U R O P Projects 2009
| APPLICATION RESTRICTIONS |
|---|
| A number of UROP projects are restricted to EU students or those that meet EPSRC residency criteria.
( See LINK for criteria ) Additionally each project is marked clearly that the restrictions apply. |
Technology Intelligence Networks, the contribution of Intermediaries
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Letizia Mortara, Dept. of Engineering
Project Description:
We are looking for an enthusiastic person to join the development of the results of the project outlined below. The candidate will be asked to help in: - capturing data for the project (mainly from secondary sources (e.g. papers, websites) or by conducting telephone or in person interviews) - analysing and classifying data
Requirements: Excellent communication skills Good writing skills Computer literacy (basic Microsoft Office programmes are mandatory, any additional IT skill is welcome) Enthusiastic, self motivated, independent
Project background: Technology Intelligence Networks, the contribution of Intermediaries
Numerous studies have highlighted how important it is to spot new technologies that can provide opportunities for business and how missing them can have serious consequences. Capturing information about the latest technological developments is commonly called ‘Technology Intelligence’ (TI). Our recent research (Mortara et al., 2008a) in this field has shown that people play a central role in TI systems. They establish external social networks in search of interesting updates and opportunities. Through intermediaries a company can exponentially grow its contact base and receive interesting information about connections while deploying limited resources. Companies can be inundated with options. Many service providers (e.g. regional, national, international agencies, technical associations, consultancies, etc.) are available, proposing themselves as the intermediary of choice. It can be difficult to decide with whom to collaborate.
However, often it is not just a matter of finding the right organisation, but also of finding the right person within the organisation to act as an intermediary. In addition, many service operators are uncertain how best to arrange their activities in order to support companies and how to find suitable and sustainable models for business.
Proposed aims and objectives:
The proposed project aims to understand how companies can organise their social networks and the role of third parties in helping them to increase their TI efficiency. This project builds on the past understanding of TI and Open Innovation to develop tools and guidance to support intelligence operatives to select and contact the appropriate set of external informants.
Insertion Date: 18/06/2009
Supervisors: Dr A J Kabla and Professor J A Williams
Project Description:
Soft lithography is the process of using the techniques of micro-fabrication to produce a mould or die into which a soft material, such as a silicon rubber, can be cast or formed to form surfaces with controlled shape and micron sized features. In principle it is a comparatively inexpensive and simple way of producing micro-mechanical and micro-fluidic devices. The aim of the project is to set up such a facility and investigate the feasibility of its use for some specific applications.
2nd or 3rd year student with interest in microfabrication, and/or materials science.
Up to 10-week project from mid-June 2009
4th year project potential: Yes
International Industrial Research and Policymaking
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof MJ Gregory, Dept. of Engineering
Project Description:
The aim of this project is to review government policies for the support of industry in key countries focussing particularly on the support for industry relevant research.
Countries provide a wide range of support to their industries ranging from transport infrastructure and communications to direct subsidies for particular types of activity. There are widely differing views on what types of support are effective and/or appropriate. The renewed interest in manufacturing in industrialised as well as emerging countries is raising questions about what types of research are most appropriate for public funding. In the case of manufacturing related industries there is growing realisation that a broad 'industrial systems' approach may have some advantages over the selection of very specific technologies in some circumstances.
This project will involve working closely with a small team to map and analyse international patterns of industrial policy and research support. This is particularly important at a time when UK policies are under review and there are opportunities to assist policymakers with well grounded information and analysis.
The outputs will include guidance to government and recommendations for the structure and delivery of high quality research in support of manufacturing related industries building on industrial systems frameworks.
Insertion Date: 01/06/2009
Project Description:
The aim of this project is to develop practical tools to enable companies and countries to identify high value production elements of the operations, strategies and policies
There is a continuing debate in industry and government about the role of production. Some argue that the UK cannot compete in production and should focus on other parts of the value chain. Others argue that production capability is vital to capturing value from activities in other parts of the value chain. In practice the answers depend on many factors including sector, technology and the 'connectedness' between different value chain activities.
The project will involve detailed examination of how value is captured and created in a small but representative cross section of manufacturing companies. It will also require an understanding of how these companies strategies might enhance the value generated and captured from the production part of their operations.
The outputs will be frameworks to inform companies on how best to identify value through production and guide government on how best to support production capability where this has a national significance.
Insertion Date: 01/06/2009
Green Manufacturing/Industrial Sustainability
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof MJ Gregory, Dept. of Engineering
Project Description:
The aim of this project is to develop practical frameworks for industry and government to help in the development of practical strategies and policies for 'green' or 'sustainable' manufacturing industries
The importance of sustainable industrial systems is now widely recognised and governments round the world are seeking to use public investments during the current down turn to invest in approaches and technologies which well underpin 'Industrial Sustainability' in the future. Despite the evident importance however and the large volume of specific data on aspects of energy and waste control there have been few successful attempts to integrate current knowledge into well grounded comprehensive approaches to industrial strategies or industrial policies.
The project will involve reviewing through desk research and interview current strategies and policies in key industrial sectors and in key industrial countries to provide a 'mapping' and web-based 'hub' for relevant information.
It will then require an industrial and government 'needs analysis' to establish the requirements of both constitutencies for tools, frameworks and data.
