Cellular Repeater System
Finding the right problem to solve
Project Description: Find a way to improve the quality of life at the University of Michigan through engineering. Develop a plan to implement your solution.
Problem: Markley Hall, the main freshman dormitory at the University of Michigan, has awful cell phone reception.
Solution: We laid the groundwork for the installation of a cellular repeater system to be installed in Markley Hall. We reached out to University personnel, who were very interested in our idea. We received maps of Markley Hall from the Director of University Housing, and worked directly with University Housing to determine where our antennas would be placed.
During our final presentation to the class, a rather blunt graduate instructor asked “Why, with so many other problems that they could be working on, did University Housing choose to work with a group of freshman on cell-phone reception? How did you manage to get their assistance, and what makes you think that they would actually pay for your solution?”
The answer: Through our research, we learned that most of the University Housing offices happened to be located in Markley Hall. It’s amazing how eager they were to help us solve their cell phone problem.
