Earth Sciences:
Architecture:
Cambridge University Botanic Gardens U R O P Projects 2011
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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. |
The modelling and simulation of a geographically distributed hospital ward system
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Alexander Komashie ~ Department of Engineering
Project Description:
This project is part of a continuing project on healthcare design funded by the Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This project aims at supporting senior managers of an NHS Trust make strategic decisions around ward capacity requirements in the face of significant financial cuts. The trust operates several wards that cover Peterborough, Huntingdon and Cambridge city. The project would use a systems approach to capture the whole system of the ward facilities and the complex interaction between them. This would involve working closely with Trust managers, developing process maps and mapping out patient journeys in addition to using the SIMIO simulation package to model, simulate and conduct experiments with the model. This would be ideal for a student who has interests in modelling, simulation and healthcare. The student would be given intensive training at the start and supported at every stage of the project.
General computer programming skills would be helpful but not essential. This could also lead to an exciting 4th year project for the student involved.
More about Dr Alexander Komashie . Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 12 July 2011Project Description:
We have developed a patented wireless passive sensor tracking technology under the EPSRC-funded TINA (The Intelligent Airport) project. Since the tags are passive, no batteries are required, reducing costs and enabling a range of new applications. The project had two primary aims – to reliably detect passive tags over much wider areas than was previously possible and also to achieve accurate real-time location. Both have been demonstrated to a proof of principle level.
We are looking for a student to implement a real-time GUI to demonstrate the system, as well as designing a website and carrying out further experimentation of the system performance of realistic environments if time permitted. It is very much a ‘hands-on’ programming project involving a good deal of hardware and embedded software as well as visual C++.
A good understanding of real-time programming in Visual C++ is essential. Knowledge of embedded C, MySQL, Jaya scripts, XML, HTML or even wireless communications could be advantageous.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 31 May 2011
Project Description:
The University has an ambitious 2010-2020 Carbon Management Plan aimed at substantially reducing the carbon footprint of its activities. As part of this, affordable cost effective energy reduction projects will be trialled which may then be transferred to other parts of the University estate. The Department of Engineering has been chosen to be the lead pilot project for the University. A crucial first step when looking to reduce energy consumption is to determine how, where and when energy is used. Using portable and plug-in power monitors the successful applicants would be expected to:
• Record the power consumption of common computer, communication, office and kitchen equipment, both in-use and on stand-by.
• Record the power consumption of representative laboratory equipment in different operating modes.
• Record longer-term energy history data for higher power equipment e.g. cooling units.
• Record energy use and internal and external temperatures of rooms with air conditioning and handling units, operating with different control systems.
• Record room occupancy, user behaviour and patterns of equipment use through a simple questionnaire.
• Capture data in a common database.
• Analyse data and interpret results.
The information gained will be fed back to end-users to help change behaviour (where appropriate), to identify and label high energy use equipment, to inform purchasing decisions, to identify where equipment can be consolidated (e.g. printers) and to make available comparative data for equipment that is likely to be replaced in the near future (e.g. older cooling units). The project will also be used to inform the strategic positioning of future fixed and networked energy monitors. Supervisor: Ian Slack Co-Supervisors: Professor Dame Ann Dowling & David Green Applicants are invited for three positions. An interest in environmental issues and knowledge of data logging would be advantageous.
Interviews will take place 20/21 June 2011.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 13 June 2011
Project Description:
As part of instituting new practical classes to compliment a revamped Computer Networking subject; this work will construct new practicals based on a network emulator framework and I will be looking for help in this process. The practicals are to be based on infrastructure/equipment that will support practical labs for undergraduate and graduate subjects as well as providing the core facilities for relevant research projects. This work is being done under the umbrella of the Emulab project - an international education and research project (Click Here for information re the project ) - and will provide our research and teaching community with a local facility - your work will be used by others in coming years, potentially not only here in Cambridge but by collaborators as well.
Prerequisites: Experience with linux, the C and python programming languages, and knowledge of computer networks.
More information:
More about Andrew Moore and his teaching area.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 17/06/2011
Project Description:
PC Latency Evaluation As part of ongoing research into "Why Latency Matters" in computer systems today; this work is to conduct trials of a PCI-Express / PCI-bus latency benchmark across a range of computer hardware. The work of the intern will be to make-robust a prototype application and to build a suitable backend system to collect data from application runs. In particular, we plan to permit this application to be run by the wider community, allowing us to gather results across a global range of machines. The information gained provides critical validation of our early results and will inform our future architecture directions. In addition to being supervised by the Lead Supervisor above, the intern will work closely with both the PhD student undertaking this work and other researchers in the Computer Laboratory.
