PYPTUG Meeting - August 25th (Basic data types, security, UAV)

PYthon Piedmont Triad User Group meeting

Come join PYPTUG at out next monthly meeting (August 25th 2015) to learn more about the Python programming language, modules and tools. Python is the perfect language to learn if you've never programmed before, and at the other end, it is also the perfect tool that no expert would do without. Monthly meetings are in addition to our project nights.

What

Meeting will start at 5:30pm.

We will open on an Intro to PYPTUG and on how to get started with Python, PYPTUG activities and members projects, then on to News from the community.

Then on to the main talk.

Main Talk: Python Basic Data Types

Bio:

David Handy is a software developer with over 15 years Python experience. He works in Inmar's Digital Promotions Network, developing web services and platform APIs. Previous experience includes supercomputers, enterprise web applications, telecom systems, and VLSI design. He has taught several programming seminars for beginners and wrote an introductory programming guide titled "Computer Programming is Fun!". He is a homeschooling dad and volunteer science instructor. In his spare time he tries to get some sleep.

Abstract:

A tour of Python's built-in data types, plus explanation of mutable vs. immutable data types, mapping vs. sequences, and more. Also basic program structure: modules and packages, and where to put your code. Suited for beginning and intermediate Python programmers.

Lightning talks! 

We will have some time for extemporaneous "lightning talks" of 5-10 minute duration. If you'd like to do one, some suggestions of talks were provided here, if you are looking for inspiration. Or talk about a project you are working on.

We might have a security lightning talk or something, cant really get into details.

When

Tuesday, August 25th 2015
Meeting starts at 5:30PM

Where

Wake Forest University,

close to Polo Rd and University Parkway:

Manchester Hall
room: Manchester 241 

Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109

 Map this

See also this campus map (PDF) and also the Parking Map (PDF) (Manchester hall is #20A on the parking map)

And speaking of parking:  Parking after 5pm is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The official parking policy is:

"Visitors can park in any general parking lot on campus. Visitors should avoid reserved spaces, faculty/staff lots, fire lanes or other restricted area on campus. Frequent visitors should contact Parking and Transportation to register for a parking permit."

Mailing List

Don't forget to sign up to our user group mailing list:

https://groups.google.com/d/forum/pyptug?hl=en

It is the only step required to become a PYPTUG member.

Meetup Group

In order to get a feel for how much food we'll need, we ask that you register your attendance to this meeting on meetup:

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG/events/224289814/

UAV Project

We will conclude this meeting with some work on the quadcopter UAV Project and the basic airframe will be reviewed. Paper instructions are ok, but it's easier to understand how to build this, in person (in case anybody is interested in starting their own UAV build).

Drones at Winston Salem Project Night August 19

Flight

Some months ago, we gave PYPTUG members the choice: Flight or Invisibility. Which superpower would you choose?

Well, it was really more of a choice between a high altitude balloon flight in near space and a stealth drone. Of course the HAB won, and the rest is history as they say as #NSC01 became the first HAB flight to include a computing cluster of Raspberry Pi. (Imagine a beowulf cluster of... nevermind)

We will continue to provide assistance to students and schools in the area interested in launching experiments into near space, and we will be discussing this at this meeting. Stay tuned for more details.

Invisibility

So, we've already been discussing some details of the type of things we want to do with drones, and stealth (invisibility) is not at the top, actually.

We are starting our official DRONE project on the 19th. Collision avoidance is one aspect that is gaining a lot of momentum with the group, but there is more to it. We invite anyone interested in T copters, quadcopters, drones, UAVs, logistics, regulations, machine learning, computer vision, GIS etc. And If you have hardware you think might be useful, do bring it.

As always, plenty of projects to work on, mentoring available and interesting conversations. 

When

This meeting will be on Wednesday, August 19 at 6pm in the Dash room at Inmar:

Where

Inmar

635 Vine St,
Room 1130H "Dash"
Winston-Salem, NC

RSVP

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG/events/222899737/