The app provides for a more user-centered experience within the lab and have all necessary tools to start using it’s features as fast as possible.

Authentication

In order to overcome the need for students and professors to have another account to manage, MakerLab’s access (wiki and mobile app) is based on integration with the university’s authentication system, so you just need to enter your University of Aveiro’s credentials (on idp.ua’s platform) and then you will be redirected to app’s home page so that you can start enjoying MakerLab’s features. You will also see, on menu’s header, your account details (name and email) and your photo, based on Gravatar, so you will need to associate a photo to your UA’s email on Gravatar’s platform, in order to be shown on the app.

Projects

Projects are the Makerlab’s foundations, meaning that the user will need a project to start using the lab’s features and equipments. For that just go to “Projectos” menu tab, click on the plus icon and then “Criar Projecto”. After that fill the project’s name and description and click on “Criar Projecto”.

Now that the projected is created, you can start adding members to it so that the project begins to build itself. For that, select the project, click on settings icon, then “Adicionar membros” and select the users you want to add. The user will need to be registered on Makerlab’s platform (through the wiki or mobile app) in order to appear on the list.

You can , at any time, see the project’s page and it’s members, by clicking on it’s name.

Making requisitions and deliveries

Now that the project is created and the members are added, it is possible to start making equipments requisitions. You will find QR codes labeled on all items in the lab, so simply grab the item, go to “Leitor de itens”, and point your camera to the QR code. If you have Augmented Reality enabled, a canvas with Makerlab’s logo and item name will appear and you need to click on it, otherwise the requisition/delivery dialog will appear instantainly.

Requisitions

If you want to make a requisition, just choose the project to which you want to associate it, the number of units you want to request and simple click on “Confirmar”.

Deliveries

If you want to make an item delivery, change the switch value on “Requisitar/Entregar”, select the project in which the requisition is associated (only projects with active requisitions for the equipment you are reading will appear), choose the number of units you want to deliver and click on “Confirmar”

Augmented Reality

Users can also sneak peek some information about the item they are holding with an Augmented Reality feature, which is particularly useful if they are not familiar with the equipment. To use it, make sure “Augmented Reality” feature is enabled on “Definições” menu (it is enabled by default), point the camera to the QR code and a canvas with Makerlab’s logo and item name will appear.

Requisitions

As long as you request more than one item, it is a good idea to maintain the history of the requisitions you made. This is done in “Requisições” menu tab, where you will find all your active requisitions grouped by the item and project name.