Topic outline

  • NEPPI home

    We are now aware that the SISU system have not been properly updated after the cancellation of sessions in the older Oodi system. Since some students have reserved overlapping activities, the project/teamwork needs to be planned so that it accommodates flexible team participation. The detailed planning will take place during the course.

    Participation of the first lecture session (1.11.2021 09-12) is required in order to take the course. 

    The Zoom link:
    https://aalto.zoom.us/j/64734108462

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    ELEC-E9900 - Networked Partnering and Product Innovation – NEPPI

    NEPPI is a 5 ECTS course where students from any background familiarise themselves with Internet of Things (IoT) related innovating. The course is part of the IDBM curriculum, and is targeted for students seeking to become design leaders in their field. This kind of position demands competences in the innovating process as well as a design-oriented mind-set, which promotes learning-by-creating. The course is located inside a technical school, i.e. the Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering (ELEC), and forms the technological core of the IDBM curriculum. 

    Innovation in any context requires the innovators to have at least basic understanding of the capabilities of the technology that they are working with. In the NEPPI course, the context is IoT innovation, whereby, the course covers the foundational building blocks of this very complex realm. The course is intended to serve the basics of IoT technology for students that may not have any technical background. However, the course offers a lot of learning potential even for a seasoned professional, as the context, process, and tools may not be the most conventional ones.

    The approach

    Learning-by-creating – NEPPI is organised as a set of two projects, where students iteratively express their design intent through cycles of researching, ideating, making, and getting feedback. The first two weeks are dedicated to the building of complex IoT machine on the basis of requirements, components, and materials assigned to the teams. The rest of the course manifests itself as a user-centred innovation project, which results in a design concept that will be shown in an exhibition (NEPPI EXPO).

    Precision-of-articulation – NEPPI focusses on the translation of ambiguous user needs into clearly, concisely, and unambiguously presented key requirements for an IoT application. This is achieved through repeated negotiations with engineers in the midst of the engagements with other stakeholders in the innovating process. 

    Domain-specific knowing – NEPPI introduces students to the realm of IoT applications with a wide and timely perspective. It covers IoT hardware, cloud services, apps, interfaces, algorithms, prototyping tools, and more. The intent is to establish a solid foundation of the key concepts related to IoT innovation.

    Schedule
    Week Monday Wednesday Friday
    01






    		 1.11. 09-12 Online

    Introduction to the Course
    The Physical Side of IoT
    Slides:
    [intro & grading, what is IoT, what is IoT thing]

    3.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    Hands on Exercises with Components
    Teaming up (Round I)
    [Intro to the hex machine project]

    5.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    The First IoT challenge
     
    02

    8.11. 09-12 Online
    The Virtual Side of IoT
    [The Cloud, Logic and computing, Networking, Apps]

    10.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    The Second IoT Challenge

    [Hex map on Miro] PWD: neppi2021

    12.11. 09-16 Väre, 102 LQ Lobby
    09-12 Setting up
    IoT Challenge Show (show at 13:00-13:30)
    Dismantling, debriefing
    03

    15.11. 09-12 Online
    Project briefing
    Explanation of the EXPO
    Teaming up (Round II)
    [Slides: HexMachine reflections, Project background, project brief]
    [Partial video of the brief]

    17.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    Project work: From User Needs to Key Requirements

    [Teacher Personas][Slides]

    19.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    Project work: Sharpening the Focus on One Idea
    04

    22.11. 09-12 Online
    Research for Innovation
    From Whole to Components 

    [Lecture: Big picture vs. challenge of the day]

    24.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    Project work: Sharpening the Requirements via Sketching & Making

    26.11. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage
    Project work: Communicating the Requirements to an Engineer
    05

    29.11. 09-12 Online
    From Components Back to the Whole
    Ways of Getting Feedback from Users

    [Lecture slides, PDF]

    1.12. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage (optional location)
    Project work: Preparing for User Tests

    3.12. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage (optional location)
    Project work: User Tests
    06




    		 Independence day

    8.12. 09-16 Design Factory / Stage (optional location)
    Preparation for NEXPO21

    10.12. 12-19 TUAS, Maarintie 8, Atrium
    12:00-15:00 Setting up the EXPO
    15:00-17:00 The EXPO - The Future of Hybrid Learning
    17:00-18:00 Dismantling and debrief
    07


    		 17.12. 10-12  Exam (online - MyCourses assignment)


    Teaching staff:
    Salu Ylirisku, responsible teacher
    Markku Koskela, assistant teacher
    Marcell Berta, Carl Pellja, Rohan Sachdeva, Johan Sarpoma, Aleksi Zubkovski, assistants