Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
Department of Architecture:
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy:U R O P Projects 2013
| Application Restrictions | EPSRC funded Projects |
|---|---|
| The UROP projects listed below are only available to Undergraduates studying at the University of Cambridge who are going to return for at least one more year of undergraduate study. So Final Year undergraduates and Postgraduate students cannot apply. |
For projects that are EPSRC funded and marked with the blue flag,
For EPSRC funded projects, students should be in the middle years of a first degree within EPSRC's technological remit and they should be EU citizens. |
| More Information for Cambridge students | More Information for Cambridge University Staff |
Computational Statistical Mechanics.
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Gabor Csanyi
Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Statistical mechanics is a general theory that describes the behaviour of a collection of interacting particles, and explains how the macroscopic properties of matter such as thermal equilibration and phase transitions etc. arise from the microscopic interactions. However the fundamental tools in this theory, the partition function, the free energy and their derivatives, the experimentally accessible response functions, have not been amenable to direct computation for all but the simplest systems. Recent advances in algorithms have enabled the calculation of all thermodynamical properties, thus far for small clusters and fluids. The project is about carrying this work forwards, applying it to solids and solid/liquid phase transitions, and to soft systems such as biologically relevant macromolecules.
Criteria : student needs to have taken a statistical mechanics course in the Natural Science tripos or the Mathematics tripos.
experience in programming in C/C++ or Fortran.
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Continuation: the project can easily lead to a 4th year project.
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Funding: project student would need to obtain an EPSRC summer studentship
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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More Information about Dr Csanyi
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OPPORTUNITY RE-OPENED 20/05/2013
The molecular basis of temperature perception in plants
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Philip Wigge Sainsbury Laboratory
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Research in the Wigge lab is focused on understanding the molecular basis of temperature perception in plants. Temperature is a key environmental factor that has dramatic consequences on plant development, limiting the global distribution of plant species and significantly affecting crop yields. Remarkably, despite an extensive knowledge of how plants respond to temperature, little is known of the molecular mechanisms by which temperature is perceived in the first place.
To identify novel genes involved in temperature perception, the lab is currently carrying out extensive genetic screens and analyzing natural variation in temperature perception using the extensive genomics resources being developed for Arabidopsis genome wide association (GWA) mapping.
The student will assist an experienced post-doctoral research associate in identifying and mapping genes for temperature sensing and will be exposed to cutting edge high-throughput technologies and gene mapping techniques.
The student should be enthusiastic, with a keen interest in plant biology. Preference will be given to students with some prior lab experience.
This project is recommended for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, unless sufficient experience can be demonstrated.
Supporting Information can be found here.
This project is subject to EPSRC funding, so please ensure your eligibility to apply
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This could lead to a 4th year project: Dependent on outcome.
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This project is available from 25th June for 10 weeks.
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Insertion Date: 17/05/2013
Design and production of a portable housing for a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Alexander Komashie
Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
The Engineering Design Centre (EDC) has over the past two years, developed a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line (Legoline) used as a resource for teaching Integrated Systems Design at the postgraduate level. Legoline is a system comprising 11 Mindstorms controllers, 29 motors and 39 light, touch and colour sensors controlled through MATLAB.
This project involves the design and production of a portable housing with glass or Perspex covering to showcase the system.For this project, the student will be expected to:-
1) Follow a rigorous design process in the analysis of the problem and the synthesis of a solution.
2) Develop drawings of the housing to identify parts to be procured or produced.
3) Work closely with staff in the CUED machine shop for the production of the portable housing.
4) Work together with other students who are also working on other aspects of the Legoline system.
An ideal candidate therefore would have an interest in drawing and design and be a very hands-on practical person.
No experience with Lego Mindstorms or controls is required for this project.
This project is subject to EPSRC funding, so please ensure your eligibility to apply
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This project is not expected to lead to a final year undergraduate project.
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Insertion Date: 17/05/2013
Jetting and Inkjet Deposition studies of liquid crystalline materials
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr
Damian Gardiner
CMMPE and IfM Inkjet Research Centre, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Inkjet printable liquid crystalline materials are a recent key innovation emerging from the Engineering Department; a result of collaborative work between the Inkjet Research Centre, IfM and the Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, CMMPE, Division B.
The development potentially enables new kinds of low-cost photonic devices – such as lasers, displays or sensors – created by inkjet deposition of functional liquid crystal materials. Building upon the existing work, the project will focus on furthering the understanding and scope of results related to printing different classes of liquid crystal material; with a particular emphasis on correlating the liquid crystalline material behaviour (viscosity, surface tension and anisotropic properties) with the jetting performance in ‘drop-on-demand’ inkjet processing. The student will gain valuable practical, experimental skills relating to a wide variety of techniques – from inkjet deposition to optics and microscopy, for example.
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Project work is carried out within Division B (Electrical Engineering, CMMPE) and Inkjet Research Centre in CUED – Division E (Inkjet Research Centre, IfM)
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Suitable for Physical Science or Engineering students with experimental interests from the 2nd or 3rd Years, with potential for extension into 4th Year project work.
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Please apply to Lead Supervisor.
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Insertion Date: 15/05/2013
Identifying scientific images online
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Alan Blackwell Reader in Interdisciplinary Design, Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
When scientific findings are published online, key parts of the content are in the form of images - graphs, maps, or photographs. The goal of this research project is to investigate new techniques for automatically identifying and ranking scientific images, using data from captions, axis labels, or statistical classifier techniques.
Good coding skills are essential, for example to extract image content from PDF files, or process large collections of HTML/XML pages. In order to make reasonable progress on this research in the course of a summer, some prior knowledge of either natural language processing, statistical image analysis, or statistical classification will be necessary.
This project will be carried out in collaboration with a Cambridge startup company developing a scientific knowledge aggregator service.
For more information on Dr. Alan Blackwell click on the name link.
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Please apply to Lead Supervisor.
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Insertion Date: 08/05/2013
Anelasticity and ferroelasticity in silicates
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Professor Simon Redfern Department of Earth Sciences
Project Description:
This project will investigate the origins of time-dependent mechanical responses of silicates, with a view to understanding their anelastic damping behaviour. Mechanical damping has potential application in building earthquake-resistant structures, and high-damping properties at seismic frequencies will be the focus of this study.
The UROP will involve experimental investigation of the mechanical properties of key common silicates, including feldspars (the commonest silicate in Earth's crust) as a function of applied dynamic stress, stress frequency, and temperature. The student will collect data using dynamic mechanical analysis on natural and synthetic samples, and will analyse the results in the framework of standard models for anelastic solids.
