A Multidisciplinary Project-Based Approach to Engineering Education: Design and Development of a Portable Music Player

This paper presents a multidisciplinary educational project designed for undergraduate students in Computer Systems and Technologies, University of Ruse, focusing on the development of a portable and stationary music player. The project integrates various technical domains, including embedded systems, 3D modeling, electrical engineering, and software development, to provide a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience. Students apply theoretical knowledge to practical tasks such as selecting appropriate hardware components, designing a 3D-printed casing, implementing power management with dual power sources, and programming a responsive user interface. The device is built around a Raspberry Pi 3B and incorporates a capacitive touchscreen and an AptX Lossless Bluetooth dongle to support high-fidelity wireless audio streaming. Python was chosen as the primary programming language due to compatibility limitations with. NET on ARM-based systems. The paper outlines the project's architecture, workflow, and algorithmic operation, along with the challenges encountered in hardware-software integration, power management, and system design. Through this project, students enhance their skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and real-world engineering practices, while gaining valuable experience in balancing technical constraints with user-centric design. The resulting system serves not only as a functional audio player but also as a robust platform for continued experimentation and learning in embedded and multimedia systems.