Background

The goal of the Computer Society International Design Competition (CSIDC) is to advance excellence in computer science and computer engineering education by encouraging teams of students to design and implement computer-based solutions to real-world problems. In particular, the system you develop should be of benefit to society.

The competition emphasizes teamwork in the design, implementation, and testing of a computer-based system.

The theme of the competition is *Going Beyond the Boundaries*. The spirit of the competition is ingenuity and originality in using PCs? or hand-held computers to create a computer-based system performs a socially useful function. Teams are encouraged to take a PC, laptop, hand-held computer (or similar device) and use additional low-cost hardware/software to create a computer-based solution to a problem that is socially valuable.

Teams are free to select their own project subject to the published guidelines. However, projects that bear a strong resemblance to previous CSIDC projects or commercially available systems are very unlikely to be acceptable to the judges. Basic "medical monitoring" projects such as EKGs? or pulse monitors are ineligible because such topics have appeared in so many previous reports. Projects that are purely computer science oriented (for example, compiling technology or the simulation of a new computer architecture) are not eligible. However, teams may use Bluetooth Wireless technology (or any other communications technology) to link two or more computers.