The project will suit an individual keen on carrying out laboratory experiments and with an interest in applying physical models to real world problems. There is an opportunity to develop analysis routines for data reduction in the high-level system of your choice.
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Please apply to Lead Supervisor.
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Insertion Date: 07/05/2013
Computer-Aided Corrosion Prediction
Contact:Supervisor: Professor David Cebon Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
This project will develop a prototype tool to warn designers of the likelihood of electrolytic corrosion occurring in their product. The conditions for electrolytic corrosion are difficult for designers to detect, because they depend on the electrical interaction of two or more materials with different electrode potentials, possibly through a common environment (electrolyte). The idea of the project is to develop a tool that resides within a Computer Aided Design package. The tool will detect the materials present in a solid model, determine the possible conduction paths, etc, and then evaluate the likelihood of an electrochemical cell occurring.
The work will involve a significant amount of programming (probably in C++), making use of the API (Application Programming Interface) available within a popular CAD program. The project will also require the student to be reasonably up-to-speed with electrolytic corrosion.
- Suitable students will likely be either: an engineer or materials scientist with good programming skills; or a computer scientist with a willingness to do a crash-course in corrosion.
- Experience with programming on Android devices would be an advantage.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Android App to monitor driver performance
Contact:Supervisor: Professor David Cebon Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
The overall aim of this project is to combine acceleration data and GPS information collected on an Android device (phone or tablet) with the latest SatNav maps – to assess driver performance.
This UROP will involve writing an App to collect the data on an Android device. A second part of the project (MEng Project C-DC-8) will analyse the data to assess driver behaviour. There is an opportunity for one student to do both projects – ie a summer UROP followed by the MEng project.
- An engineer or computer scientist with an enthusiasm for App design and interfacing with sensors and other computer systems.
- Experience with programming on Android devices would be an advantage.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
User-friendly fuel consumption model
Contact:Supervisor: Professor David Cebon Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
The transportation group has developed an accurate simulation of the fuel consumption of a heavy vehicle. It incorporates models of the engine and drive train, the driver control behaviour, as well as energy losses through braking, aerodynamics and rolling resistance. This model could provide a powerful tool for vehicle fleet operators to assess the benefits of various possible energy-saving measures, such as aerodynamic improvements.
The aim of the UROP is therefore to package-up the existing simulation package into a modular system that inexperienced users could run, to model their vehicles, loading conditions and drive cycles and assess the various possible energy-saving measures. The programming language will probably be Matlab.
- An engineer or computer scientist with an enthusiasm for computer modelling and user interface design.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Dynamic Testing of Heavy Goods Vehicles
Contact:Supervisor: Professor David Cebon Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
This project is concerned with field-testing instrumented heavy goods vehicles. The student will help researchers with designing instrumentation systems and test programs, installing instrumentation and data logging systems, performing tests and analysing data. Various test programmes are planned over the summer including tests on regenerative braking systems, autonomous reversing, advanced anti-lock brakes and active trailer steering systems.
By taking part in vehicle tests, the student will get hands-on experience with a variety of measurement technologies and testing procedures and will experience the challenges of performing tests with a full scale instrumented HGV.
- An enthusiastic engineer with good practical skills and a willingness to learn about vehicle testing.
- A driving license would be an advantage.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Trajectory Design for Articulated Heavy Goods Vehicles
Contact:Supervisor: Professor David Cebon Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
We would like to understand the limits of manoeuvrability of articulated heavy goods vehicles in tight spaces. Examples are refuse collection vehicles in city streets and milk collection vehicles manoeuvring through farm entrances.
The aim is to develop a simulation tool into which a local map can be entered – eg of a loading bay, city street, or farm entrance. The software will determine the best path for the driver to follow to navigate the map without hitting any of the boundaries or other obstacles. It will need to account for rigid trucks and articulated vehicles with one or more trailers, each having fixed axles or steering axles. This will enable the user to investigate the best strategies for trailer steering and determine the benefits of trailer steering systems.
- An engineer or computer scientist with an interest in solving practical problems and good mathematical ability.
- Experience with Matlab/Simulink would be an advantage.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Project Description:
Aerodynamic drag accounts for 90% of the retardation for a racing cyclist, of this 82% is the cyclists body itself. Speed skating is much the same, but even 100m runners can benefit a little from lower drag. Indeed many Olympic sports could benefit from an understanding of how to make low drag clothing. The rules are slightly different for each sport, but in general any attempt to change body shape is banned, so the suits must be body hugging and such things as tear dropped shaped extensions not allowed.
The first step to achieving an understanding as to how to design low drag suits is to develop a good experimental method for evaluating fabrics, and fabric combinations, in the wind tunnel. There are lots of complications as stretch, moisture, and ‘fit’ all have an effect. British Cycling have already evaluated many materials, but some doubt exists to the validity of the experimental results.
The project is essentially to design a sound experimental method to evaluate fabrics in respect to drag properties. Skin friction, boundary layer and boundary layer transition characteristics are essential outcomes, but separation and reattachment may be included in the experiment.
- The student will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement with UKSport in order to access previous studies and experiment reports.
- An interest in programming and electronics is essential. An interest in cycling or sport would also not go amiss. TWO projects will be offered on this subject if there is sufficient interest.
- This project is funded by the UK Sport
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Development of a Position Sensor for Team GB Cyclists
Contact:Supervisor: Prof Tony Purnell Visiting Professor and Head of Technology British Cycling, Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
The position of a cyclist is key to lowering aerodynamic drag. Today all top cyclists have a few days per year in the wind tunnel trying to improve their position. This helps, but like anything constant training is needed to get proficient at holding a good aero body shape. Unfortunately when the riders are trying hard to produce power it is difficult for them to keep their minds on what body shape they are holding, and even if they are concentrating its hard for them to 'feel' what position they are actually in, and when they were in this position during a ride.
A step to making a low drag, but high power output position is to develop a method of real time position measurement. There are lots of sensors to monitor body shape and movement developed by the games industry. Indeed Microsoft's Kinect product started life in the department. Cameras, 'Shapetape', lasers, tilt/level sensors, all these could be used individually or combined to provide the required measurement. But how?
The project is to consider the design of such a sensor from a blank sheet of paper starting with a definition of requirements, an evaluation of different approaches, an error analysis of the top candidates and then the construction and testing of the chosen route. The report needs to critically assess the sensor with the listed requirements and, in particular, point out the risks in using such a sensor to provide ‘mission critical’ information.