The outputs will be practical guidelines demonstrated through application in a major company and a government department.
Insertion Date: 01/06/2009
Setting up a spoken dialogue system for Cambridge city tourism
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof Steve Young, Dept. of Engineering
Project Description:
State-of-the-art statistical spoken dialogue system infrastructure has
been built in the Machine Intelligence Lab to enable human-machine
communication using natural speech. One student will be recruited to
help construct a system to provide Cambridge tourist information given
the infrastructure. The main responsibility is to expand the content of
Cambridge tourism information and configure the system accordingly. This
will include: setting up an automated process to extract Cambridge
tourist information from website, generating/labelling data for
statistical language modelling/semantic parser training, configuring the
system database and checking consistency of the entries and finally,
extensively testing the whole working system. On completion, the student
will have an idea of how a state-of-the-art statistical dialogue system
works and will be able to set up a real system given the software
infrastructure. Successful student should have experience of collecting
data from the web and should be familiar with Linux, perl/bash scripts
and regular expressions.
A full CV is required along with a brief description of the candidate's experience of using Linux, writing perl/bash scripts and web-related programming. Reference letter is preferred but not required.
Insertion Date: 27/05/2009
Mapping enterprise activities at Cambridge University
Contact:Lead Supervisor, and host Department:
Dr Tim Minshall, Dept. of Engineering
Project Description:There are now numerous activities across the University of Cambridge to support students and staff members in commercialising their inventions and discoveries. The aim of this project will be to map the provision of these activities and to capture data on the outputs (e.g., how many start-up companies have been formed, how are they performing) and areas of need (e.g., what support is not provided, what do we need to improve. The project will require the student to combine skills in data capture (via interviews, websites, existing reports, etc), data summary and presentation, and project planning.
Any restrictions for your project: None
Timing issues: To be discussed with the applicant
Does this UROP offer an opportunity to continue/develop into a 4th year project? Not sure.
Information on the following websites may be helpful: http://www.enterprisenetwork.group.cam.ac.uk and http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/people/thwm100/
N.B.: This project is not suitable for those students who wish to meet CUED Industrial Experience requirements.
Insertion Date: 27/05/2009
Biomechanics of small vessels
Contact:Lead Supervisors:
Dr Michelle Oyen (Engineering) and Dr Dino Giussani
(Physiology)
Project Description:
The discovery that cortisol has a maturational role in the late
gestation fetus has lead to the routine use of perinatal
glucocorticoid therapy in human obstetric and neonatal practice to
treat infants at risk of prematurity. Randomized clinical trials show
that synthetic glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, reduce not only
neonatal mortality but also the incidence of respiratory distress
syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage and chronic lung disease. As a
result, any pregnancy threatened with preterm labour and/or infants
born preterm are routinely treated with synthetic glucocorticoids, a
clinical practice endorsed by the RCOG and the NIH.
Despite the well-established beneficial effects of postnatal glucocorticoid therapy on maturation, there has been serious concern regarding their clinical use because of unwanted side-effects. Growing evidence shows that treatment with dexamethasone reduces somatic growth and weight gain in premature human infants. Dexamethasone also induces hypertension and alterations in the developing cardiovascular system. Recent evidence from our laboratory suggests that administration of clinically relevant dosing regimens of dexamethasone to experimental animals not only adversely affect the vascular reactivity, but also the mechanical properties of peripheral circulations. Such changes may underlie the mechanisms mediating the adverse effects of synthetic steroids on the developing cardiovascular system.
There are well-established and quantifiable changes in the mechanical properties of cardiovascular tissues in disease states such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. However, the vast majority of investigations into vessel mechanics have considered large vessels. As instrumentation has improved, it has increasingly become possible to make measurements of biomechanical response at fine scales, even sub micrometer. This is particularly advantageous in the context of examination of vessels from small animal models of disease, which are particularly common in perinatal research. To date, however, there are only limited reports in the literature of any biomechanical testing of small vessels. The Cambridge University Engineering Department has a suite of biomechanical tools and instruments for small-scale mechanical testing, but the methods have not yet been developed in the context of small vessels.
The objective of this project is thus two-fold: 1) to develop a general capability for micromechanical (and perhaps nanomechanical) testing of small rodent arteries; and 2) to apply this expertise to address the effects of synthetic steroids used in clinical practice on the mechanical properties of the developing vasculature.
In conjunction with the experimental work, engineering computational methods will be explored for generating microstructural models of the tissues tested, with variables that can be correlated with tissue architecture (i.e. collagen content, collagen cross-linking).
2009 Summer research plan timeline Weeks 1-3: Training for student on tensile micromechanical testing techniques; familiarization with wire myography; introduction to data analysis and computation Weeks 4-10: Mechanical testing consistent with animal availability; data analysis and computational modeling work at other times. Introduction of nanomechanical test methods if justified by the project’s results to date.
The funding for this project is pending.
Insertion Date: 27/05/2009
Quantum Mechanical Simulation of Materials
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr Gabor Csanyi, Department of Engineering
Prerequisite: ability to program in C or Fortran
Development: project can develop into a 4th year project if required
Project Description:
Research in our group is concerned with simulating atomic scale processes in both hard and soft materials. This can be done by solving the equations of quantum mechanics or by using simple empirical models. The fundamental problem is that the first option is very slow and the second is very inaccurate. There is a range of projects all addressing this issue in different ways: by combing the models in a smart way, or by trying to break the above deadlock and make simple models more accurate. Currently investigated applications include brittle fracture of ceramics, plasticity in metals, protein adhesion to surfaces, structural transformation in small clusters of atoms, etc.
