BDI Check-in Kiosk
Student worker Abigail Awol '28 checks into the Digital Scholarship Lab.
Student worker Alex Ott '27 developed BDI's first check-in kiosk. We're using raspberry pi-enabled touch displays and card readers, which are attached to the displays using attachments designed in our MakerLab.
Alex's program prompts users to identify their role at Brandeis (grad student, undergrad, faculty, etc.), select their reason for visiting the space, and rate their experience upon checkout. Full-time BDI staff are using the data to visualize our most popular services and which major(s)/program(s) are coming to which labs. We'll be able to offer more focused programming and reach a wider Brandeis audience.
Alex writes about his program:
"[This is a] custom attendance tracking system for the BDI spaces, designed to replace a low-adoption Qualtrics survey. The application is built as a full-stack Next.js project, with both frontend and backend implemented in the same codebase, and uses Google Sheets as its backing datastore to prioritize accessibility and ease of analysis for less technical staff. Authentication is performed using existing campus ID cards: magnetic stripe data is read via a swipe module that emulates a USB keyboard, allowing the system to accept card input. Students and staff swipe in upon entering a space and swipe out when leaving, producing structured attendance records with minimal friction. The collected data, including total check-ins and breakdowns by major, grade level, gender, and ethnicity, is used by BDI to guide resource allocation within its spaces and to better target outreach efforts toward underrepresented groups. The system’s lower friction and faster interaction model significantly increased participation compared to the previous solution."
So remember, when you enter and exit one of our labs, please use the kiosk! More swipes gives us more data about BDI's popularity, and hopefully, more resources in the future!