Suitable students will have an interest in software, electronics (not essential but beneficial), measurement and applied mathematics. A strong interest in sport will do no harm.
- An interest in programming and electronics is essential. An interest in cycling or sport would also not go amiss.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Turning the Velodrome into a Wind Tunnel
Contact:Supervisor: Prof Tony Purnell Visiting Professor and Head of Technology British Cycling, Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
Aerodynamic drag accounts for 90% of the retardation for a racing cyclist, of this 82% is the cyclists body itself. British Cycling has put a great deal of work into making improvements here over the last two Olympic cycles, but more can be achieved.
Most of the investigations into this subject centre around CFD and wind tunnel experiments, but both are fraught with difficulties in obtaining accurate simulation. A rider pedalling around a velodrome, which is a good controlled environment, is the best simulation as it is not a simulation at all! Power-through-the-wheels is routinely measured, and adding a pitot tube to measure wind speed should be straight-forward, thus at first sight a good estimate of CdA should be easily obtained. However there are a multitude of error sources that may, or may not, require correction. The velodrome is steeply banked and so a small degree of wander from the racing line may have an effect. The tyres offer rolling resistance that is very variable with steering angle. What of the work done by the rider that holds him or her in a good position but expends energy not measured by the power to the wheels?
The project will involve building a computer ‘lap simulation’ of a track cyclist, building simple experiments to measure real effects (British Cycling have data loggers which can be used), and hopefully producing a real time CdA ‘meter’.
- An interest in programming and electronics is essential. An interest in cycling or sport would also not go amiss.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Crystal growth of the (Y/Lu)Fe2Ge2 system and related materials
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. F. Malte Grosche Quantum Matter group, Cavendish Laboratory.
Project Description:
The 1-2-2 composition family of materials with the ThCr2Si2 structure contains the first strongly correlated electron superconductor CeCu2Si2 and other rare earth compounds with highly unusual properties as well as some of the iron-pnictide high temperature superconductors.
A comparatively little studied member of this family, the title system (Y/Lu)Fe2Ge2, presents an interesting opportunity to investigate an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. LuFe2Ge2 is antiferromagnetic below 9 K, but its isoelectronic and isostructural sister compound YFe2Ge2 is nonmagnetic. Because YFe2Ge2 has a larger unit cell volume, applied hydrostatic pressure is expected to induce properties similar to those found in LuFe2Ge2. The threshold of antiferromagnetism - the magnetic quantum critical point - should be reached at a pressure of about 20 kbar. Near a quantum critical point, the standard model of condensed matter physics, Fermi liquid theory, is frequently seen to break down, and in some cases superconductivity is observed.
In this project we will grow samples in the (Y/Lu)Fe2Ge2 composition series as well as related materials, using radio frequency induction melting or flux growth. The crystals will be characterised using x-ray diffraction and low temperature measurement techniques available in the Quantum Matter group, and will feed into more advanced measurements at very low temperature (100 mK range), high magnetic field (up to 18 T) and under high pressure (up to 100,000 atmospheres).
Results from these measurements are likely to lead to joint publications. The project will provide experience in crystal growth techniques for intermetallic compounds, low temperature techniques and correlated electron physics.
- The project is expected to take 6-8 weeks and should ideally be scheduled in June/July or September.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Raspberry Pi Summer Internship Programme
Project Co-ordinator: Robert Mullins Computer Science Laboratory.
This not a UROP, indeed the terms are more favourable than a UROP project, however the set up is very similar. It is a multi departmental collaborative venture.
Project Description:
If you are not familiar with the Raspberry Pi phenomena, the link will tell you all about it. Essentially it is a tool to enable school children to develop a better understanding of computing. The projects will operate during the summer months in the Computer Laboratory, the Engineering Department and Plant Sciences.
There are 10 places and the projects involve a range of technological areas including software, hardware, sensors, data logging.
Full details of the projects and contacts are available via the Raspberry Pi Summer Internship Programme link.
Insertion Date: 20/04/2013
Geoffrey Hellings Prize for Innovation and Creativity
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Professor M.G. Worster
DAMTP, CMS
Project Description:
Not exactly a UROP, but many similarities. You need to generate your own project and find academic support.
A Geoffrey Hellings Prize may be awarded to an undergraduate member of the University of Cambridge to develop a scientific or engineering innovation. The Prize will provide the student with £230 per week for up to ten weeks of the Long Vacation while (s)he is working on the development. It will additionally provide up to £500 for research materials. Applicants should submit an outline of up to 500 words describing their innovation and how it will be investigated to the Senior Tutor of Trinity College via the Contact/Lead Supervisor link above by 3 June 2013. The application must be accompanied by a statement of support from a faculty member of the University including confirmation both that space and facilities will be provided to the student and that the faculty member will supervise and offer guidance as appropriate to the applicant should they be awarded the Prize.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 20/04/2013
Project Description:
In-building real time location/tracking systems (RTLS) are currently limited by costly active RFID tags. Cambridge research team has overcome this challenge by developing a low-cost passive RTLS and have demonstrated that the coverage of $0.05 passive tags can greatly be enhanced while simultaneously achieving near 100% tag detection. The RTLS being developed by the researchers will allow businesses such as high street retailers and airlines which use tagging on high-end goods and passengers' luggage, to cheaply and effectively monitor the location of these items.
During a pilot, one prototype system was installed within an office - a room measuring 8 x 17 m2. The office was furnished with desks on which approximately 100 files filled with pages of paper were stacked in piles of five files apiece. The system was able to detect hundreds of files with near 100% accuracy.
This UROP will develop the RFID system to extend the capability as the system moves towards commercialisation. This will be EITHER:
• Development of an ATE (automatic test equipment), either as a separate system, or built into to the reader to enable quality control testing.
OR
• Calibrating the system to meet spectral mask and other radio regulatory requirements.
- A good understanding of real-time programming in C++ as well as hands on electronics skills are desirable. Knowledge of embedded C, wireless communications, microcontrollers such as Arduino, and RF measurements could be advantageous.
