MAKER: A maker space smart badging system

Abstract

As a capstone design project a team of students from Bucknell University created a "Smart Badging System" to monitor use and control access of various Maker Space resources, including 3D printers, a Vacuum Former, Industrial Chiller, Laser Cutter, Vinyl Cutter, and others. This paper reports on the development of the smart badging system that will be installed in summer, 2016 in Bucknell's 7th Street Maker Space and MakerE. The smart badging system is intended to replace the current system which uses paper sign up sheets and cardboard IDs. The intent of the project is to give each user of the campus network of MakerSpaces an RFID badge that will allow them to access equipment they have been trained to use, allow them to request training for on equipment they have not yet been trained on, and allow administrators to monitor equipment use. The system is based on a user web interface developed in WordPress that allows both makers and administrators to access different features. While makers can submit training requests, search users and resources, and view recent projects, administrators have all the same features with the added ability to view usage logs, add makers or resources, and add student technicians that supervise the maker spaces. The student team designed the system to be based on widely available, open source software with custome hardware components that are based on popular platforms so that expansion of the system can server as a source of Maker projects. This paper briefly outlines the project and the capstone course in which it was developed; the system will be demonstrated at the ASEE conference.