Prerequisites: experience with the C programming languages and x86 assembler - ideally experience with linux too.
CLICK HERE to find more information people working on the project.
More information:
More about Andrew Moore and his teaching area.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 17/06/2011
Reviewing Genetics Research Software for Use in Schools
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Harriet Truscott, Science and Plants for Schools, Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Project Description:
Can software used by University researchers be successfully adapted for use in the classroom? Science and Plants for Schools, is an educational programme supporting biology teaching in schools and colleges. We are considering whether teachers could use research software at A-level. The UROP student will investigate various software programmes in use by geneticists and plant scientists and produce a review. The student and their mentor will then identify potential opportunities for classroom use, and agree how best to achieve these, based in part on the student’s interests. Examples might include writing software, writing teachers’ handbooks, or writing a specification for new software.
This placement would suit students who have previously studied genetics and / or plant science, who are confident in using software independently, with good communication skills. The project would be particularly suitable for someone with an interest in education and / or science outreach.
For More Details and full project description CLICK HERE
Timing: 4 weeks in July or August
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 03 June
Restricted Substances Database Development
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof David Cebon ~ Department of Engineering
Project Description:
There is a rapidly-increasing body of legislation in the EU, US and elsewhere, which requires companies to manage dangerous chemicals contained in their products. In engineering systems, such restricted substances are usually found in polymers, adhesives, coatings, manufacturing processes etc. The most important of the new laws is the new EU ‘REACH’ regulation, which is having an enormous impact on the way that engineering companies do business, worldwide. One of the key problems is simply knowing what substances are contained in the products that the company sells. Though this seems straightforward, it requires knowledge about the chemical composition of all of the ‘bought-in’ components used to build a product… For example, a car company buys-in thousands of standard mechanical components (bolts, belts, seals…), wires, electrical components, motors, actuators, and so on, which make-up at least 70% of the car. The only definitive way to find out what all of these parts contain is to ask the entire supply chain to declare the chemical composition of all the stuff it supplies… This may mean contacting tens or hundreds of thousands of companies who make millions of parts contained in a car… a non-trivial task! An alternative strategy may be to have a database containing the chemical composition of a much smaller number of ‘generic’ parts, and to use this to estimate the likely chemical composition of a component, without having to ask the supplier for a declaration for every part it supplies. This project is concerned with designing such a database of generic standard components and populating it with sample data – to make a prototype restricted substances screening tool.
Student Qualifications: You will need to be an engineering student – preferably with some experience in mechanical engineering industry
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27 May 2011
Video capture for a tethered balloon - SPICE project
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Hugh Hunt, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
For SPICE (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) we plan to carry out a 1km test November 2011. The test involves tethering a 15m-diameter balloon at a height of 1km and then pumping some water up the tether. We are very keen to observe the dynamics of the tether in windy conditions because we want to validate our numerical model. To do this we have to figure out how to extract position/velicity/acceleration data from the 1km test. One option is to use photography. The difficulty is that the tether is narrow and will take up less than 1 pixel on an image if viewed from 1km away. So we need multiple cameras and some clever method to extract the tether position automatically. This project will involve setting up multiple digital cameras, setting up automatic synchronised triggering, downloading and stitching multiple images and then writing code (matlab? C++ ?) to automatically extract position data so that we can compare position v time plots with our predictive models.
The project is particularly suitable for a 3rd year student because the 1km tests take place in November 2011. This UROP will offer an opportunity to continue into a 4th year project. See the following link for further information: www.spicepipe.co.ukPlease apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 16/05/2011
Engineering Analysis of Immunology Experiments
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Michelle Oyen, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Lead supervisor: Michelle Oyen, Dept. of Engineering ( Click for Profile )
Co-supervisor: Robert Busch, Addenbrooke's Hospital
Biosynthetic labelling with stable isotopes, followed by mass spectrometric analysis of DNA fragments
from cell populations of interest, allows quantification of cell proliferation and turnover. The mass
spectrometric techniques used are sensitive enough to allow, in principle, the analysis of DNA fragments
from single cells; in practice, however, inefficiencies in sample processing currently limit the applicability of the
technique to sample sizes of > 1000 cells (Busch, Neese et al., Nat Protoc, 2007). The student will collaborate with
immunologists (Busch lab, Dept of Medicine) and analytical chemists (Bluck lab, MRC-HNR Widdowson Labs) to optimise
sample processing, with the ultimate aim of achieving single-cell sensitivity. The student will seek to identify limiting factors
in current analytical techniques and explore strategies for scaling down and automating sample processing, including, if appropriate,
the creation of lab-on-a-chip microfluidic devices (Oyen lab, Dept of Engineering).