- The project will be based in the Centre for Photonic Systems, Div B (mainly in the William Gates Building)
- This UROP could continue on to a 4th year project.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor to apply
Face-to-Face Interaction Capture Through Bluetooth Low Energy Tags and Smartphones
Contact:Supervisor: Dr Sarfraz Nawaz Engineering Department
Project Description:
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), also known as Bluetooth v4, is a new low-power hardware and software stack. These short-range wireless transceivers can be used to add communication capabilities to embedded sensor devices, and last for several months on a single coin cell battery. Manufacturers have also started to embed these transceivers in current smartphones (iPhone) and tablets (Samsung Note).
This makes it possible to use these smart devices to communicate with the embedded sensor systems. The main aim of this project is to investigate the use of these BLE devices along with smartphones to capture and track face-to-face communication in teams of workers. Each worker will wear a badge with a BLE device on it and also carry a smartphone. The BLE devices will periodically transmit beacons, which can be received by other badges that are in close proximity (thus indicating face-to-face communication). Each badge will keep track of the time, duration and IDs of the badges seen by it over the course of time. The workers will be able to view this information in an App on the smartphone.
This project will involve both an iPhone App and embedded software development on BLE devices. The student will develop software for BLE devices that will allow them to beacon and keep track of the beacons from other badges. The student will also develop an iPhone App that will allow the phone to communicate with a BLE device and present this data to the user.
- Criteria: Student needs to have taken some Computer Science courses
- Experience required: Experience with C/C++ programming
- Continuation: The project can easily lead to a 4th year project
- Funding: From the Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction - no application restrictions apply
- Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor
High pressure temperature modulation calorimetry in narrow band metals
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. F. Malte Grosche and Yang Zou , Quantum Matter group, Cavendish Laboratory.Project Description:
Narrow band metals, or materials in which the strength of the electronic interactions becomes comparable to the width of the relevant electronic bands, can display a large variety of ordered states at low temperature. These include various forms of magnetic order (ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, spin density wave order), superconductivity, charge or orbital order, nematic order, etc. Thermodynamic signatures, in particular anomalies in the heat capacity, represent the most direct evidence of the existence of such a phase transition.
The ordered states in question are often first discovered by tuning the properties of a known material under applied hydrostatic pressure. In this project, we will develop low temperature heat capacity techniques, and we will focus on an approach which can be used in high pressure cells, namely temperature modulation (or AC) calorimetry. In this approach, the temperature oscillations resulting from a sinusoidally varying heat input are observed by phase sensitive detection. The method will be used to investigate existing materials in the Quantum Matter group (CeAgSb2, YFe2Ge2) at pressures up to 30,000 bar and at temperatures down to 100 mK.
- The project is expected to take 6-8 weeks and should ideally be scheduled in June/July or September.
Crystal growth of correlated semiconductors and semimetals
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. F. Malte Grosche Quantum Matter group, Cavendish Laboratory.Project Description:
Materials with low carrier density but narrow electronic bands are potentially useful for solid state refrigeration at low temperature. Moreover, the strong electronic interactions in these materials can induce novel types of electronic order, and in some cases topologically protected surface states may be observed.
In this project we will grow samples from this material class using flux growth or radio frequency induction melting. The crystals will be characterised using x-ray diffraction and low temperature measurement techniques available in the Quantum Matter group and may feed into more advanced measurements at very low temperature (100 mK range), high magnetic field (up to 18 T) and under high pressure (up to 100,000 atmospheres).
- The project is expected to take 6-8 weeks and should ideally be scheduled in June/July or September.
Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) Demonstrations
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. Jize Yan Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC). brings together leading research groups from the Department of Engineering, Computer Laboratory, Judge Business School and Department of Architecture. This group of projects is designed to showcase the use of emerging technologies in sensor and data management, coupled with emerging best practice in the form of the latest manufacturing and supply chain management approaches applied to construction and infrastructure. There are four student posts available to work on CSIC Demonstrations in Summer 2013. Students have the opportunity to deal with practical problems, be involved in large CSIC research projects and work together with CSIC industrial partners.:
Each student can choose to investigate one or more of the following topics
- Powering a wireless sensor network with different energy resources, such as small-scale wind turbines
- Low Power wireless sensor network and new mote platform development for infrastructure monitoring
- Signal processing of distributed fibre-optic sensor analysers
- Fuel cell and power management system as long-term power source for WSN
- Crowd-sourcing of data using smart phone (iPad/Android) applications
- Smart Energy Storage Systems for Energy Harvesters
- Criteria: 2nd year or 3rd year undergraduate in relevant field
Continuation: The project can lead to a 4th year project
It is fully funded by the Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC).
Supervised by Dr Jize Yan and (students will also work with Paul Fidler, Dr Sarfraz Nawaz, and Prof Kenichi Soga)
Insertion Date: 10/04/2013
Numerical analysis of pile foundations and tunnel-pile interaction
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. Jize Yan Department of Engineering.
Project Description:
A position exists for a UROP student to work on the development of an in-house Smart Pile Foundation Analysis software. The UROP student will be involved in the validation of the software and comparison with other industry standard software.
During this project the student will:
- learn about analysis and associated software of piled foundations and tunnelling
- be exposed to several aspects of geotechnical research and advanced theoretical background.
- provide both practical and research experience to the student
- Participate in a collaboration with another UROP student working on powder bed technologies.
- This position will suit students with a background in Civil Engineering and with interest in Geotechnics and Numerical Analysis.
- Although not a prerequisite, an interest in programming and relevant skills (such as C++, Matlab, Mathematica) would be an advantage.
Because of the on-going development of the software, this project may lead to a 4th year MEng project.
It is fully funded by the Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC).
Co-supervised by Dr Jize Yan and Loizos Pelecanos Department of Engineering.
Insertion Date: 10/04/2013
Tablet-based teaching for Engineering
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Claire Barlow Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Within a very few years we will be seeing huge changes in the way university students expect to receive teaching, and one aspect of this is increased use of electronic media, moving away from paper. I want to get the Engineering Department engaged with this, and I will be trialling tablet-based teaching in METIIA from October 2013. The baseline aim for the study is to have all lecture handouts only in electronic form, but I hope that we can immediately start using the devices to stimulate more interactive learning styles (e.g. instant quizzes, instant feedback). The main tasks to be completed before October are:
- Identify tablets and apps suitable for our needs.
- Infrastructure matters: provision for charging tablets; server requirements.
- Propose what should be covered in training for staff and students.
- Consider what feedback should be gathered and how to do this.
- Start to identify how we can use the tablets to enhance learning.