The UROP/EPSRC summer project student would learn a simulation technique, have the opportunity to extend its capabilities and apply it to a system. In doing this, the student would learn to work with both in-house developed scientific code and with commercial simulation software and use a medium-sized cluster of servers as well as the facilities of the High Performance Computing Service of the University. Last summer's project along these lines is well on its way to becoming a journal publication.
For more details, please email the Lead Supervisor (with CV attached)
Insertion Date: 27/05/2009
Combustors for gas turbines with gaseous fuels
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr E Mastorakos, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
The development of burners for gas turbines is hindered by the lack of knowledge on flame shape, position, and emissions released as a function of flow rates and geometrical design of the burner. In the project, a systematic experimental investigation of flame behaviour in various laboratory-scale burner designs will be undertaken. During the investigations, images of the flame chemiluminescence will be taken with fast CMOS cameras, to relate the stability of the flame to various geometrical parameters. The project is ideally done by two people and will involve close co-operation with PhD students, post-doctoral associates, and industrial collaborators.
Insertion Date: 26/05/2009
Project Description:
A key driver in society today is the need for environmentally-friendly sources of energy. Current solar cells are usually based on crystalline silicon, which is expensive. One way of significantly reducing cost would be to produce solar cells on cheap, plastic substrates that can be easily fitted to a variety of surfaces.
This project will investigate the use of metal oxide semiconductors that can be deposited at low temperature onto plastic substrates by a novel reactive sputtering technique for solar cells. You will be working with a post-doctoral research associate over the summer to develop a p-type metal oxide material deposited by a novel sputtering technology. You will fabricate devices in the Electrical Engineering Clean Facility and develop a simple test rig to measure their open circuit voltage, short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency.
Suitability:
This project would be suitable for an undergraduate with an interest in electronic engineering.
Insertion Date: 22/05/2009
iGEM2009 competition in Synthetic Biology
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr Jim Haseloff, Department of Plant Sciences
Project Description:
This is an interdisciplinary research project involving faculty and students from across the Schools of Biological Science, Technology and Physcial Science, and will form the University of Cambridge's entry in an international competition to design and construct a novel biological machine.
Cambridge entry in the iGEM2009 Synthetic Biology competition. We are recruiting a team for the challenge of conceiving and designing a simple biological system using standard, interchangeable parts and operating it in living cells. Spend the summer weeks designing the system and synthesising and testing the parts, and attend an end-of-competition jamboree at MIT in Boston with other international teams. This year, the competition is running with teams from a 106 universities worldwide including Cambridge. In the past, teams have engineered systems with functions that ranged from biological sensors, artificial navigation, multicellular patterning to implementation of a bacterial photographic film. This is an opportunity for biology students to learn about practical engineering approaches to the design and modelling of non-linear systems; and for engineering students to gain hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques and biological systems at the frontier of this exciting research area. The project will run through the summer and culminate in an international symposium at MIT in November. The project will be based in a laboratory in the University, with access to a budget, and advanced research equipment.
The project will be co-supervised by:
Jim Ajioka (jwa@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk) Department of Pathology
Jim Haseloff (jh295@cam.ac.uk) Department of Plant Sciences
Gos Micklem (g.micklem@damtp.cam.ac.uk) Cambridge Computational Biology Institute & Department of Genetics
Alexandre Kabla (ajk61@cam.ac.uk) Department of Engineering
Jorge Goncalves (jmg77@cam.ac.uk) Department of Engineering
More information about this year's and previous competitions can be found at:
http://www.igem.org (main page for the iGEM competition)
http://www.synbio.org.uk (collected information about Synthetic Biology - wetware, hardware and software tools)
http://www.synbio.org.uk/cambridge/igem-prog.html (a list of web sites and wikis for previous Cambridge iGEM teams)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haseloff/collections/ (collected photographs from earlier competitions)
Insertion Date: 21/05/2009
Turbine Blade Fillet Modelling for CFD Simulations
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Liping Xu, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Date: ideally later June - mid September
Maximum number of positions: 2
Payment: Standard UROP Rate
4th Year Project Potentials: Yes and Preferred
Industrial Connection: Siemens Power Generation AB
The Project: For manufactory and strength reasons a real turbomachinery blade will have a fillet with finite radius when it interfaces to the endwalls, for example where the rotor blades join the rotating disc or a stator blade joins either casing or the hub walls. As it is part of the mechanical design feature, it is usually not included in the aerodynamic design thus normall CFD simulation would take the fillets into account. However those fillets could have profound effects on the aerodynamics of teh blade as well as teh structual intergrities thus it is important to be able to include those into the CFD numerical simulations when assessing the aerodynamics. The task would involve to write a computer code in FORTRAN to model the fillets which interface the axial turbine blades and endwall surfaces and construct CFD computational mesh from the geometry model.
Insertion Date: 20/05/2009
Development of queueing model for simulating business processes
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr David Wynn Department of Engineering
Project Description:
This project will build upon a 2008 UROP project in which two students developed simulation codes for predicting the performance (eg. cost, duration) of business processes such as engineering product development.