N.B. Project is subject to funding.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 12/05/2011
Non-linear finite element analysis of an electronic bond test
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Digby Symons, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
This project concerns mechanical testers for electronic bonds (solder bumps, balls, wire bonds etc). The test machines grip bumps or studs, these are solder, or gold, or copper structures which are currently >100 microns in size. In order to do this they are trapped in a cavity, which plastically deforms the top of the pillar or bump to give something to grip and pull on. The problem is to try and extend this down to <20microns, at which point the amount of material to plastically deform is a significant portion of the structure and may not support enough load to pull the object off the substrate. The project will require non-linear FE simulation backed up with experimental results (e.g force data and/or high speed video)
Need: * To develop and prove a modelling technique for small semiconductor geometry physical testing. * Correlate a finite element model of clamping and pull of a fine wire validating material properties. * Use the same modelling to look at the effect of geometrical tolerance on existing shapes and size. * Extend the modelling to look at smaller geometries and look at the limitations in mechanical testing. The project is in collaboration with Dage Precision Industries Ltd. It is expected that a successful candidate for this UROP will continue with the work as their 4th year project. For further information see http://www.nordson.com/en-us/divisions/dage/pages/default.aspx External partner: http://www.www.nordsondage.comPlease apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 11/05/2011
Investigation of a fast oxygen sensor
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof. Nick Collings, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
We have been working at CUED on a UEGO (universal exhaust gas oxygen) sensor for some time. The sensor is based around a material called yttria stabilized zirconia, which is a solid electrolyte. The sensor has been used in production for a number of years, but its characteristics are not fully understood - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_sensor for details. We have a test facility which enables the UEGO to be exposed to a range of test gases, and a model of the UEGO behaviour which predicts a number of interesting phenomena. This UROP will be largely experimental in nature, requiring careful measurements and data interpretation, in order to improve the model.
Subject to EPSRC funding.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 09/05/2011
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Passwords are no longer acceptable as a security mechanism. I proposed a clean-slate design to get rid of them a portable gadget called Pico that transforms your credentials from “what you know” into “what you have”. To protect Pico against loss or theft, its storage is backed up and encrypted and can only be unlocked by a key whose shares are held by other devices worn by the user, the Picosiblings. This project will implement and prototype the backup and restore facility and the interaction with the Picosiblings, including all the necessary protocols for secret sharing, initial pairing etc. Development will take place on Linux, with networked computers or VMs simulating the various devices (Pico, docking station and Picosiblings). A port to smartphone might be considered once the protocols have been debugged. Candidates should have a keen interest and ability in security and low level programming.
Much more detailed information
VIA THIS LINK
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 05/05/2011
Designing and building a laser system for cooling and trapping of atoms
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Zoran Hadzibabic Physics Department
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
My experimental group at the Cavendish studies quantum phenomena exhibited by ultracold atomic gases, such as Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and superfluidity. This is still a relatively young and fast growing field, which offers many opportunities for young researchers. Atomic BEC was first achieved in 1995 and since then two Nobel prizes have been given for research in this field. The goal of this summer project is to design and build a narrow-linewidth laser system which will be used for cooling and trapping of atoms at microkelvin temperatures. This will give an enthusiastic and committed student a unique opportunity to develop from scratch a piece of equipment that will be used in real cutting edge research. The main prerequisite for this project is some experience with analogue and digital electronics.
Subject to EPSRC funding.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 05/05/2011
Aerodynamics of road haulage vehicles
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Holger Babinsky Professor of Aerodynamics Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Current 3rd year Engineering students only.
Aerodynamic drag is a significant contributor to fuel burn and C02
production of road haulage vehicles travelling at motorway speeds. In
this project we want to explore how changes to the overall shape of a
typical tractor/trailer combination can reduce aerodynamic drag. The
project will involve a detailed literature survey as well as wind
tunnel tests in the Department’s low speed Markham tunnel. Particular
focus will be placed on modifications to the rear of the trailer, e.g.
by fairing in the final cross-section. Other potential areas for
improvement can be found on the underside or in the tractor/trailer
link region. Following on from wind tunnel tests, it is possible that
full-scale road tests can be conducted to test promising concepts.
Module 3A1 is essential to this project.