This UROP could develop into a fourth-year project.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 04/04/2013
Project Description:
In this project you would use a simple headset of electroencephalography (EEG) device More information to extract unconscious behaviour of people when they use online social network tools. Example questions to solve are how people make a decision to re-tweet in Twitter or post a wall comments n Facebook. We will provide an EEG experiment device, which can automatically record the signal in the brain. You would design the experimental setting up and goal of the experiment. From simple experiment to our on-going photo rating experiments (use username test and email address test@gmail.com and try out) can be used as an experimental material to complement the extracting data.
The work is based on the EU FP7 RECOGNITION project More information can be found CLICK HERE and
CLICK HERE
- Application should be emailed to Dr Eiko Yoneki via the link in the Header
- Your application should be a PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
- Good programming skill (C++ or Java) and Matlab knowledge would be advantageous.
- This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
Measuring Mobility and Interaction of People using Active RFID tag
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Eiko Yoneki Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
In this project you would deploy the active RFID tags and readers in the research lab or hospital to measure the mobility of people and interaction of them. The RFID tags are from the OpenBeacon platform and the task of the project is building up sensing platform, which has accurate data collection to meet the experimental criteria. Additionally you can challenge to build a light weight RFID tag reader using Raspberry Pi together with OpenBeacon USB reader.
- Application should be emailed to Contact/Lead Supervisor Dr Eiko Yoneki via the link in the Header
- Your application should be a PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
- Good programming skill (C, C++) and network configuration would be advantageousadvantageous.
- This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
Virtual Disease Spread Simulation by Android Phones
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Eiko Yoneki Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
In this project you would build an Android application called ‘Virtual Disease’ on the smart phone using the opportunistic network framework haggle architecture. The application broadcasts information about virtual diseases. It is infected to all devices in range, and receiving devices are infected by these virtual diseases based on a simple probability calculation. The application logs all incoming diseases and stores information regarding how they are processed. Communication is based on hybrid architecture of WiFi and Bluetooth. GPS location information can be recorded optionally. You would deploy different disease models embedded in the phone and showing various information on the phone including infection heat map. This project is an extended version from the FluPhone project http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/srg/netos/fluphone/, which was reported BBC at CLICK HERE for more information
- Application should be emailed to Contact/Lead Supervisor Dr Eiko Yoneki via the link in the Header
- Your application should be a PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
- Good programming skill (Java) and web application (e.g. PHP) is required..
- This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
Project Description:
In this project you would use eye tracking device to extract unconscious behaviour of people when they use online social network tools.
Example questions to solve are how people make a decision to re-tweet in Twitter or post a wall comments n Facebook.
We will provide an eye tracking experiment device, which can automatically record the web browser and monitor’s
information from the participant’s eye movement. You would design the experimental setting up and goal of the experiment.
Our on-going photo rating experiments (use username test and email address test@gmail.com and try out)
can be used as an experimental material to complement the extracting data.
You can also provide feedback information (e.g. how the other people rated, what is the average of rating) from the participant’s social clique.
The work is based on the EU FP7 RECOGNITION project More information can be found CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE
- Application should be emailed to Contact/Lead Supervisor Dr Eiko Yoneki via the link in the Header
- Your application should be a PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
- Good programming skill (C++, Java) and Matlab knowledge would be advantageous..
- This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
Project Description:
We have a number of deployments gathering fine-grain electricity use in University buildings. The most mature of these can be found here.
Our approach is to publish data logs on the web and allow anyone to develop visualisation tools that make use of the published data.
Our prototype visualisation tool, Joule, is written in JavaScript. Documentation is available here.
The project is to build on this in one of more of the following ways:
1) We need to explore visualisations that make trends and significant events more obvious
2) We need a simple way of describing the relationships amongst meters (and potentially to have "virtual meters")
3) JavaScript is being used in a manner far from its original design as a scripting language. We would like to shift the implementation to OCaml to make implementation more compact and robust. OCaml code will be translated into JavaScript via the js_of_ocaml tool (and make use of standard JavaScript libraries)
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Please apply to the Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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It could extend in to a final year project for Computer Science undergraduates.
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Insertion Date: 28/03/2013.
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Update on 9/5/13 - 1 position is still available
Project Description:
Datacenter measurement is hard, can we simply replicate the network traffic of a 10,000 node datacenter within a cluster of FPGAs? Giving us the ideal environment to replicate network traffic and behaviour as we evaluate new topologies, new applications and new things as yet not thought of?
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Skills required: Unix (linux) and C, ECAD/FPGA ability (eg Verilog/System Verilog), networking familiarity (e.g. doing the CST Part 1b Computer Networking course.)
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Please apply to the Contact/Lead Supervisor by email with the subject "UROP".
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This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
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Insertion Date: 22/03/2013
Project Description:
A theme of research we have is how to divide problems between hardware and software. This work would look at a number of approaches to such effort for 10Gbps: comparing the performance and optimal operating conditions.
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A Part 2 (CST) or Part 3 (CST) project would also result from this work.
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Skills required: Unix (linux) and C, networking familiarity (e.g. doing the CST Part 1b Computer Networking course.)
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Please apply to the Contact/Lead Supervisor by email with the subject "UROP".
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This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
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Insertion Date: 22/03/2013
Project Description:
This effort would be to author new VNS practical work suitable for Ticks; this also includes migrating this material to the mininet framework.
The VNS practical work will be used across a wide range of institutions, and has the potential for high impact. There is a close coupling with a new submission system the department is authoring and the application will work in collaboration with colleagues at Stanford. Part of the automation process will involve working with amazon based EC2 VM cluster.
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Skills required: Unix (linux) and C, networking familiarity (e.g. doing the CST Part 1b Computer Networking course.)
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Please apply to the Contact/Lead Supervisor by email with the subject "UROP".
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This UROP is sponsored by EPSRC and Industry and is open to all to apply
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Insertion Date: 22/03/2013
Automatic Assessment of English as a Second Language
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Mark Gales Department of Engineering
Project Description:
The traditional approach to assessing spoken English is to have a well-trained human assessor listen to the test - either live or recorded - and mark the performance on a standardised scale. There are two main problems with this. First the process is highly expensive as it requires the training of an assessor. Secondly the process is not scaleable to large numbers of candidates. There is considerable interest in automating this approach to address these problems. The goal of this project is to develop techniques to automatically evaluate oral communication skills in collaboration with Cambridge University Language Assessment
The project will make use of state-of-the-art speech recognition approaches to provide transcriptions and features that characterise the communications skills of the candidate.