This year’s project will further generalize one of these codes to analyse a broader range of systems. In particular it will focus on work queueing simulations. Such models are created from basic building blocks such as assembly stations, delays, buffers, and route switches. Using these building blocks it is possible to model and analyse systems such as manufacturing lines or knowledge-creation processes to understand how their structure and configuration affects their performance.
The 10-week project will involve: 1) familiarizing yourself with the functionality and operation of the existing algorithm; 2) conducting literature research to develop an extended specification, to be agreed with the supervisor; 3) enhancing the existing algorithm to meet the new requirements; and 4) testing and debugging the software.
• Any restrictions for your project:
Aptitude for software development (algorithms)
• Does this UROP offer an opportunity to continue/develop into a 4th year project? Yes
• Links to relevant supporting information on the web (or attach a Word document or pdf to be posted with a link from your project description)
http://www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/processmanagement/pm1/
Insertion Date: 19/05/2009
Project Description:
This 10-week UROP project builds upon a software platform developed in the department to model business processes such as engineering design and related systems. The project will contribute to extending our approach to incorporate business modeling notations which are widely used in industry.
The main activities in the project are as follows:
1) Conduct a thorough review of systems modeling notations and languages, as proposed in the academic literature and as reported in practical applications. Such notations include UML, SYSML, OPM, SADT, IDEF etc.
2) Work with a programmer to configure our software platform to implement a subset of the identified modeling notations.
3) Develop a specification for additional configuration options required in the software platform to implement the remaining notations.
The project is an opportunity to develop detailed knowledge of business modeling notations and methodologies, as well as to develop research skills.
• Does this UROP offer an opportunity to continue/develop into a 4th year project? No
Insertion Date: 19/05/2009
Jet noise modelling
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr Sergey Karabasov Department of Engineering
Co-Supervisors Dr Tom Hynes, Professor Ann Dowling
Project Description:
The noise of the propulsive jet is a major source of aircraft noise and its modelling remains one of the biggest challenges in the prediction of aircraft noise. Recently, a method for predicting jet noise has been developed in Cambridge University Engineering Department. The model is based on solving linearised Euler equations for sound propagation and analysing the results from a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the turbulent jet to determine a statistical description of the acoustic sources. Preliminary application of this approach has been so successful that we have been asked to analyse other jets and LES data.
Further information is available on CLICK HERE
This UROP project will involve collaboration with Dr. Christophe Bogey in the Centre Acoustique in Ecole Centrale de Lyon (ECL) CLICK HERE for more information. and will involve analysing his highly accurate LES solution of an isothermal axisymmetric jet. The outcome of the project is expected to lead to improved sound prediction and may initiate a further collaboration with ECL and open new research opportunities.
The project is most suitable for students who have completed three years of the Engineering Tripos.
The duration of the project will be 10 weeks and there is the possibility to extend it into a M. Eng final-year project in Year 4 of the CUED course.
Insertion Date: 06/04/2009
Undergraduate Research Projects in Aviation and the Environment
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr. Steven Barrett, CUED Room BE2-08
Project Details & Description:
Dates: Ideally 6 July - 11 September 2009 (10 weeks)
Number of positions: 3
Payment: Standard UROP rate
4th year project potential: Yes
Three opportunities exist for Cambridge undergraduate students to work on a highly multidisciplinary project examining the environmental impacts of aviation. This will involve close collaboration with researchers in air transport demand modelling in the Architecture Department (in particular, Dr Lynette Dray), where students may spend a significant portion of their time. Possible projects are:
• Environmental Impacts of Expansion of London Heathrow This will involve estimating the impact of extra capacity at Heathrow on air traffic demand and routing. This will then be translated to aircraft emissions and environmental impacts. A focus will be on environmental tradeoffs (air quality, climate and noise). For example, not expanding Heathrow may be better from a climate perspective and worse for air quality and public health due to increased delays at airports.
• Economic and Environmental Tradeoffs in Aircraft Operations This project aims to understand the environmental costs and benefits of various aircraft landing and takeoff operations. For example, airlines often perform cutback takeoffs to save on engine maintenance. However, this typically results in increased fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The objective of the project is to perform a system-wide assessment of the impacts of these operations.
To apply for this project please send a CV and covering letter to Steven Barrett. You are welcome to make informal enquiries also.
Insertion Date: 10/03/2009
M A A Open Collections Management System Administration Interface
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr. Robin Boast, Deputy Director and Curator for World Archaeology
Affiliated Research Scholar, History and Philosophy of Science,
MAA Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Project Description:
MAA Open Collections Management System Administration Interface. The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is on the verge of implementing a new Collections Management System (CMS), written in PHP, which is an innovative mix of traditional collections management and social computing. The new CMS is the first in the world which allows for multiple expert authors to edit and add information about objects. The system has been build wholly in-house, but there is yet no administrative interface. The project would be to work with the Museum to develop a necessary administrative interface to manage the multiple authors who will be using the system.