Note that this UROP is linked to a 4th year project. The successful
applicant will be expected to also apply for this 4th year project in
2011/2012
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 04/05/2011
Marine Snow
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof. Paul Linden, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Project Description:
The goal of this study is to predict the terminal velocity of small biological particles as they fall through density stratified fluids - so called `marine snow'. Density stratified fluids are found widely in industry, as well as the natural environment, and the sedimentation of biological particles in them is crucial to understanding artificial reservoirs, bioreactors and the world's oceans. In a stratified fluid these particles fall they drag buoyant fluid down with them in their wake thereby reducing their terminal velocity. These particles are small enough that they move at low Reynolds number and are porous so that fluid can flow through them as well as around them. The study will begin with the simpler problem of a solid sphere falling through a stably stratified fluid, and the initial project will be to study the diffusion boundary layer near the front of the sphere and its influence, if any, on the wake structure behind the sphere. Laboratory experiments will be conducted to measure the flow around the sphere and the distortion of the density field including any internal waves that are generated. A theoretical model based on Stokes flow round a sphere will be developed in the limit of small diffusivity (large Schmidt number) where the diffusion boundary layer is thin compared to the radius of the sphere.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Subject to funding.
Insertion Date: 03/05/2011Tidal Energy Extraction and River Severn Bore
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr D. Liang, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Project description: Severn Estuary has the second largest tidal range in the world (up to 15 m). In the flooding phase, the tidal wave travels rapidly upstream against the river current. The Severn Bore can reach 2 m in height and its average speed is 16 km per hour. Computer models will be set up to reproduce the hydrodynamic processes in Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary. The distribution of tidal energy resources will be assessed. The influence of the tidal energy removal, with either barrages or stream turbines, on regional tidal oscillations, especially on the propagation of river Severn bore will be studied. No programming skills are needed, but good computer skills are necessary for preparing input data and analysing results.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 03/05/2011
The channelling and spreading of granular materials
Contact:Lead Supervisors: Dr. Nathalie Vriend, Dr. Jim McElwaine, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Project Description:
Granular materials are of tremendous importance in industrial processes and natural phenomena. This ten-week project seeks to quantify the channelling and spreading of such materials under the action of gravity.
The UROP-researcher starts with laboratory experiments employing an inclined granular chute to investigate the response of the granular flow to tall obstacles placed within it to restrict motion to a narrow channel. We are particularly interested in the behaviour downstream of this channel where the flow has the potential of spreading freely. This work will make use of a high-speed camera and laser scanner to obtain detailed measurements of the flow velocity and surface height. In the second part of the project the UROP-researcher will focus on the development of a physical and mathematical model to explain the observed flow behaviour.
Experience and/or interest in engineering-related challenges in combination with a talent for physical modelling is highly welcome.
More Information:
www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/nv253/UROP_channel_long.pdf
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 03/05/2011
Granular collapse over a sloping, irregular bed
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Nathalie Vriend, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Project Description:
Granular materials are of tremendous importance in industrial processes and natural phenomena. This ten-week project seeks to quantify the effects of the surface properties on the dynamics of a sudden release of granular material – a so-called granular collapse.
The UROP-researcher starts with laboratory experiments to investigate granular collapse on a horizontal surface with various surface properties, such as roughness, bedforms and patterns. The UROP-researcher will analyse the velocity profile, the height distribution and the spread of the granular flow once the mass is released for different initial and boundary conditions. Wave propagation analysis of the expansion fan and shock of the flow can be done by analysing the evaluation of the flow. If time permits, the type of granular material (sand, gravel, ballotini) and the medium (water as opposed to air) may be varied and the effect of inclination of the flow on a slope may be investigated.
Experience and/or interest in engineering-related challenges in combination with a talent for physical modelling is highly welcome.
More Information:
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/nv253/UROP_collapse_long.pdf
Subject to funding.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 03/05/2011
Project Description:
This project will enhance and evaluate a sophisticated home energy monitor that was created by a UROP student in 2010. The goal is to provide a wall-mounted touchscreen device that easily allows home- owners with no technical expertise to understand and modify their energy consumption patterns via a user-friendly and motivational user interface. The current prototype is implemented in JQuery, running within Firefox in an embedded touchscreen panel. Energy use data comes from an existing experimental deployment in a small number of houses, collecting instantaneous power every 10 seconds, and streaming this data to a remote server. The ideal applicant should have an interest in usability and design, and preferably some experience of the JQuery toolset.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
More about Alan Blackwell
Insertion Date: 28/04/2011
Mechanical Properties of a Novel Membrane Material based on an Ultrafine Scale Alumina Fibre (USAF)
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof. Bill Clyne, Dept. of Materials Science & Metallurgy
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
A process has recently been developed for the bulk production of ultra fine (~5-10 nm diameter) alumina fibres, with very high aspect ratios. These are single crystals of ?-alumina, although heat treatments can lead to them transforming to the more stable a-alumina form. Work in the Gordon Laboratory has led to the development of procedures for the production of a membrane incorporating these fibres. Rather similar structures have been made previously, but only via a much more cumbersome route and with the fibres having much smaller aspect ratios. There are no reports available concerning the properties exhibited by any such material. The fibre volume fraction in the USAF membrane is of the order of 6%, and it can be made in thicknesses from a few microns up to several hundred microns or more. It is of potential interest for various applications, including ultra filtration (removal of particulate in the approximate size range of 10-500 nm). In addition to characteristics such as the pore size distribution, gas permeability, high temperature stability etc, there is interest in the mechanical properties of this material, particularly insofar as they affect its handling strength, resistance to damage and general durability. Measurements will be made of the in-plane Young’s modulus and tensile strength. The stiffness will be compared with model predictions relating to fibre network materials, such as those for an isotropic fibre orientation distribution, and attempts made to infer the stiffness of individual fibres. It may also be possible to make deductions about the single fibre tensile strength. The effect on these properties of heat treatment will also be explored, and correlated with changes in the phase constitution (obtained via X-Ray Diffraction) and in the degree of sintering between individual fibres (observed via SEM and TEM microscopy).