Specific areas that may be examined include:
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adapting a speech recognition system to non-native speakers;
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automatic correction of crowd-sourced transcriptions;
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use of 'crowd-sourced' transcriptions to train speech recognition systems;
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extracting features from transcriptions (both from the speech recognition system and crowd-sourced) for assessing English;
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designing a classifier given a set of features for spoken English assessment as a second language.
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This project is most likely suited to a student with an interest in information engineering, who has some programming skills.
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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This UROP could lead to a 4th year project.
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Insertion Date: 22/03/2013
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Update on 9/5/13 - multiple positions still available
Preparation and analysis of rocks to understand volcanic eruptions
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Marie Edmonds Department of Earth Sciences
Project Description:
This is an opportunity for an undergraduate to work with a volcanologist in the Earth Sciences department, on a project that seeks to quantify volatiles in magmas and their role in driving eruptions. The student will spend time in the laboratory cutting rocks to make thin sections and crushing tephra and picking out crystals, which will then be mounted, ground and polished. There will be opportunities for geochemical microanalysis, image analysis of grains and bubbles in the rocks, and perhaps for volcanological fieldwork. The work is part of a larger research effort in the department to understand how magmas ascend, evolve and degas in the crust prior to eruption at the surface, and the effect of volcanic eruptions on the atmosphere and climate.
The successful applicant must be studying for a degree in a quantitative discipline, will have completed second or third year of studies with a record of 2:1 grades or better and have an interest in experimental approaches to volcanology.
They must be eligible for subsequent NERC PhD funding (e.g. UK, EU or with right to remain in the UK), full details of eligibility are at NERC
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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The work will run over a period of between 8-10 weeks.
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Insertion Date: 21/03/2013
Characterisation of Graphene Paper
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Benjamin Russell Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Graphene Paper (GP) is an exciting new material composed of interlocking graphene nano-sheets. The properties and behaviour of these materials are remarkable with a reported hardness twice that of carbon steel but having a fraction of steel’s density.
The project will initially focus on a processing route for these materials. Once established, the project will involve microstructural characterisation using optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques, mechanical property testing, and evaluation of the failure mechanisms. An integral objective of this project will be to explore the relationship between the processing, microstructure and properties of the GP. Later stages of the project will look at the feasibility of producing simple structures from GP.
This project is practical in nature and will hold particular appeal to those with interest in materials, mechanics or chemical engineering. Project objectives are flexible, and can be tailored to the strengths and interests of the successful applicant.
Criteria: Strong practical / laboratory skills required
Continuation: may lead to 4th Year project
Applications should be sent to the lead supervisor and need to include: name, email, course, year, relevant experience and up to 150 words explaining your interest in the project; all information should be contained within a single side of A4 and send as a PDF attachment
Insertion Date: 20/3/2013
Emotionally intelligent interfaces
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Professor Peter Robinson Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
We would like to make some packaged demonstrations of the technology for use at outreach events like open days.
Three UROP positions are available to work on different demonstrators.
Possible ideas include:
(1) Use our facial feature tracker to control the animation of a photo-realistic avatar showing either the same person or someone else. This should also allow the amplitude of the expressions to be modified, making the avatar more or less expressive, to investigate how this affected a conversation between two people using this video link.
(2) Illustrate the internal operation of the system. The combined inference of mental states from facial expressions and non-verbal aspects of voice uses statistical machine learning operating over short periods of time. It would be interesting to illustrate the internal working of the system to show how it reached its conclusions.
(3) Build a program that allows the users to visualize the emotional trace of songs on a local computer and/or from YouTube videos. It should integrate existing algorithms for feature extraction from audio and state-of-the-art emotion trackers for music.
The demonstration systems will be used in the department, for conference presentations, and at the Cambridge Science Centre. You will work under the supervision of the researchers responsible for the underlying systems as a full member of the research group.
Skills needed: The systems will be written in Java or C++ to run on Windows.
The Graphics and Interaction Group in the Computer Laboratory has several research projects in affective computing. SEE HERE.
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Professor Peter Robinson.
Your application should consist of a single PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
For information about Peter Robinson.
The work could lead to final-year projects and even to subsequent research.
Insertion Date: 12/3/2013
Improving the reliability, resilience and robustness of a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Alexander Komashie Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
The Engineering Design Centre (EDC) has over the past two years, developed a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line (Legoline) used as a resource for teaching Integrated Systems Design at the postgraduate level. Legoline is a system comprising 11 Mindstorms controllers, 29 motors and 39 light, touch and colour sensors controlled through MATLAB.
Over the coming summer it is desired to improve the performance of the system by focusing on its reliability, resilience and robustness under various operating conditions and exploring the feasibility of replacing the existing wired connectivity between the NXT bricks and the PC with a wireless Bluetooth connectivity.
For this project, the student will be expected to:
Develop a good understanding of Legoline and its control system.
Explore the feasibility, produce a detailed design and implement a wireless Bluetooth connectivity on the systems.
Run the system several times and carefully identifying causes of various system failures and developing appropriate solutions to them.
Produce a complete run of various experiments to be used as examples of teaching.
This project is subject to EPSRC funding, so please ensure your eligibility to apply
An ideal candidate therefore would have an interest in controls and design with good attention to details.
Continuation: the project might lead to a 4th year project.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 28/03/2013
Whole-system design of tidal turbines
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Ivor Day Whittle Laboratory, Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
Members of the Whittle Laboratory have been using a lifting-line code to optimise tidal turbine blade design and manipulate the power curve of the device. The results so far are promising, in that there seems to be a lot of scope of changing the power curve to improve performance and make the mechanical design simpler. However, the work so far only considers the hydrodynamic performance of the device, and does not take into account the impact of design changes on the transmission or electrical conversion systems. This may lead to a device which is hydro dynamically improved, but compromised from an electrical point of view.
The code for the hydrodynamics is an open-sourced MATLAB code (OpenProp) and there is another MATLAB code, written by members of CAPE, for emulating electrical systems. The UROP project involves coupling the two codes in order to create one piece of software for optimising the whole turbine design.
Criteria: proficient use of MATLAB, and interest in programming;Basic understanding of fluids and electrical power.
Continuation: may suit a 3rd year woth 3A1 and understanding of electrical power. In this case, it could develop into a 4th year project involving using code to optimise a turbine.