Insertion Date: 20/02/2009
Extending Museum Digital Objects
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Robin Boast, Deputy Director and Curator for World Archaeology
Affiliated Research Scholar, History and Philosophy of Science,
MAA Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Project Description:
The MAA is seeking to extend its collections information and associated digital objects beyond the museum. To this end, a candidate would work with Dr. Robin Boast to develop a working prototype API for users to subscribe directly, and under license, to a broad range of Museum digital assets. The goal is not only to enable access to museum information and digital assets, but to allow for their reuse, modification and extension. Users would range from mashup developers to other content management systems, especially local knowledge systems from indigenous communities. It is anticipated, though not decided, that the API would be based on RSS or ATOM.
Insertion Date: 27/02/2009
Decoupling Digital Objects from their Metadata
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Robin Boast, Deputy Director and Curator for World Archaeology
Affiliated Research Scholar, History and Philosophy of Science,
MAA Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Project Description:
The MAA is seeking to develop a data-model for digital objects which have multiple metadata identities (similar to Project Fedora). The goal of this project would be to develop a simple and open data model, perhaps with associated SOAP services, that would allow various digital objects (images, documents, web-pages, video, etc.) to have multiple metadata identities, especially as they move between different web settings. The means of achieving these goals are largely open, so the student would have an unusual opportunity to have a significant impact directly on the project.
Next Generation Web Technologies for Teaching and Learning
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Patrick Carmichael, CARET
Patrick Carmichael (CARET); Keith Johnstone (Plant Sciences)
Project Description:
The Ensemble Project, based at CARET, the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies, is looking for up to 4 UROP students to take part in a range of 6 - 10 week projects over the summer of 2009. Ensemble is a large research project which is exploring the potential of new 'Semantic Web' technologies to support teaching and learning in a number of different subject areas.
The successful UROP students will work alongside academic staff, four research associates and two PhD students as part of the project team. We are looking to bring together a strong group from across disciplines and with complementary expertise, so students from any course are welcome to apply: although we are particularly keen to recruit students from natural sciences (including biological or physical or material science), archaeology and anthropology, or engineering. Students with some expertise in developing web applications are particularly welcome - although training and support will be provided for those without the skillset required to use the project technologies.
Students with a background in Computer Science who are specifically interested in the semantic web, data visualisation or human-computer interaction are also welcome to apply to work alongside the project's computer scientists and information scientists on more technically oriented projects.
The project ran a very successful UROP programme in 2008 - in the course of which several web applications were developed, and the participating students have subsequently presented their work at seminars and conferences. The project website at http://www.ensemble.ac.uk has further details of the project as a whole - some of the projects that have been developed by UROP participants are at http://www.ensemble.ac.uk/demonstrators_and_projects/.
To apply for this project please send a short CV and covering letter to Patrick Carmichael by 30 April 2009. You are also welcome to make informal enquiries.
Insertion Date: 26/03/2009
Physical properties of metal-organic framework materials
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof Martin Dove, Earth Sciences
at least one project is subject to EPSRC requirements (please see above).
Project Description:
Metal-organic framework structures represent a new class of materials. These have many similarities to silicates, which have many important and diverse materials applications, in that they consist of rigid tetrahedral groups of atoms that are connected into an infinite three-dimensional framework. Where they differ is in the fact that the silicates have tetrahedra connected through shared corner atoms, but in the metal-organic frameworks the tetrahedra are connected via a molecule. This difference will have a significant affect on the inherent rigidity/flexibility of the network, which in turn will have an effect on the physical properties.
Our group has a lot of experience in understanding network rigidity and properties of silicates and related materials, and we are offering two projects that are aimed at applying this to the metal-organic frameworks. These projects are
1) Computer simulation of a series of metal-organic frameworks using empirical force-field models. The objectives will be a) to use the simulations to better understand the vibrational dynamics, and b) compute physical properties such as elasticity and thermal expansion to identify anomalous behaviour.
2) Systematic study of the rigidity of metal-organic framework networks, which will require further development of approaches we developed for studying rigidity in framework silicates.
Both projects will require computing experience. At least one of the projects will only be available to a student of EU nationality.
For more information, please contact Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 14/04/2009
Processing Stereo Videos for Video Conferencing
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Christian Richardt, Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
This project aims to develop video conferencing applications using a stereo webcam developed by a local Cambridge startup. A stereo webcam contains two separate cameras, just like our two eyes, which make it possible to estimate the depth of objects in a scene. This project will focus on implementing real-time depth computation algorithms on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), based on the Microsoft Research Stereo Vision SDK[1]. Subject to satisfactory progress, these techniques can be used for novel video conferencing applications, such as making people look like cartoon characters or adding an artificial depth of field look (blurring far objects more than near ones).
It is expected that most code will be written in CUDA[2], which is a C dialect with parallel extensions for running code on Nvidia GPUs. Good knowledge of C as well as a thorough understanding of concurrent and parallel programming is essential for this. Experience in C# is also desirable for GUI glue code, as is previous experience in CUDA or other GPGPU techniques. Also helpful, but not required, would be prior experience in Java and GUI programming as well as image processing and computer vision.
[1] http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/i2i/default.aspx/
[2]
Insertion Date: 16/04/2009
Project Description:
This project will build a prototype of MOOSE, a layer-2 extension to Ethernet, on the NetFPGA open networking platform.
MOOSE provides Ethernet-NAT giving Ethernet-layer scalability for large, Layer-2, Networks. The NetFPGA platform permits the construction of prototype
implementations that are able to operate at full line rate (1Gbps). To succeed at this project the candidate will require experience in a
hardware design language such as Verilog and good understanding of Digital Communications, particularly Ethernet network.
