ideas for university project ??

[Ken Starks]

Jon Hewer wrote:

> Hi
> 
> I'm about to start my third, and final, year in computer science at
> cambridge uni, and i need to come up with an idea for a software
> project, but i'm really struggling for ideas, and i was wondering
> whether anyone here had any suggestions.
> 
> I'd say i'm probably most experienced in Java, but I have started
> learning Python, and although i haven't got very far yet, I plan on
> doing some more in the next few weeks.
> 
> Areas of interested include AI, distributed systems.  Most of all i
> want something that is interesting, and actually useful (thats
> probably stating the obvious!)
> 
> Cheers
> Jon

I'd like you to write a Python-SOAP-based interface to data-loggers and
interface boxes used in the UK at school level. For example, those
produced by Phillip Harris, which are normally connected by way of a
serial cable.

The idea is to keep an old computer with the data-logger attached, and
the SOAP server installed, in the field or lab. Am I correct in saying
that Java is too security-bound for this role?

Personally, I would feed the resulting XML into Cocoon, which already has
SOAP input, and from there into dataframes in 'R' among other places. Once
it has entered a Cocoon pipeline, it is already in a very flexible form, and
Data analysis can be done anywhere that can reach the Cocoon server. 

You may wish to develop that end of the pipeline either using your Java
skills, or by using XSLT to create Prolog facts or whatever.