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Superconductors for Flywheels
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Noel Rutter, Dept. of Materials Science & Metallurgy
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
One of the most promising potential applications of high temperature superconductors is in bearings for high-speed energy-storage flywheels. To achieve high energy density in a manageable mass these devices use composite rotors that must spin at very high speeds. To permit this with minimal energy loss from friction requires a magnetically-levitated bearing. The strongest “permanent” magnets are those that use solid blocks of high temperature superconductors cooled to 77 K. In the Department of Engineering, bulk samples are produced using a peritectic reaction that results in a nominally single grain structure. As in the case of single crystal turbine blades the microstructure is considerably more complex than this and varies both radially and down the cylindrical samples from the “seed” crystal used to initiate growth. Optimisation of the electromagnetic properties of these samples requires an understanding of how the microstructure of the superconducting material varies in each sample and depends on processing conditions. The main focus of this summer undergraduate student project is to characterise the orientation of sliced samples of the material using X Ray techniques in the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy. The sections will also be electromagnetically characterised in a squid magnetometer system to allow correlation of the microstructural data and electromagnetic performance. This should then allow us to optimise our growth technique for improved materials performance. Some prior experience of X-Ray diffraction techniques and a background in Materials Science would be an advantage.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Project Description:
As part of instituting new practical classes to compliment a revamped Computer Networking subject; this work will construct new practicals based on a network simulator framework and I will be looking for help in this process. The practicals are to be based on infrastructure/equipment that will support practical labs for undergraduate and graduate subjects as well as providing the core facilities for relevant research projects. This work is being done under the umbrella of the NetFPGA project - an international education and research project http://www.netfpga.org - and will provide the core of Cambridge contribution back to this project - your work will be used by others in coming years, not only here in Cambridge but at many education and research settings. Prerequisites: Experience with linux, the C and python programming languages, and knowledge of computer networks.
More information:
More about Andrew Moore
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/current/P33/
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/srg/netos/netfpga/
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Project Description:
As part of instituting new practical classes to complement a revamped Computer Networking subject; this work is to construct new practicals based on a new network-hardware lab, I will be looking for summer interns to help in this process. The practicals are based on infrastructure/equipment that will support practical labs for undergraduate and graduate subjects as well as providing the core for relevant research projects. This work is being done under the umbrella of the NetFPGA project - an international education and research project http://www.netfpga.org - and will provide the core of Cambridge contribution back to this project- your work will be used by others in coming years, not only here in Cambridge but at many education and research settings. Prerequisites: experience with the C and Verilog (or VHDL) programming languages - ideally experience with linux too
More information:
More about Andrew Moore
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/current/P33/
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/srg/netos/netfpga/
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Project Description:
The goal of this project is to develop a new experimental system for automated classification of fossil and insect photographs into species, based on machine learning / artificial intelligence techniques. The work will start from an existing system that is based on the Plastic Self-Organising Map (PSOM) algorithm, and the new experimental system will apply the Random Forest Classifier algorithm, which we have previously applied to medical image processing. The project will be based in the Computer Laboratory, but will involve collaboration with Prof. Norman MacLeod, Keeper of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum in London, and Dr Ben Glocker at Microsoft Research Cambridge. Previous software development experience is essential, preferably using the LINUX environment. Familiarity with any of C++/C#/ Matlab (as used in the current implementation of Random Forest / Decision Trees) and/or the C language (as used in the existing system) would be a significant advantage.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
More about Alan Blackwell
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011Analysis and Detection of Social Events in Location-based Social Networks
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Cecilia Mascolo, Computer Laboratory
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Location-based Social Networks (LBSNs) such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite have been recently gaining momentum with millions of users sharing their whereabouts world wide. Data on the locations, friendships and content shared by the users in those systems offers the opportunity to sense human activity at previously unreachable scales. In this project we would like to analyse and detect social events from data sourced from LBSNs. An event in this context could be a local city festival, country-wide events such as national elections or the world cup championship that concerns individuals around the globe. As a first step the student will be asked to analyse different types of events and identify their principal attributes. Those include the number of users participating at an event, their temporal dynamics in terms of when they start, finish and how they evolve, and finally their geographical coverage. The outcome of the analysis is expected to contribute to the creation of an event detection algorithm for Location-based Social Networks, which will analyse streams of data generated in those systems, identify events at their inception and classify them according to their type. The work will be conducted upon a large data set of more than a million LBSN users that spans a period of 6 months.