This UROP is subject to obtaining funding. Please ensure you are eligible to apply (according to the EPSRC criteria)
Applications should be sent to Dr. Ivor Day AND Dr. Anna Young
Insertion Date: 20/3/2013. Revision of lead supervisor made on 25/3/13
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
The Earth's magnetic field is believed to be generated by a dynamo effect, with complicated flow physics in the outer core governed by the magnetohydrodynamic equations. Modelling and simulation are key to investigating this phenomenon; detailed observations are impossible. This project will survey the state-of-art in the study of the Earth's dynamo, and test numerical methods that will form part of a full-scale computational model. There is scope for the project student to take the study in different directions, from careful analysis of the equations that govern the problem to the use of massively parallel super-computers for solving large-scale problems with a high degree of resolution. This project will provide exposure to the modelling of coupled physical processes, including electromagnetics and fluid flow, and to advanced computer simulation techniques. It will be supervised by Prof Peter Davidson and Dr Garth Wells.
Criteria : strong interest in mathematical modelling.
Experience: programming experience in Python and/or C++ is desirable.
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Continuation: the project might lead to a 4th year project.
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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More Information about Dr Garth Wells
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Insertion Date: 27/02/2013
Redesign of the pallet flow system of a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Alexander Komashie Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
The Engineering Design Centre (EDC) has over the past two years, developed a Lego Mindstorms model of a production line (Legoline) used as a resource for teaching Integrated Systems Design at the postgraduate level. Legoline is a system comprising 11 Mindstorms controllers, 29 motors and 39 light, touch and colour sensors controlled through MATLAB.
Currently the flow of pallets on the system is overshadowed by the number of NXT bricks and sensors on the line. Over the coming summer it is desired to explore the feasibility of redesigning the mechanical structure in order to elevate the pallet flow and make the controllers and sensors less prominent on the system.
For this project, the student will be expected to:
Develop a good understanding of Legoline and its control system.
Follow a rigorous design process in the analysis of the problem and the synthesis of a solution.
Work together with other students focusing on other parts of the system in achieving a reliable, resilient and robust system as a whole.
This project is subject to EPSRC funding, so please ensure your eligibility to apply
An ideal candidate would have significant experience in building complex structures with Lego, an interest in design with good attention to details.
An experience in controls would be advantageous.
Continuation: the project might lead to a 4th year project.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 28/03/2013
Studying the Impact of Large Scale Events on Commercial Activities and Human Mobility in the City
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Cecilia Mascolo Computer Laboratory
Project Description:
Major events such as the Summer or Winter Olympic Games and the World Cup in Football are known to have a transformative effect on the life of a city. The construction of new transportation infrastructure, the arrival of large crowds of tourists and the concurrent escape of the locals from and to remote destinations respectively and, ultimately, the execution of the event itself change profoundly the rhythms of human urban activity.
Moreover, the financial impact of these events has been known to be positive to some businesses and detrimental to others as it has been reported over the news in the past years. A speculative explanation for this duality in the influence that large scale events have in a city is that customer preferences towards coffee shops, restaurants and other commercial enterprises may significantly shift due to massive advertising campaigns or other factors.
Due to the absence of datasets that describe human mobility in the city there has been a lack of quantitative studies that have analysed the impact of major events. Nonetheless, the recent rise in the popularity of location-based social networks such as Foursquare, have allowed for the recording of human movement and activity preferences over long periods of time. The multiple layers of spatial, temporal and semantic information describing user activity can allow us for the first time to record and monitor with fine granularity changes in the way users visit certain places or areas of a city.
In this project, we will exploit a dataset sourced from Foursquare comprised of millions of user check-ins in order to analyse user mobility patterns in the city before, during and after the London Olympics in 2012. After studying how different places or types of places are visited across the different temporal periods we will then formulate a machine learning prediction task. The goal of the task will be the prediction of the most positively (equivalently in a second scenario, most negatively) affected places in the city during and after the Olympic Games.
The success of a place in this context will be defined by changes in the number of check-ins received by Foursquare users. The prediction task will be carried out after formulating appropriate data mining features from insights drawn during the analysis part of the project. A report which could potentially to a research paper will be written in the final weeks of the project.
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Dr Cecilia Mascolo.
Your application should consist of a single PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
For information about Dr Cecilia Mascolo.
The work could lead to a final-year project.
Insertion Date: 13/3/2013
Investigation of the deep seismic structure of the Indo-Himalayan collision zone in northwestern India
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Keith Priestly Department of Earth Sciences
Project Description:
For the past ~50 million years the Indian subcontinent has been penetrating deeper and deeper into Eurasia, and this collision has uplifted the Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau, the highest mountain range and plateau on Earth. The effects of the collision, which are evident 2500 km to the north in Mongolia, attest to the great strength of the Indian lithosphere. While it has long been acknowledged that the Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau result from the northward motion of India and its collision with Eurasia, the process by which the Indian lithosphere raises and supports the Himalayas and Tibet is still unknown. Although various models have been proposed, there is as yet no agreement as to which is correct. A great deal of work has been done in the past ~20 years to determine the crust and upper mantle structure of Tibet, but the crucial piece of information required to understand the uplift and support of the Himalaya Mountains and Tibet - how the Indian shield is successively deformed and modified as it collides with the Eurasian lithosphere - is still missing.
Cambridge Department of Earth Science seismologists have been working with Indian colleagues for ~10 years to image the lithospheric structure of the Indian sub-continent and we now have detailed images of the Indian lithosphere where it is relatively undeformed south of the Ganges Basin. Working in the Himalaya, the transition zone between undeformed India and the Tibetan Plateau is much more challenging. We now have data from several field experiments but because of the complexities in the structure across the transition zone, denser seismograph spacing is required and greater spatial coverage. In summer 2013 we will install a seismic network in NW India and recorded for approximately two years.
The student will work on the analysis of recently recorded seismic data in the NW Himalaya and thereby gain some experience in seismic data analysis and computer modelling.
The successful applicant must be studying for a degree in a quantitative discipline, will have completed second or third year of studies with a record of 2:1 grades or better and have an interest in seismology.
They must be eligible for subsequent NERC PhD funding (e.g. UK, EU or with right to remain in the UK), full details of eligibility are at NERC
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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The work will run over a period of between 8-10 weeks.
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Insertion Date: 21/03/2013
High speed imaging and inkjet printing
Contact:Supervisor: Dr Steve Hoath IfM Inkjet Research Centre, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
A selection of high speed cameras, including a million frames per second Shimadzu HPV-1 from the EPSRC engineering equipment loan pool, will be available for inkjet printing experiments. The project will provide a suitable student with an opportunity to explore our existing image analysis programs and crunch high speed imaging data.
