FHerlei

Bachelor study project: a tool that scans barcodes and NFC tags to make equipment lending at the Media Technology Service Centre (MTSC) of FH St. Pölten more efficient. Devices should be captured at the counter by a scan rather than searched in a list — faster, fewer errors, less friction for students.

Constraints

Limited experience with modern frameworks on the team, clearly defined hardware requirements, an active lending operation that would use the tool for real. Pragmatism over modernity was the right call.

Stack

• PHP for backend logic.
• Standard JavaScript on the frontend.
• MySQL as the database.
• Integration of NFC and barcode scanners through the relevant browser/device APIs.

Outcome

The project won the FH St. Pölten project showcase that semester. It wouldn’t run today in that exact form — the libraries and browser APIs have moved on. What remains is what we learned.

Takeaways

Hardware integration is different from pure web development — drivers, latency, and permissions surface in places you don’t expect. Proven technologies can ship faster than hyped ones when the team already speaks them. And: a strong presentation isn’t a sticker on top of strong work, it’s its own craft.