Previous Projects

Example projects from previous Junior Research Associates Schemes:

2023

Impact of Pandemics of Crtitical Infrastructure Resilience

Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is causing staff shortages throughout the industry. Critical infrastructure such as energy, water and telecommunications depends on various staff levels, from higher level management to field operators. Companies have continuity plans, but there is a need to perform detailed modelling of the company’s organisational structure and the role of different staff, in order to understand the potential impacts. More importantly, this understanding will allow preventative and mitigating actions to be planned. This project is about building a model of an energy company’s organisational structure. This will involve gathering of information on different staff levels / roles and business continuity plans, then building a simple model using the concept of agent-based modelling (Artificial Intelligence). More than one type of company can be modelled (e.g. Distribution Network Operator, Transmission System Operator, Energy Supplier, etc).

Reliability and Resilience of Water Networks

Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

Electricity networks have clear reliability assessment methodologies, which are typically focused on the frequency and duration of interruptions to power supply, or energy not supplied. The water industry does not seem to take the same approach, which may or may not be helpful. The aim of this project is to establish a systematic way to transfer the reliability and resilience metrics and methodologies that are currently in use in the power industry (e.g. Customer Interruptions -CI-, Expected Energy Not Supplied -EENS-) to the reliability and resilience of water supply. See example literature: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.06.022.

Interdependencies between Energy and Water Networks

Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

An Affordable Test Bench to Evaluate the Collaborative Fleets of Robots and Cars

Supervisor: Dr Arash Moradinegade Dizqah

This proposal is part of a longer-term programme to develop and commercialise a hardware-in-the-loop simulator for testing the collaborative behaviour of a fleet of autonomous robots or cars. This will help to speed up the development process by providing a controlled but still hardware-in-the-loop testing environment before moving to the fully practical tests. An initial proof of concept has already been developed and this project will help to extend this development for a demonstratable implementation. This will include the development of a SolidWorks models of a sample ROS (Robot Operating System)-based robot and use the model in Gazebo to simulate multiple number of the same robot which can communicate. The candidate will engage with development of software in C/C++ and Python for a well-known platform in the robotics and autonomous vehicles context.

Relevant web links: www.ros.org; www.gazebosim.org; www.sveclab.com

Multi Sensor Fusion for Robot Outdoor Navigation

Supervisor: Dr Arash Moradinegade Dizqah

This proposal is part of a longer-term programme to develop and commercialise a hardware-in-the-loop simulator for testing the collaborative behaviour of a fleet of autonomous robots or cars. This project will add the capability of simulating the off-road vehicles by integrating a third-party simulator into our integrated hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform of connected and autonomous robots/vehicles. This will help to speed up the development of collaborative algorithms for a fleet of robots by providing a controlled but still hardware-in-the-loop testing environment before moving to the fully practical tests. The candidate will generate a model of one of our available off-road robots in Chrono simulator which is then will be integrated into our Gazebo and ROS (Robot Operating System) based simulator.

Relevant web links: https://projectchrono.org/; www.ros.org; www.gazebosim.org; www.sveclab.com

Intelligent 6G with AI and Metasurfaces

Supervisor: Dr Aryan Kaushik

6G technology is fundamental in creating intelligent, cost-effective, high speed and low latency oriented mobile systems and networks. One such example is using reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for 6G where high capacity and coverage are envisioned while benefitting further from energy efficient architectures. Deep learning techniques are also significant in creating an intelligent ecosystem of wireless technology. The student will survey the ongoing research in machine learning and AI solutions for 6G wireless connectivity, build knowledge further on the system operation and optimization. The student should have basic programming skills such as in Matlab, machine learning approaches and computing software. The JRA may be provided with industry interaction and potential visit for project discussions.

Green Integrated Sensing and Communications

Supervisor: Dr Aryan Kaushik

The increased demand for connected systems has led to congestion of the radio frequency spectrum with a dense network of antennas. Potentially 6G systems can intertwine the communication systems with wide availability of radar spectrum. Joint radar-communication (JRC) systems perform simultaneous target detection and user communication by sharing the hardware and spectral resources. The student will be aiming to learn interdisciplinary research fundamentals of radar and communication systems specially for energy and hardware efficient designs, survey ongoing research, and get familiar with basic algorithmic design and software programming. The JRA may be provided with industry interaction during the course of this project.

An EEL-inspired Underwater Robot

Supervisor: Dr Hareesh Godaba

Eels are agile underwater creatures that can move omnidirectionally in water. This project deals with developing a soft underwater robot inspired by the locomotion of eels. The project will explore the design, multi-material fabrication, and actuation of soft structures to achieve efficient swimming by exploiting the natural dynamics of the structure. Practical aspects of the project involve mechanism and structure design, 3d printing, soft material fabrication, actuator integration, and experimental. Students with a keen interest in hands-on experiments (no restriction on course enrolled) and strong motivation to realize a preliminary working prototype within the duration of the project should apply.