More about our research can be found on This WEB SITE
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Laser beams with tailored properties play a crucial role in many experiments and technologies. By carefully controlling amplitude and phase of a laser beam in a plane transverse to the direction of propagation, complex intensity patterns can be created and even light beams with orbital angular momentum can be generated. This project focuses on using holograms and/or adaptive optics to manipulate light beams and to, for example, generate beams with fine periodic structures or continuously adjustable focus parameters. These structured laser beams will serve as tailor-made optical potentials to trap ultracold atoms in novel trap geometries. The project involves the design of suitable holograms/adaptive optics, setting up and calibrating a laser source, creating complex light fields and investigating their interaction with atomic gases. Experience with optics would be advantageous for the project.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 08/04/2011
Real-time oil consumption of internal combustion engines.
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof Nick Collings Department of Engineering
Oil consumption in internal combustion engines remains somewhat of a mystery - similar engines from different manufacturers can exhibit very different consumption rates. Even though the rate of oil consumption is always very small in absolute terms, it is always important, since the catalysts which are fitted to clean up noxious emissions in the exhaust are negatively affected by some of the oil additives. Measurement of the oil consumption remains a challenge. Though very tedious, virtually the only reliable and proven method involves "drain and weigh" - i.e. fill the engine with an accurately measured quantity of oil, run the engine for a very extended period, and then measure the oil quantity again. This project, which will be experimental in nature, will investigate a novel technique to complement the existing method(s). A sample of the exhaust will be taken through a "cold trap" in which the heavy components associated with the oil "fragments" in the exhaust will condense onto the cold surface. After the collection period, which in principle can be a matter of minutes, the trap will be heated, and the vapours that are driven off measured by a very sensitive hydrocarbon analyser. The project will have two main components a) calibration of the technique by measurement of known quantities of oil deposited in the cold trap and then measured by the analyser, and b) experiments on one or more engines. Skills:- Preferably a student with an interest in IC engines - especially someone who knows what's inside, and likes working with them. A liking for experimentation, and possibly some chemistry background might also be useful.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date:7th April 2011
Environmental Simulation of Radiological Releases using TRICC
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Dr Geoff Parker, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
TRICC is the Toolset for Rapid Implementation of Conceptual models. It does several things, but important here is that it lets people who are not programmers develop advanced models using some new ideas (especially with regard to uncertainty and coupled model systems). While you do not need to be a programmer to work on this project, any ability in that respect would certainly serve you well.
This 10-week project will focus on building a coupled environmental model that can be used to help assess the potential impact of theorized or historical radiological release events. There is longstanding interest in this sort of work for deciding on e.g. siting policy, and developing protective action scenarios that can help save lives.
The minimum model elements to be implemented in TRICC are a point source, gaussian dispersion model for particulates and gas that considers e.g. stability class, wind speed and deposition. We will also track conversion of exposure (dose) to health impacts. One enhancement would be to consider tritium pathways which require some additional elements.
This is a problem with focus. There is a long history of these types of assessments and scope can be well defined. There are also several well known case studies to draw on.
This is a timely problem. Accident scenarios are likely to be revised in the near and immediate future to make additional accommodation for 'Black Swan' type events. Tritium releases are tied to 'new' types and research reactors, and their is room for a tool here in this respect also.
There is novelty here because of the platform, but also because of the way the model will use information. This model should be able to do things earlier tools could not.
We will apply this developed model to a reference problem, and possibly to other scenarios as open literature permits.
EPSRC funded, you must therefore meet their criteria as linked above.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 23/03/2011
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Co-supervisor: Dr Albert Bartok-Partay.
Prerequisites:
Good programming skills in FORTRAN or C/C++. Some familiarity with the atomic nature of matter (at an undergraduate level) is an advantage.
