Scope of works: Software development

Last year a colleague re-introduced me to Processing and asked me to help him develop a simple paint package, using Nintendo Wii
remote controls as paint brushes. This software package later became the Digi Da Vinci software, which made its premier at the Dover Castle PR stunt in 2009 with MEI Events.

My first task in Processing was to develop a dripping paint routine which was used as a feature in the Digi Da Vinci software. The routine was class based and the drip consistency, length and density of the drip was fully customisable.

You can see a demonstration of the dripping paint routine below (click on the play icon):-

Below you can see a commercial headline news article by Sky News featuring the Digi Da Vinci software:-

Dentistry.co.uk have featured the Surgery Media Systems marketing video in its entirety on their web site.

You can view the article and watch the video here.

Surgery Media Systems is the medical digital signage network I project managed and continue to develop.

Scope of works: Digital signage in transport, software development, web development and on-going maintenance

Cabvision is an interactive digital signage network installed in over 1000 taxi cabs across the inner and outer London areas.  The content, delivered remotely over the DAB and GPRS networks, featured are pre-recorded commercials and television shows, latest sport and news headlines, information services and a music channel where the passenger can select a track to listen to while on their journey.

During my two year permanent contract with Liquid Digital Ltd, I was responsible for developing an online administration website using LAMP, known as the Cabvision DBMS, which served the following purposes, and more:-

• Managing the fleet of 1000 plus taxi cabs, which includes cab driver details, content files playback reporting, software and content update status.
• Live reporting of content playback, duration of journeys, content and digital signage application downloads and upload statistics, DAB and GPRS status (screen shot below).
• Hardware stock control – where the stock was distributed throughout the Cabvision taxi network, including spares and repair information.
• A status screen which gave the health of the network (screen shot below).
• Managing of promotions and seasonal advertising
• Ensuring delivery of content and critial digital signage playback software files.
• Reviewing the latest news and sports XML feeds.
• Automated monthly payment receipts, emailed as PDFs directly to the taxi cab owners.

I was involved in developing state of the art software which delivered content files and automated software update packages over the GPRS and DAB technologies directly to the PC based Windows XP Embedded media player situated inside the taxi cabs.

My on-going responsibilities were monitoring the digital signage network on a daily basis, managing the monthly hard drive swapouts across all 1000 plus taxi cabs and maintaining the web servers which hosted the online administration website and the Cabvision corporate website.

I managed the bi-monthly hard drive swap outs directly with Cabvision at their headquarters in East London.

Cabvision screen

Scope of works: Programming, software development and web sites

When giving the general public the opportunity to enter their personal details, such as their email address, on an interactive kiosk, you have to be prepared to filter incorrect, fake or false information and where possible correct it.

I noticed when the general public entered their email addresses they often got the name of well known email addresses incorrect.  For example, joebloggs@hhotmail.com and joebloggs@aool.com, which should be joebloggs@hotmail.com and joebloggs@aol.com respectively.

To deal with this issue, I wrote a PHP script with MySQL data access code to interrogate email addresses in field of a table within a database.  The script identified typical email address entry errors and corrected them.  Once the script had finished, it reported on all originally entered email addresses, the new corrected email addresses and a red or green status indicator.

Once the script is complete, the amount of correct email addresses within a system increases.  Which, from a marketing and advertising perspective, can only be advantageous.

The script also includes an undo feature and manual deletion of duplicate email addresses.

Email address cleaner (click to enlarge)

Scope of works: Project management, software development and web technologies.

The Surgery Media Systems Ltd (SMS) digital signage network consists of an interactive touchscreen kiosk , an infotainment 40″ LCD screen , an online administrative web portal and a public facing health information portal called www.myinfopoint.co.uk .  Collectively, the digital signage network is called the patient infoPoint system.

Waterside Dental, Canary Wharf

The wall mounted screen displays content customised by the practice, including instant messaging, quizzes, real time feeds via the internet and customisable slides.  The interactive kiosk contains information videos, detailed information about the practice and gives patients the opportunity to register their details with the practice and fill out a survey created by the practice.

infoManager - The Survey Manager (click to enlarge)

I developed a web-based survey manager where the practice could create and edit their own surveys, publish to their interactive kiosks and report on each survey’s results using the web-based administrative portal.

The infoManager - web based administrative portal

The administrative web portal manages ever aspect of the system.  From the web portal, the practice has direct control on content creation, content updates, survey reporting and patient registration details from the interactive kiosk and the ability to send target emails to their patients.

The public health portal - www.myinfopoint.co.uk

SMS was setup in 2008, and I was asked to join the company as project manager and developer.  My first task was to interview and short list a team of developers and designers.  Based on documentation of what the patient infoPoint system would initially become work began on developing the brand new SMS digital signage network.

I project managed the SMS digital signage network from beginning to end.  I also got heavily involved in software development, specifically the content playback and backend solution, internal and external web sites and database programming.