CAD Modelling of a Two-Phase Expansion Test Rig

Supervisor: Dr Martin T White

Two-phase expansion has been proposed to improve the performance of power cycles suitable for power generation from waste heat. During two-phase expansion, a mixture of liquid and vapour is admitted to the turbine and the liquid is vapourised during the expansion process. A test rig to explore this concept is currently being designed within the TFMRC. The Junior Research Associate will have the opportunity to support the design of this test rig. Specific tasks will include the construction of a 3D CAD model of the test rig, alongside preparing a bill of materials and conducting some mechanical design activities.

Related publications: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.116852

2022

Green6G-CCC: Combining Climate Change with Green 6G Technology

Project Supervisor: Dr Aryan Kaushik

Climate change is a huge concern for researchers around the world with the COP26 bringing it into further limelight. The sixth generation (6G) systems can contribute to combating the climate conditions by designing energy efficient transceivers leading to green technology. The JRA will research new sustainable methods which advance the strategic growth of powerand cost efficient digital communication systems. This multidisciplinary project will familiarize the JRA with industry based needs of net-zero ecosystem,and potentially developing basic algorithmic results. This project would suit students with keen interest in wireless communications focused green technology.

JRCfor6G: Joint Radar Sensing anf Communication Systems Design

Project Supervisor: Dr Aryan Kaushik

The increased demand for connected systems has led to congestion of the radio frequency spectrum. Potentially the sixth generation (6G) systems can intertwine the communication systems with wide availability of radar spectrum. Joint radar-communication (JRC) systems perform simultaneous target detection and user communication by sharing the hardware and spectral resources. The JRA will have a chance to learn interdisciplinary research fundamentals of radar and communication systems,survey ongoing research, and get familiar with basic algorithmic design and software programming. This project would suit students with keen interest in radar systems and communications technology.

MIMOforBeyond5G: Multi-Antenna Communcation Systems Design

Project Supervisor: Dr Aryan Kaushik

The modern digital age of beyond fifth generation (B5G) communication systems demands technology enhancements which are cost-efficient, with less complex hardware and high speed. The large bandwidth channels in latest communication standards can further benefit from multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna arrays for high data rates. The JRA will familiarize themselves with the basic principles of such systems, advanced technologies for B5G wireless communications,and have a willingness to get familiar with basic algorithmic design and software programming.This project would suit students with keen interest in mobile communications and antenna propagation.

Design a Robotic Platform for Farming Applications

Project Supervisor: Dr Bao Kha Nguyen

The overall goal of this project is to develop an autonomous robotic system for agricultural applications. This project focuses on the design and build a robotic platform and outdoor navigation system. The mobile robotic platform will be equipped with integrated sensor for navigation including IMU, GPS, Ultrasound, LiDAR and camera. Methods to power the robot platform to allow the robot to operate in a wide variety of farm conditions will also be investigated in this project. Mechanical/electronic design and programming skills will be developed in this project.

Multi Sensor Fusion for Robot Outdoor Navigation

Project Supervisor: Dr Bao Kha Nguyen

The overall goal of this project is to develop an autonomous robotic system for agricultural applications. This project focuses on the development of a multi sensor fusion algorithm for robot outdoor navigation from different sensors including IMU, GPS, Ultrasound, LiDAR and camera. This algorithm will estimate robot’s location, build a local map, distinguish obstacles and other obstructions including moving objects and perform a traversability analysis for path planning in farming applications. Electronic/control design and programming skills will be developed in this project.

Adaptation of Critical Infrastructure Networks to Climate Change

Project Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

Electricity, gas and water networks are separate infrastructure systems, but they depend on each other for stable operation. Water networks have pumps that require electricity to run, many electricity generators burn gas to generate electricity and require water for cooling. Hence, they may be operated separately, but there are strong interdependencies. The resilience and reliability of energy and water supply relies on these interdependencies. Climate change increases the likelihood of high-impact-low-probability events such as a 100-year flood or “the Beast from the East” in 2018, thus reducing resilience. Electricity supply disruption can cascade to water supply disruption, or water supply disruption could ensue directly. The aim of this project is to perform an assessment of climate change expectations, which might bring insight for the future of supply resilience and potential measures that can be taken to avoid disruption.

Reliability and Resillience of Energy and Water Networks

Project Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

Electricity, gas and water networks are separate infrastructure systems, but they depend on each other for stable operation. Water networks have pumps that require electricity to run, many electricity generators burn gas to generate electricity and require water for cooling. Hence, they may be operated separately, but there are strong interdependencies. The resilience and reliability of energy and water supply relies on these interdependencies. The aim of this project is to establish a systematic way to link the reliability and resilience metrics that are currently in use in the power industry (e.g. Customer Interruptions -CI-, Expected Energy Not Supplied -EENS-) with the reliability and resilience of water supply. See example literature: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.06.022.