More information CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE
Insertion Date: 30/03/2009
Computational Ecology: Reliable modeling
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Andrew Rice, Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
Achieving an efficient and reliable implementation is one of the many challenges inherent in modeling natural systems. For this project we are looking for a student to work at the interface between modeling disease propagation in the Department of Plant Sciences and programming research in the Computer Laboratory. The project will be based mainly in the Computer Laboratory producing an implementation of a modeling or data management problem which the student will help identify. This project has broad scope and the student will have the opportunity to influence its direction. Supervisors: Dr Andrew Rice, Computer Laboratory and Professor Chris Gilligan, Department of Plant Sciences. More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~acr31/summer/ecology.html/
Insertion Date: 12/03/2009
Project Description:
The university has a large repository of electricity and gas readings dating back as far as 1996 from 1300 meters. A project is currently ongoing to centralise and automated the collection of this data so it can be made available to interested parties. See an associated talk on the subject: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~acr31/talks/rice-cambridgesens/index.html/ This project aims to construct tools for analysing this data. Initially this will take the form of software components (perhaps supported by a relational database) which can quickly and efficiently answer questions such as "what is the electricity consumption of the physics department?". This involves summing values from various meters (some of which will be an apportioned percentage rather than the entire consumption). Some meters are read at 30 minute intervals and some on a monthly interval - answers must combine these values correctly. Further work will then consider techniques for measuring or estimating the reliability and accuracy of the data by looking for anomalous readings or summarising different reading techniques. Will suit a student interested in database design, indexing techniques, algorithmic performance and scaling, inference and probability. Software development will be in Java and so prior programming experience is essential.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~acr31/summer/electricindex.html/
Insertion Date: 12/03/2009
Interactive Graphs
Contact:Lead Supervisor:Dr Andrew Rice, Computer Laboratory/Dr A Beresford, Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
Communicating information through websites is increasingly appealing. Sites such as Google Maps have demonstrated the true efficacy of browseable and interactive information. This project is to develop an interactive component for a website for visualising data. One of the students working on the ReadYourMeters summer project we ran last year developed a Flash component for displaying energy data. This project seeks to extend this work to support more general graphing and also live datastreams. An example might be the SCOOT traffic light data collected by the TIME project. This data includes estimated queue lengths for various junctions around Cambridge. We'd like to be able to quickly and easily put up a page which shows this data, updated in real-time as you watch. Desirable features: various data types, ability to interact with the data (zoom in, separate aggregated series) and live plotting. Research questions: How do you deal with large datasets? Is it possible to render at different levels of detail and collect more data from the server when the user zooms in or navigates the data? Software development will most likely be as a Flash component with any server-side logic written as Java Servlets. Prerequisite programming experience with Java is required and Flash is beneficial. Other skills such as Java Servlet and database development can be taught as required. Project supervisors: Dr Andrew Rice / Dr Alastair Beresford More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~acr31/summer/electricindex.html/
Insertion Date: 12/03/2009
Mobile phone development on Android
Contact:Lead Supervisor:Dr Andrew Rice, Computer Laboratory/Dr A Beresford, Computer Laboratory
Project description:
Mobile phone development on Android
A number of projects are possible.
Anonymous data delivery: Port an existing java client (such as Onion Coffee) for the Tor network to android. Tor is an overlay network for anonymous data transmission and we'd like to enable its use from a mobile phone. One particular application we have in mind is anonymous contribution of sensor data collected by users who wish to preserve their own location privacy Audio Networking: implement audio networking for the Android handset. Audio networking uses audible sounds for transmitting data. We have a number of applications in mind for this on the phone. Interested students should read this paper first: Anil Madhavapeddy, Richard Sharp, David Scott, Alastair Tse, Audio Networking: The Forgotten Wireless Technology. IEEE Pervasive Computing, Volume 4, Number 3, Pages 55-61, IEEE Computer Society, July 2005. Location Aware Applications: implement some location aware applications for the Android handset. Particular ideas include: smart lookup of public transport timetables based on your location; journey recording for carbon footprinting or highlighting alternative transport strategies. Another example might be automatic route planning on public transport, with which a user can receive directions on foot to a busstop and/or railway station etc. This project will probably involve writing some spatial indexing code for the handset. Please see this paper:Robert Harle, Spatial Indexing for Location-Aware Systems. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Networking & Services (MobiQuitous 2007), IEEE, August 2007
Peer-to-Peer Overlay Network: As the intelligence and power of mobile phone handsets continues to increase so will the demand for more flexible networking. The first scenario is peer-to-peer connections between phones, either for chat, gaming or other data exchange - if the phones are close by one would expect the use of bluetooth or a local area network. If they are far apart then direct connection over the 3G network is the only option. This project involves the construction of a Skype-style overlay network so that users can directly connect to each other where possible and connect through a super-node when not. Another application would be to permit push-data to the phone - an example might be putting new audio files on your handset by pushing them from your desktop machine.
