Week 10 – Finalizing iCue and Preparing for the Future 🚀

Guest Speaker Session: Learning from Experience

This week, we had the opportunity to hear from Keenan, a Middlesex University alumnus and former Computer Systems Engineering student. His guest lecture provided valuable insights into tackling final-year projects, from overcoming challenges to refining problem-solving approaches. With our own projects nearing submission, his journey served as a strong reminder of the importance of persistence and adaptability.

Beyond academics, Keenan shared his career progression, illustrating how navigating different roles and industries helped him grow professionally. His passion for continuous learning was inspiring, reinforcing the idea that success is built on curiosity and the willingness to embrace new challenges.

Intellectual Property and iCue’s Future

Following the guest session, we explored key topics in intellectual property, including copyrights, trade secrets, patents, and trademarks. Given my long-term goal of launching iCue as a commercial product, understanding these legal protections is crucial. Ensuring that iCue's innovations—such as its training feedback system and AI-driven shot analysis—are safeguarded will be an essential step when transitioning from a research project to a marketable application.

Project Progress: Refining iCue and Finalizing Features

I am excited to announce that the app is almost ready!!

1. Enhancing Chatbot Accuracy

This week, I presented the latest updates on iCue's mobile application. A key focus was refining the chatbot, which provides personalized training recommendations based on shot data. Dr. Judhi pointed out that its responses needed improvement due to suboptimal prompt structuring. As a result, I optimized the chatbot’s prompts to generate more precise and relevant recommendations.

2. Animation and UI Improvements

I also introduced a tutorial page with animations to guide users through iCue’s features. While the animations were effective, there was feedback regarding unclear rotation directions. To address this, I will add an arrow indicator, ensuring better visual guidance.

3. Shot Data Storage and Analysis

The profile page was enhanced to display stored shot data, allowing users to track their progress over time. Initially, this section lacked an in-depth analysis, so I incorporated textual feedback similar to what is available on the dashboard. Furthermore, I proposed a comparison feature that enables users to evaluate their performance over multiple sessions—an addition that was well received and marked as a priority before moving on to user testing next week.

4. Completing Development

With these refinements, iCue’s development phase is now complete. The next step involves rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure functionality, user experience, and accuracy align with my initial vision.

Below is the video of the app functioning.

A Week of Reflection: CEI Next Steps Event

This week was an emotional one as we attended the CEI Next Steps Event, a farewell gathering for final-year CEI students as we prepare to join the alumni community. It was a day filled with reflection, gratitude, and a sense of accomplishment.

I had the immense privilege of receiving the Ambassador Award for the engineering batch—an honor given to individuals who have made significant contributions across academics, extracurricular activities, and university-wide initiatives. Winning the most prestigious award of the batch was truly humbling, and it reinforced my commitment to continuous learning and leadership beyond university life.

After the event, we gathered for Iftar with my classmates, a moment of unity and celebration. Looking back at our journey, the day was a profound reminder of how far we have come, the friendships we have built, and the impact we have made. It is a memory I will cherish forever.

Looking Ahead: Testing and Optimization

With iCue’s core functionality completed, the next phase will focus on user testing, refining the user experience, and ensuring seamless performance. These final refinements will be critical in making iCue a robust, market-ready solution for billiards training.

Stay tuned for further updates as I move into the final testing and evaluation stages!