Share your Ideas here. Be as descriptive as possible. Ask for feedback. If you find any interesting Idea, you can comment and encourage the person in taking it forward.
The Problem
For every B.Tech student at our university, the daily campus shuffle is a familiar reality. You have a free hour and need a quiet place to work, but the hunt for an empty classroom begins. We spend valuable time walking up and down the floors of the Ecole building, checking every ECR (Ecole Class Room) and ELT (Ecole Lecture Theatre), only to find them locked, occupied, or reserved for a future class.
This isn't just an annoyance; it's a significant drain on our productivity. While this problem exists across campus—from the School of Law (SOL) to the School of Management (SOM)—it is a daily, high-friction experience for every one of us based in Ecole. Static timetables are unreliable, and the library is often too far for a quick one-hour break, leaving us scrambling for a place to settle.
The Proposed Solution
Availo is a smart, focused platform designed to solve this specific problem. Through a simple mobile app, Availo provides a real-time availability map, starting exclusively with the Ecole building.
The app would feature:
A Live Ecole Map: See a floor-by-floor layout of Ecole, with all ECRs and ELTs color-coded as Available (Green), Occupied (Red), or Soon-to-be-Available (Yellow).
Detailed Information: Tap on any room, like "ECR-2" or "ELT-3", to see precisely how long it's available.
Smart Filtering: Instantly find what you need. For example: "Show me an available ECR on the 1st floor now."
Problems Solved
By providing instant and reliable information, Availo reclaims lost student time, allowing it to be used for productive study rather than a stressful search. It transforms the frustrating hunt for an ECR or ELT into a seamless, 30-second task, directly enhancing the daily experience of every B.Tech student.
Why It Works
The solution is powerful because it starts with a focused, high-pain-point area: the Ecole building. The simplicity of solving one building's problem first makes the project highly achievable. Once the model is proven here, it can easily be scaled to the SOM, SOL, and IT buildings, creating a unified, campus-wide network. For the administration, it provides invaluable data on how our specific academic spaces are being used.
Who Will Get Benefited
B.Tech Students: Immediately save time and eliminate the daily stress of finding a place to work within the Ecole building.
Faculty: Quickly locate an empty ECR for impromptu student meetings or discussions.
University Administration: Gain clear, data-driven insights on ECR/ELT utilization to optimize scheduling and resource planning within Ecole.
Call for Feedback
This idea aims to solve a problem we all face daily in Ecole. As we develop this concept, your feedback is crucial. My main question is: What do you see as the biggest technical or administrative challenge in integrating an app like this with the university's existing scheduling systems for the Ecole building?
Comments
The idea clearly addresses a real student need—saving time and reducing stress while searching for available classrooms. However, the biggest challenge may be syncing the app with the university’s current scheduling system, which is largely offline and informal. Many room bookings happen through WhatsApp or last-minute faculty decisions, making real-time accuracy difficult.
Student behavior also adds complexity. Rooms are often “claimed” unofficially with bags or group study sessions, even when not booked. This could lead to mismatches between app data and actual availability. A confidence-level indicator or peer reporting feature might help bridge that gap.
Other Considerations:
- Notification Fatigue:
If the app sends frequent alerts like “Room ECR-5 is now free,” students may quickly mute notifications or uninstall the app. To avoid this, Availo could implement smart filtering—only sending alerts based on personalized criteria such as preferred floor, room type, or duration of availability. This would make notifications more relevant and less intrusive.
- Maintenance & Reliability:
The app’s long-term success depends on consistent updates. If room names change, timetables shift mid-semester, or new spaces are added, someone needs to keep the system current. Without a dedicated team—either a student tech group or an assigned admin—the app risks becoming outdated and losing student trust. A clear maintenance protocol should be part of the rollout plan.
- Privacy & Data Sensitivity:
If Availo includes features like check-ins, movement tracking, or usage analytics, it must handle student privacy with care. Many users may be uncomfortable with location-based tracking unless it’s anonymous or opt-in. Transparent data policies and minimal data collection will be key to building trust and ensuring compliance with university guidelines.
Overall, Availo has strong potential to improve space usage and student productivity. The key will be balancing tech precision with the unpredictable nature of campus life.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
of 4 Next