Project Description:
The aim of the project is to study the fluid phases of materials consisting of simple molecules, such as hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen and water. The main focus will be to describe the quantum mechanical interactions between the molecules as accurately as possible using the existing and new methods. This will require building a suitable database of high-quality quantum chemistry data, and benchmarking the new potentials. The results of this work will form an organic part of the study of the structure and thermodynamics of these materials at a very wide range of pressures and temperatures.
This UROP may offer the opportunity to continue/develop into a 4th year project!
See recent publications on http://www.csanyi.net
EPSRC funded, you must therefore meet their criteria as linked above.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 23/03/2011
Experimental testing of damped rocking structures
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Dr Matthew DeJong, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Rocking failure during earthquakes remains a significant problem for monuments, trains, furnishings, bridges and other structures. The typical solution is to stiffen the structure or tie it down by adding reinforcing. However, this often limits the compliance of the structure under quasi-static loads (e.g. support displacements), and amplifies vibrations and stresses under dynamic loads (e.g. earthquakes). Thus, alternative solutions are attractive.
The focus of this project will be to determine the dynamic effects of damping retrofit solutions for rocking structures. This will be carried out by testing small scale models on an earthquake simulating shake table. The effects of adding stiffness, viscous damping, or frictional damping will be investigated. Analytical rigid body dynamics models have been developed which describe the motion and these models will be used for comparison with experimental results. This UROP is suitable for 2nd or 3rd year students, preferable specialising in mechanical or civil engineering
This UROP may offer the opportunity to continue/develop into a 4th year project!
EPSRC funded, you must therefore meet their criteria as linked above.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 23/03/2011
PrivDroid - Encrypted SMS messaging
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Alastair Beresford, Computer Laboratory
f Project Summary/Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required.
Open platforms such as Android offer the opportunity to enhance the security and privacy of the system and its applications. PrivDroid will be a modified Android distribution with various augmentations to security and privacy features. This work will be based on the MockDroid, a project from the summer programme last year completed by Nick Skehin. This work was published as an academic paper and presented by Alastair and Nick at the HotMobile 2011 conference in Arizona.
This application allows users to generate and distributed symmetric and public keys between handsets using QR codes. The generated keys can then be used to encrypt and decrypt SMS messages between applications.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.htmlPlease apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
PrivDroid - Protect personal data in the case of theft
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Alastair Beresford, Computer Laboratory
Project Summary/Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required.
Open platforms such as Android offer the opportunity to enhance the security and privacy of the system and its applications. PrivDroid will be a modified Android distribution with various augmentations to security and privacy features. This work will be based on the MockDroid, a project from the summer programme last year completed by Nick Skehin. This work was published as an academic paper and presented by Alastair and Nick at the HotMobile 2011 conference in Arizona.
This project aims to extend Android to support full-disk encryption, or perhaps SQLite DB encryption, to prevent a thief from extracting personal data from the phone. Optional support for an encrypted SD Card might also be considered. Offering a service which allows the user to remotely track the location of their phone on a website or another phone handset might be a desirable feature in order to increase the chance of recovery.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.html
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
PrivDroid - Privacy-aware location sharing
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Alastair Beresford, Computer Laboratory
Project Summary/Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required.
Open platforms such as Android offer the opportunity to enhance the security and privacy of the system and its applications. PrivDroid will be a modified Android distribution with various augmentations to security and privacy features. This work will be based on the MockDroid, a project from the summer programme last year completed by Nick Skehin. This work was published as an academic paper and presented by Alastair and Nick at the HotMobile 2011 conference in Arizona.
This project is to enable users to share location data with friends, but not third-party companies. A similar approach to key management might be adopted as discussed in the encrypted SMS messaging application above. In addition, the user should be able to control who data is shared with, when it is shared and the quality of the location data (consider the difference between saying "I'm in Cambridge" and "I'm in the Computer Laboratory").
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.html
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
PrivDroid - Secure unlock token for Android
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Alastair Beresford, Computer Laboratory
Project Summary/Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required. Experience with embedded design and micro-controllers is a benefit but not essential.
Open platforms such as Android offer the opportunity to enhance the security and privacy of the system and its applications. PrivDroid will be a modified Android distribution with various augmentations to security and privacy features. This work will be based on the MockDroid, a project from the summer programme last year completed by Nick Skehin. This work was published as an academic paper and presented by Alastair and Nick at the HotMobile 2011 conference in Arizona.