After 8 months of development, design work, testing and plenty of late nights, a final version of the patient infoPoint system was completed ready for launch at the BDA Dental Show, ExCel Centre in the heart of London’s Royal Docks.  It was positively received and headway made to market the SMS digital signage network to interested dental practices throughout the UK.

Screen and interactive kiosk components

The SMS digital signage network sold well and installations began.  12 months after development started, the patient infoPoint system was installed into at leats 10 dental practices.

Once the SMS digital signage network was operational, I developed a site monitoring and fault logging system using PHP and mySQL.  This reported on the  network’s health status and was checked regularly by the SMS support staff.  When an issue arose, a fault was entered into the fault logging system where I monitored progress and ensured faults were resolved.

During my time at SMS my responsibilities have included the following:-

• Ensuring key project targets were met and on time.
• Preparing, testing and setting up equipment for exhibitions and demos.
• Technical and operations point of contact.
• Continued web site development of the various SMS websites and web portals.
• Interviewing and hiring new members of staff, appraisals, staff holiday and absenteeism.
• Holding regular staff and operations meetings.
• Liaising with clients, suppliers, Directors, shareholders and business partners.
• Technical documentation writing and monthly company technical and operational reports for board meetings.
• Organising and presenting project demos to prospective new clients and dealers.
• Software and hardware testing and repairing.
• Project managing site installations.

In Jan 2009, as the Project Management concentration ended my role changed to Operations Manager.

New responsibilities also included:-

• Sourcing new screen content and arranging usage permission with the various government agencies.
• Ensuring the digital signage network is healthy.
• Ensuring all sites were operational and repairing faults or failures.
• Bug fixes and improvements in the digital signage software and SMS websites as they arise.
• Liaising with suppliers, sourcing improved hardware and reducing the price of the existing digital signage solution.
• Programming new and updating content using Scala Designer.
• Management of the technical, sales and content staff and departments.
• Holding training days.

The infoManager - Survey results

Here is the official Surgery Media Systems Ltd marketing brochure.

Client Testimonials

“We find the patient infoPoint system a valuable asset as it keeps our patients informed on what we have to offer as well as the news and things of interest showing on the screen has helped nervous patients and children to keep occupied while waiting to go in to the surgery for treatment.  Thank you very much for a fantastic aid to the surgery.”
Sue McVey, Broadfield Dental Care

“We certainly found it very useful in improving the efficiency in the service we provide to our patients.  Using the reports we can see patients feedback on the service we provide.  We have a system where our patients can freely give us feedback without feeling pressured to do so as they willingly want to use the infoTouch.”
Dr. Binamin, Widney Dental Care

Scope of work: Programming and Software development

When there is a major sporting event, the latest scores and results are now expected to be displayed on digital signage networks.

One of the next major sporting events is the World Cup.  In preparation, I have written a Visual Basic 6 application that makes it simple for any level of computer user to enter the latest scores, results, group tables, headlines and top goal scorers ready for updating onto a digital signage network.

World Cup feed editor

Once the information is entered, it is then saved into a structured XML file and uploaded to a central FTP server and saved locally.  An XML file is industry standard and used by main stream digital signage applications, such as Scala and Signage Live from Remote Media.

The previously entered information is saved locally in a structured INI file and re-loaded once the application is started.  This makes it easy for the user to make changes to existing information, or use the clear option to start afresh.

An example of results and headline information saved as an INI file using my application:-

[HEADLINES]
headline1=Alastair Cook left out of England's ICC World Twenty20 squad
headline2=Terry on Bellamy: People in glass houses should not throw stones
headline3=Arsenal pledge to win Premier League title for Aaron Ramsey
[TOPSCORERS]
scorer1=BULGARIA,DIMITAR BERBATOV,4
scorer2=BULGARIA,VALERI BOJINOV,3
scorer3=BULGARIA,DANIEL BORIMIROV,2
scorer4=BULGARIA,GEORGI CHILIKOV,1
[GROUPA]
pos1=GREECE,1,2
pos2=PORTUGAL,3,4
pos3=RUSSIA,5,6
pos4=SPAIN,7,8
.
.
.

The XML file, saved to the central location, can then be utilised with screen content to display the latest sporting information on a digital signage network.

Scope of work: Programming and Software development 

After development and deployment of a digital signage network, maintenance and monitoring is paramount.  To improve remote media player health monitoring, I wrote an application in Visual Basic.NET that takes a current screen grab, collates health information such as CPU temperature, free hard drive space, critical errors etc and uploads this vital information to a central ftp and web server. 

Once this information has been uploaded it can be used to form part of an administrative web site to monitor the health and status of a digital signage network in real time.  If there is an issue to resolve, it is good practice to install remote access software to gain control of the media player as if you were standing infront of it.

Below is a screen shot of a web site I wrote using ASP which displays the vital digital signage network information on a single web page that automatically refreshes with the latest information every 5 minutes.  If there is a potential problem with a media player, the monitoring staff will know about it within 5 minutes.  It is also an effective way of ensuring the correct screen content is playing and the digital signage software is running correctly.

Remote media player monitor (click to enlarge)