and use an experiment to see whether it’s true, false, or even partially correct or incorrect.

Hypothesis

My hypothesis for this experiment is that 2 and 12 have the lowest probability of being rolled while 7 has the highest probability of being rolled.

Materials and methods:

  • Electronic Dice- to find the probability of getting a certain sum 
  • Pencil- something write down the data
  • Notebook- record the data of each roll
  • Calculator- to calculate the results of the data
  • Computer- to create a graph to display and analyze the data

Results

The results I recorded from each roll were recorded on a table and then used to create a graph to show the probability of each roll.

Figure 1

              Sum of scores     Number of rolls for each score

22
38
44
56
620
718
819
914
108
116
123

Figure 2

The Probability of each roll

Analysis

My hypothesis for this experiment is that 2 and 12 have the lowest probability of being rolled while 7 has the highest probability of being rolled and from the data shown on the bar graph it shows that 2 (1.9%) and 12 (2.8%) had lowest probability of all the other the scores, but part of my hypothesis was wrong because also according to  to the of the bar graph 7 did not have the highest probability of being rolled, it was actually 6 (18.5%) that had the highest probability. Also according to a workshop run by a teacher Kyle Mclyntyre the conclusions were similar to my hypothesis I had for my experiment. The conclusions of the workshop said that 2 and 12 had the lowest probability, having a 1/36th or 2.8% chance of being rolled. Also, The conclusions said that 7 had the highest probability with a 1/6th or 16.7% chance of being rolled which is what I hypothesized in my experiment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the probability of rolling a 2 or 12 is very low with 2 having 1.9% chance of being rolled and 12 having a 2.8% chance of being rolled and the number with highest probability of being rolled is 6 with an 18.5% chance. This Information and recorder data can be used and applied in future experiments by being used as reference to either build on or create a new experiment finding probabilities by creating a hypothesis, recording and analyzing data and using that data to prove whether or not the hypothesis is true. Through this process the person engaging in the experiment will also learn how to experiment and learn how to find probabilities and understand them and how they work.  

References

McIntyre, K. (2022, February 2). Roll the dice: A fun probability experiment for all ages. Medium. https://medium.com/@kylejmcintyre/roll-the-dice-a-fun-probability-experiment-for-all-ages-c949727ffd1b

Resume

Luis L. Hidalgo 

lhidalg003@citymail.cuny.edu

646-732-8278

linkedin.com/in/luis-hidalg003

A long, thin rectangle to divide sections of the document

Summary:

Second-year college student with interest in electrical engineering, experienced in mechanics and robotics as well as minor experience with coding.

Education

The City College Of New York, 160 Convent Avenueexpected B.E. August 2022 – expected June 2026, New York, NY

Relevant courses:

  • ENGL 21007: Writing for Engineering

KIPP NYC College Prep, 201 E 144th St.High School Diploma August 2018 – June 2022, Bronx, NY

KIPP Infinity Middle School, 625 W 133rd St. Terence Tolbert Building August 2014 – June 2018, New York, NY

  • Robotics club

Experience

Wholefoods Market, 95 E Houston St. June 2023 – Present, New York, NY

Relevance:

  • Receive hands-on experience on how the workplace works as well as understand the chain of command, to meet certain expectations by my peers and superiors, maintain a level of professionalism in the workplace.

Skills and qualities

  • Analyzing and assessing
  • Planning
  • Thinking logically
  • Dedication
  • Patience
  • Loyal
  • Adaptable
  • Assertive
  • Innovative

Luis L. Hidalgo

hidalg003@citymail.cuny.edu

646-732-8278

linkedin.com/in/luis-hidalg003

A long, thin rectangle to divide sections of the document

September 13, 2023

Dan L. Batrack

Cosentini Associates

498 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10018

Dear Mr. Batrack:

Hello, my name is Luis and I’m interested in the Engineering Intern position at Cosentini Associates. At the moment I’m a second year college student eager to gain experience in the field of engineering. I feel that my passion and eagerness for experience and learning and the skills I’ve developed would allow me to thrive, be an asset,and be dedicated at Cosentini Associates.

Engineering Intern

Tetra Tech

New York, NY

$18 – $24 an hour – Internship

Job details

Pay

$18 – $24 an hour

Job Type

Internship

As part of Tetra Tech’s High Performance Buildings Group, we bring together the expertise of talented engineers, commissioning agents, and energy analysts from around the world. We offer high-end, sustainable building consulting and MEP engineering services for blue-chip clients across every building sector. Our services include MEP design, Net Zero Energy, lighting design, commissioning, vertical transportation, low voltage, information technologies, security, fire engineering, sustainability consulting, and acoustics. We are Better Together—Powered by Innovation.

Cosentini Associates (www.cosentini.com ), a Tetra Tech company, invites you to consider an exciting opportunity within our New York City office. We are seeking innovative and assertive Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineering Interns to join our renowned design team working in our New York office.

What’s so great about this job?
This is a terrific opportunity to perform innovative Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing designs on complex, challenging projects. This position will allow the right candidate to learn building systems design.

Why join Cosentini?
Cosentini Associates provides the following engineering services: HVAC, Electrical Power, Fire Protection, Plumbing, Energy Conservation and Sustainable Design, Code Consulting and Construction Administration Services. We have a reputation for innovative design in the global design and construction industry. As part of the Tetra Tech family, we are a leading provider of consulting, engineering, and technical services worldwide. Our reputation rests on the technical expertise and dedication of our employees – 22,000 people working together across disciplines and time zones to provide smart, sustainable solutions for challenging projects. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development. Tetra Tech combines the resources of a global, multibillion-dollar company with local, client-focused delivery in 470 locations around the world. We offer competitive compensation and benefits and are searching for innovative people to join our teams.

At Tetra Tech, health and safety play a vital role in our success. Tetra Tech’s employees work together to comply with all applicable health & safety practices and protocols, including health orders and regulations related to COVID-19 that are mandated by the current OSHA ETS, local, state and federal authorities.

Cosentini/Tetra Tech, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We invite resumes from all interested parties including women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.

What kind of candidate are we looking for?
We are seeking talented and highly motivated students to work during the summer break. To be successful, candidates must have excellent technical skills, be well versed in the newest version of AutoCAD and Revit and have strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Pay: $18.00 – 24.00 per hour, commensurate on education level.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.