Most mobile phones support a software PIN-based screen lock to prevent a misplaced phone from being used by anyone other than the owner. Unfortunately PINs are often short (four digits) and someone can easily "shoulder-surf" the password as it is being entered. Many corporations improve security of laptops by issuing a physical token which the user must have in their possession when unlocking the laptop, or connecting to a corporate Intranet. This project involves building a small piece of hardware which is normally kept on the user's keyring and which plugs into the headset socket of the phone when the screen requires unlocking. The piece of hardware should support a simple challenge-response protocol, using the audio channel as a communication channel, to unlock the handset. The project student will also need to implement some supporting software for the Android system to integrate the hardware token.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.html
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
Building a personal energy meter on an Android mobile phone
Contact/Lead Supervisor: Andrew Rice, Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required.
Every day each of us consumes a significant amount of energy either directly through transportation, heating or use of appliances or indirectly from our needs for production of food, manufacture of goods or provision of services. A Personal Energy Meter (PEM) is an (as yet hypothetical) device which can record and apportion an individual's energy usage in order to provide baseline information and incentives for reducing the environmental impact of our lives. This project will explore the construction of a prototype PEM for the web or Android mobile phone.
Last year David Piggot worked on a Personal Energy Metering application for Android. This year's project is to extend the application to the point where it can be deployed on the marketplace for others to use. This will involve integrating some algorithms for inferring mode of transport from sensor data and accounting for the energy use of travel.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.htmlPlease apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
Project Description:
Prerequisites: Java programming to a standard of completing Workbook 7 of the Programming in Java course; No prior experience with Google Android or mobile phones is required.
We've been building an application for collecting device usage information of Android devices. We are aiming to distribute this application via the Android Marketplace in order to build a large research corpus of usage data. There is also a personal benefit to running the application in providing personal analytics—information and statistics about your day to day life. This project will involve extending the Android application and/or the accompanying web-service with more detailed visualisations and other means for individuals to benefit from their data collection.
More information: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/summer/2011.html
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion date: 08/03/2011
Project Description:
This project will complement on-going research into the use of timber in high-rise architecture for greater sustainability in large scale urban buildings. The student will join a group of chemists, engineers and architects looking broadly at the question of wood in contemporary design. The architecture or engineering student's contribution will be to study the use of wood in small and medium-scale contemporary buildings and provide design proposals for the transfer to large-scale buildings. Is it simply a scaling up of existing design, or does the scale shift suggest a design shift, and therefore a different relationship between people, buildings and materials? Aspects relating to structure, construction and architecture may be considered. The UROP is anticipated to be 4 weeks in duration during August or September.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Designing and prototyping technologies to support mental health
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Cecily Morrison, Department of EngineeringProject Description:
This project will contribute to a research program looking at innovative online technologies in mental health funded by the National Institute for Health Research. It will focus on detailing, implementing and testing designs created through design workshops with mental health clinicians. The work will involve paper prototyping of existing ideas, supporting design workshops with people with mental health problems, and implementing designs. The implementation is expected to use Google Maps API, video-streaming and a text-messaging platform. The summer student will be fully supported in learning new skills as required under the supervision of a research associate.
Restrictions: There are no restrictions on who applies, but some basic programming skills would be helpful or a demonstration of quick ability to learn.
Project: This UROP could be developed into a 4th year project.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 14 June 2011
Magnetoelectric effects in laminate and nanocomposites (USAF)
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Neil Mathur, Dept. of Materials Science & Metallurgy
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Certain materials develop an electrical voltage when they experience a magnetic field, and these materials may be used as magnetic sensors. No single material performs very well, but the combination of two suitable materials is promising: the magnetic field deforms a magnetic material, and this deformation is transmitted to the other electrically insulating material which develops a voltage. We will explore magnetic sensors based on cheap polymer insulators combined with cheap magnetic materials. The aim is to compare performance for different geometries, with the two materials arranged in layers or with magnetic particles inside the insulator. A background in Materials Science and/or Physics would be an advantage
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27/04/2011
Project Description:
It is possible to select a manufacturing process for making a component if you have some key pieces of information about the design. These include the size of the component and the material from which it is made, as well as its shape (prismatic, flat sheet, 3D… etc) and some geometric information, such as the surface roughness, tolerances, thinnest cross-section, etc. To use existing process selection software, it is necessary for the designer to determine these quantities manually… However, it would be much better if a computer aided design software system could work them out for itself, from the information it contains in the solid model of the component. This project will be about delving into the data inside the Pro/Engineer CAD system to see whether it is possible to extract the information needed to do process selection. Ideally the project will result in a prototype automated process selection system.
Student Qualifications: You will need to be an engineering or computer science student with good programming skills. You should have completed your second year. Knowledge of Pro/Engineer will be an advantage.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 27 May 2011