Language learning: There are a large number of services for mobile phone users which rely on simple functionality such as SMS messages. Smartphones have sigificantly more capability and capacity than traditional handsets and we are interested in how we might exploit this to build a next generation services platform. We are seeking to understand more about what is desirable by implementing some example applications. This project is to produce an implementation of a language learning application which integrates with the phone and the network providing appropriate, customised content and feedback to the user and also collecting learning statistics for the provider. The project application will be derived in consultation with Professor Mike McCarthy. Professor McCarthy is one of Cambridge University Press' leading authors in language learning texts. This project will also be co-supervised by Dr Paula Buttery (RCEAL, English Department/Computer Laboratory). More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~acr31/summer/android.html/
Insertion Date: 12/03/2009
Project Description:
The OpenStreetMap project is a highly successful example of the power of using people as sensors - users of the site have collected GPS traces and annotated these with street names aiming to construct a free, open map of the world. This project aims to begin to develop the software infrastructure to allow people to enter the details about the insides of buildings. One interesting use of this data is to explain energy consumption: if I have a large number of buildings (for example, the University estate), how do I know which buildings have a reasonable energy consumption and which have a consumption which is too large - one means is to estimate what the consumption could be based on the building type, its occupancy and the appliances therein. OpenRoomMap would allow people to maintain this is an open distributed way. Other useful applications include s office and space allocation, location of telephones and workstations. Entering data about the inside of a building is an interesting constraint problem: for example, if I move a wall it affects the room on either side of a wall. Trust, change-logs and undo facilities will all be vital too for a distributed implementation. We have built a prototype implementation using Flash suitable for the occupants of the William Gates Building to enter the state of their offices. This project seeks to extend this prototype to allow the editing of building layout as well as office contents. Software development will most likely be in Flash with server side components written in Java. Prior experience with Java is essential and Flash/HTML/Javascript preferable but non-essential.
Insertion Date: 12/03/2009
Exploiting Machine Learning Techniques for Intelligent Mobile Systems based on Cellular Phones
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Cecilia Mascolo, Computer Laboratory
Project Description (please see application restrictions above):
Smart phones are increasingly equipped with sensors such as accelerometers and cameras that can be used to provide information about the people carrying them and their environments. Moreover, these devices are also equipped with several communication technologies for infrastructure-based (such as 3G) and infrastructure-less (such as Bluetooth) communication. A new class of sensing applications can be developed by exploiting this technological scenario. Personal data can be passively collected by the devices (such as GPS position) and activities can be inferred from embedded sensors such as accelerometers and microphones using classifiers or actively inserted and updated by users (such as blog entries, annotations about places and photos). The goal of this summer project is the design and development of algorithms and software components for inference and analysis of raw sensor data for novel context-aware distributed applications such as personal health monitoring, augmented vehicular and pedestrian navigation, targeted marketing and in situ recommendation systems based on mobile phones. The student will develop and test the system using our testbed composed of 20 Nokia 6210 Navigator phones equipped with a wide range of programmable sensors.
Insertion Date: 27/02/2009
Extending End User Programming to New Domains
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Alan Blackwell, Reader in Interdisciplinary Design, Computer Laboratory
Project Description (please see application restrictions above):
This project will create rapid prototypes of a number of small, experimental programming languages intended for use by end users. These languages will target a number of novel domains, such as distributed computation. The project will draw on a wide range of aspects of computer science, and will require a highly motivated student, with a strong understanding of the core components of computational systems (state machines, algorithm design, types) as well as an interest in the Human Computer Interaction issues of programming languages. Previous programming experience is essential. It's expected that most of the code will be written in C#, but applications from students with an understanding of C++ and/or Java would be also welcome. Experience in user interface technologies such as WPF, Winforms, Swing or MFC would be a bonus.
Insertion Date: 27/02/2009
Hacking "The King": Natural Expressions for Facial Robots
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Laurel Riek, Computer Laboratory
Project Description :
The Computer Laboratory is working on a variety of projects involving affective computing and robotics. See http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/emotions/. We are interested in making machines that are capable of recognizing and expressing emotions. This project involves creating naturalistic expressions on a humanoid robot head that resembles Elvis. The key components to doing this will be:
1) Reverse engineering Elvis so that it is fully controllable via an Arduino micro-controller.
2) Developing control software to puppeteer Elvis. Software will be written in a high-level language, the Arduino Programming Language.
3) Developing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the control software that allows for easy puppeteering. The appearance of the GUI is left to the discretion of the student, though something fun and easy to use is a plus. This software will be written using Processing, a high-level language based on Java.
Insertion Date: 03/03/2009
Project Description :
This project aims to develop an automatic and multi-modal accessibility wizard for Windows operating system which will be more advanced than the existing one. The system will take a few input from the users about their physical capabilities (e.g. visual acuity, presence of colour-blindness, grip strength etc.) The input can be taken either from keyboard and mouse or by voice (using Microsoft speech SDK). Then the system will run statistical models (which are already developed) on some sample interactions and will predict optimum values of interface parameters (like font size, theme, pointer type etc.). The prediction can be seen at screen and will be spoken out as well (using a Text-to-Speech converter). In particular, the project involves developing front-ends for the accessibility wizard and a program to run Monte Carlo simulation on statistical models.