Impact of Energy Supply Issues of Water Treatment Sites on Water Quality

Project Supervisor: Dr Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos

Water treatment sites and networks have pumps that require electricity to run, as well as other ancillary systems that require manual re-start in the event of a blackout. Issues with energy supply can have an impact on a large number of operations in the water supply infrastructure. The flow of water is complex and can be affected significantly by such disruption. The aim of this project is to estimate (through modelling) the consequences of reduced resilience and high impact events on water quality and other adverse effects, such as wastewater spillage. An early warning system can be proposed, to mitigate such impacts.

Feedback Control Framework for Language Generation and Dialogue

Project Supervisor: Dr Fan Zhang

Natural Language Processing (NLP) consists of two sub-components, i.e. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Natural Language Generation (NLG). An NLP system is capable of understanding human language and able to present information to humans that is easy to comprehend. In this project, an NLG model will be trained using a training data set, then tested using a validation data set.

Different conversational language generation models [1,2] can be found in the literature. However, the output of the model is strongly influenced by the data used for the training, and this limits generalisability and flexibility of the model. More sophisticated control architectures are necessary to build language generation models that deal with conversation, and can meet the challenge of real-time, flexible language generation [3].

The JRA will investigate the possibility of constructing a feedback control framework to be integrated with existing models to further enhance the flexibility and accuracy of NLG. The project will require creative thinking and some programming experience. Knowledge with control theory would be advantageous.

[1] Chang, F., 2002. Symbolically speaking: A connectionist model of sentence production. Cognitive science, 26(5), pp.609-651.

[2] Zhang, Y., Sun, S., Galley, M., Chen, Y.C., Brockett, C., Gao, X., Gao, J., Liu, J. and Dolan, B., 2019. Dialogpt: Large-scale generative pre-training for conversational response generation. arXivpreprint arXiv:1911.00536.

[3] Chiara Gambi and Fan Zhang. Engineering conversation: Understanding the control requirements of language generation in dialogue. PsyArXiv, 2021.

2016

Touch Sensitivity of Flexible Field-effect Transistors

Project supervisor: Niko Munzenrieder

Field-effect transistors are very important electronic devices, which are in general protected by a robust housing. Recently researchers started developing wearable electronics, such as rollable displays on flexible substrates; in this case the transistors cannot be encapsulated by a bulky protection layer, and can therefore get in contact things like human skin. Physical contact can e.g. cause cracks or deposit charges. In this project, the consequences of touching a flexible transistors with different objects, or the human body will be investigated, by using high-end characterization equipment. This can lead to more robust devices, but also to flexible transistor-based touch sensors.

The WOW Experience: An EEG investigation of Awesome Engineering

Project Supervisor: Marianna Obrist

The world surrounding us is filled with moments able to take our breath away, leaving us in a state of awe. This project aims to, for the first time, investigate the feeling of wonder (awe) in relation with human artefacts. This involves using Electroencephalography (EEG) to identify characteristic patterns in brain activity during the presentation of awesome stimuli. The findings will help to theorize the importance of understanding causality and the fulfilling of expectation that might play an important role in such cognitive phenomenon. The project would particularly suit students who have some basic understanding in running user studies, and signal processing (to analyse EEG data). See details about the SCHI Lab research and team you would work with: http://multi-sensory.info/

Multisensory Emotions: What Emotions Technology can mediate

Project Supervisor: Marianna Obrist

The aim of this project is to help in understanding the relationship between different sensory modalities in their ability to communicate and express emotions. Every day’s life is full of examples highlighting these connections. Sound, touch, smell, taste, and vision all play a role in our emotional experiences. So far, this connection between senses and emotions has never been explored from a computational perspective. In this project we approach the problem in the Bayesian framework. Results may support us in designing new user interfaces for different contexts and purposes. The project would particularly suit students who have some basic understanding in running user studies, and are interested in HCI and interaction design. See details about the SCHI Lab research and team you would work with: http://multi-sensory.info/

Automotive Electronic System Design for Intelligent and Connected Vehicles

Project Supervisor: Zhengguo Sheng

Connected vehicles are very important for the future network infrastructure in vehicular environments to integrate every “object” (e.g., in-vehicles’ sensors, passengers’ smart phones, infrastructures) and form an intelligent ITS. In this project, young researchers will have the opportunity to develop innovative automotive embedded systems to drive motors, steering servo and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors and design such an intelligent and fully connected vehicles to enable self-driving. The benefits of the technology will be to improve safety and efficiency of the road networks as well as provide more enjoyable journeys. This project is sponsored by the NXP University Program to design and develop a wireless controlled model racing car to recognize traffic lines using line scanner sensors. Programming skills, such as C/C++, will be needed for embedded system design.

School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)

Previous Projects

2023

2022

School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)