Insertion Date: 03/03/2009
A Materials Information resource for teaching Nuclear Power Systems
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Mike Ashby
Project Description:
The scientific evidence for carbon-induced climate change is now so fully established that even previously-reluctant Governments accept the need for action. Electricity generation, at present largely derived from fossil fuels, accounts for 33% of the carbon currently dumped into the atmosphere annually. Transport accounts for another 28%. One way to reduce both is to replace carbon-based fuels by nuclear power (using it for transport via hydrogen) at the same time reducing a dangerous dependence on imported hydrocarbons. Universities are responding by developing and expanding courses on Nuclear Engineering and Design. The aim of this project is to develop a resource to contribute to this initiative. It centres on building a database for materials of fission and fusion-based Nuclear Engineering – fuels, first-wall materials, materials for pressure vessels, heat-exchangers and steam turbines. The records will contain data for both nuclear and engineering properties backed up by documentation (text and figures) of how they are used. The database will be converted into a format that runs in the CES Edu Materials Selection Software, allowing the full data-retrieval and selection functionality of CES to be exploited. The plan is to create a resource on which courses on Nuclear Power Systems (starting with those in the CUED) can draw.
Some useful references.
Roberts, J.T.A. (1981) “Structural materials in nuclear power systems” Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. ISBN 0-306-40669-1.
Glasstone, S. and Sesonske, A. (1994) “ Nuclear reactor engineering” 4th edition, Chapman and Hall, New York, NY, USA. ISBN 0-412-98521-7.
Foster, A.R. and Wright, R.L. Jnr. (1977) “Basic nuclear engineering”, 3rd edition, Allyn and Bacon Inc. Boston, MA, USA. ISBN 0-205-05697-0.
Lamarsh, J.R. (1975) “Introduction to nuclear engineering” Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, USA. ISBN0-201-04160-X.
Insertion Date: 18/03/2009
Optical studies of plasmonic structures
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Mete Atature, Cavendish Laboratory
Project Description:
Electrons in a metal can display collective oscillations, i.e. plasmons, at
a frequency around the particular plasmon frequency which usually
corresponds to deep ultraviolet range in the optical spectrum. However,
metallic nanostructures have the unique and surprising ability to confine
and/or transmit visible and near-infrared light at sub-wavelength
dimensions, as well as to possess effective optically relevant parameters,
such as refractive index, which can be tuned by geometry as well rather than
by bulk material properties only. We are currently in the process of
fabricating engineered metallic nanostructures with typical dimensions well
below the diffraction limit. The interested and qualified UROP candidate
will participate in the optical spectroscopy of such structures in order to
identify resonance frequencies and typical line widths. A part of the project
will be devoted to numerical simulations of similar structures using
finite-difference time domain method.
Insertion Date: 26/03/2009
Project Description:
Flat panel TVs, touch screens of iPhones or laptop screens are fragile and can break. One way to make such electronic systems robust to “mechanical shock” is to prepare them onto soft and elastic substrates. Then the integrated circuit itself can stretch like a rubber band and yet provide reliable electrical functionality.
The objective of the project is to evaluate to electrical performance of metallic conductors embedded in soft elastic substrate when the latter is stretched uni-axially or radially.
You will work in the Nanoscience Centre cleanroom to fabricate the devices, and our characterisation lab to record their electrical response to mechanical strain.
3rd year student with interest in microfabrication, and electrical engineering.
Up to 10-week project from mid-June 2009
4th year project potential: Yes
Grant: EPSRC
Characterization of novel electroactive polymers
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr. Stephanie P. Lacour, Dr. Darryl Cotton (Advisor), Nanoscience Centre
Project Description:
This project will optimise the patterning process of materials for use as micro actuators, with scope to fabricate and test micro actuator devices depending on progress made.
The project will involve working in the Nanoscience centre clean room to firstly prepare the materials, and then optimize patterning processes on different types of substrate. You will use several different processing techniques to prepare and pattern the actuator materials along with microscopy techniques such as “scanning electron microscopy” to assess the dimensions of the patterned structures.
3rd year student with interest in microfabrication, and/or materials science.
Up to 10-week project from mid-June 2009
4th year project potential: Yes
Grant: Royal Society and EPSRC
Insertion Date: 05/06/2009
On-chip ferromagnetic resonance of magnetic semiconductors
Contact:Lead Supervisor:
Dr A Ferguson, Cavendish Laboratory (Microelectronics research centre)
Project Description:
Restrictions: Physics students preferred.
Magnetic semiconductors (e.g. GaMnAs) are intriguing materials, they are ferromagnetic but also have electrical and optical properties that we most usually associate with semiconductors. A way to explore the complex magnetic anisotropy in these materials is through ferromagnetic resonance. Using this technique, the magnetisation is made to precess by application of a radio-frequency magnetic field.
In this project the UROP student will work as part of a team designing and performing an electrically detected ferromagnetic resonance experiment on GaMnAs. This project will provide an insight into current spintronics research, semiconductor nanofabrication and radio-frequency techniques. Applicants should have an interest in performing research in experimental solid-state physics.
Source of funding: Industrial company (Hitachi)
Insertion Date: 02/06/2009
Project Description:
This project is concerned with designing damping into the air suspensions of heavy lorries. The project will involve some combination of mechanical design laboratory testing and some theoretical modelling in Matlab/Simulink. The student will also get an opportunity to be involved in some full-scale testing of heavy goods vehicles.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this project you have to be a UK or EU student. This is a requirement of the funding body.
Time period: 8-10 weeks during the summer vacation.
Insertion Date: 01/06/2009