The inkjet printing work in the project may also involve analysis of existing printed images to help understand print artefacts, seen under non-standard conditions, pertinent to future printing applications. Interest in fluid dynamics and possession of programming and physical modelling skills would be advantageous for this work.
All new results obtained in the study would be written up for academic publication and presented to members of the Innovation in Industrial Inkjet Technology project.
Click here for more information IfM Inkjet Research Centre- Suitable for Physical Science or Engineering students with experimental interests from the 2nd or 3rd Years
- This UROP could continue on to a 4th year project.
- This UROP project will be funded by industrial money from the I4T consortium and will be based with the Inkjet Research Centre in CUED.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
The time dependent behaviour of viscous spreading over elastic layers
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Jerome Neufeld Department of Earth Sciences
Project Description:
The surface velocity field of the Tibetan plateau, along with the flexural bulge seen in the Indian subcontinent have recently been shown to exhibit behaviour compatible with a viscous flow over an elastically deforming substrate. However, the dynamics of the flow, its rate of progression and the concomitant topographic expression have yet to be explored. Here we propose a process study using both numerical and experimental investigations to link the dynamics of viscous flow to the elastic deformation the Indian subcontinent. The study will focus on the scale of elastic deformation, the topographic profiles of the Tibetan plateau, and their link to the convergence rate of the margin as well as the uplift rate of the plateau. Experiments will be conducted with viscous fluids, principally golden syrup, spreading on a PDMS elastic sheet floating on a salt-water ‘ocean’. Previous experiments have shown that deflections of the sheet can be measured to 10 micron accuracy, and these profiles will be compared to numerical simulations to understand the physical processes underlying the geophysical observations.
The successful applicant must be studying for a degree in a quantitative discipline, will have completed second or third year of studies with a record of 2:1 grades or better and have an interest in experimental approaches to fluid-dynamics.
They must be eligible for subsequent NERC PhD funding (e.g. UK, EU or with right to remain in the UK), full details of eligibility are at NERC
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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The work will run over a period of between 8-10 weeks.
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Insertion Date: 21/03/2013
Biological Treatment of High Salinity Waters
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Geoffrey T. Parker Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
In the face of increasing climate and population pressures on traditional resources, there is a growing acceptance of desalination as a viable option to supply of freshwater. There exists a class of organisms that can tolerate, and even thrive, in aquatic environments with a high degree of salinity.
This 10-week project will will examine the feasibility of these organisms as the key agents in a replacement or supplemental treatment unit process at several potential locations in the human hydrological cycle, particularly in arid environments.
For more in-depth information regarding the project please CLICK HERE.
The project is likely to continue into a 4th year project.
Not suitable for engineering students who need to meet the industrial experience requirement.
This UROP is subject to obtaining funding. Please ensure you are eligible to apply (according to the EPSRC criteria)
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Dr Geoffrey Parker.
Insertion Date: 12/3/2013
Shake table testing of historic masonry structures
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Matt de Jong Department of Engineering
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
The vulnerability of historic masonry structures to earthquake loading is repeatedly evidenced in seismic events around the world. The aim of this research is to investigate the collapse of buttressed arches under seismic loading. The research will involve creation of experimental scale models, and testing of these scale models under a variety of earthquake ground motions. The aim will be to characterize the ground motions to which these structures are most vulnerable, and to investigate a variety of possible retrofit techniques. Complementary computational modelling will also be conducted and compared with experimental modelling results.
Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 13/03/2013Real-time temperature and velocity measurement at turbocharger turbine inlet on an IC engine.
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof Nick Collings Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Engines with turbochargers are being used more and more on automobiles. Consequently, the turbochargers themselves are the subject of intensive research. The turbine (in the exhaust stream) is a difficult component to optimise and this issue is getting more severe due to the industry trend towards smaller number of cylinders (three rather than four cylinder engines are becoming common).
A well-established technique for measuring velocity in “easy” flows is the hot-wire anemometry (HWA) technique but there is another measurement, of temperature and velocity ,which can be achieved by using a different unheated sensor, where a resistance measurement of the sensor wire is used to determine temperature, via the resistance/temperature characteristic of the wire material.
Suggested tasks will include:
- Learning thoroughly the background theory of HWA.
- Performing standard HWA measurements in a existing wind-tunnel to get experience of the use of HWA.
- Using a standard rapid traverse mechanism as a basis, perform design calculations for a FHWA system, and design and build the required hardware.
- Performing FHWA measurements in a simple environment (probably a wind tunnel), where the “answers” are known.
- Designing and building a “bench” experiment, consisting of a pipe with an electric heater at inlet, to produce a flow which will have a temperature and velocity profile (and for which theory should be able to give estimates), and take measurements with the FHWA system.
- Perform “live” engine experiments.
This UROP is most likley to suit a student with an interest in mechanical and electrical engineering, who likes the hands on side of engineering
For more in-depth information regarding the project please CLICK HERE.
This could lead to a 4th year project.
To apply please contact the Lead Supervisor.
Insertion Date: 5/3/2013
Flow in porous media and inkjet printing
Contact:Supervisor: Dr. Graham Martin Department of Engineering.
Lead Supervisor: Prof. Ian Hutchings based at Inkjet Research Centre, Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering.
Fluid penetration into porous media is a phenomenon of great interest in nature and for technological applications. The fluids can be used to change the surface chemistry of the porous media or deposit any carried functional materials to the internal solid surfaces. Such materials are then of use in a diverse set of fields such as biosensors, filtration and catalysis. Our interests are in exploring the dynamics of liquid drops deposited onto porous materials (e.g. fibres in paper-like materials, packed granules, etc.) to allow greater control of both where they go and what they can carry with them.During this project the student will:
- Set up and explore simple numerical models available in the literature to simulate the penetration dynamics of fluids into porous media.
- Use Flow3D (Computational fluid dynamics software) to simulate the flow (no previous experience required on this software).
- Recommend and carry out experiments involving both deposition and subsequent characterisation by microscopy.
- Participate in a collaboration with another UROP student working on powder bed technologies.
- We seek a student with programming skills in the context of numerical models (i.e. Matlab, Mathematica).
- Experience in an experimental environment would be advantageous.
Co-supervised by Dr Graham Martin and Dr. Ronan Daly, Department of Engineering.
Please apply to Contact Supervisor Dr. Graham Martin.
Insertion Date: 04/04/2013
Project Description:
We will are offering 4 UROP positions building open-source technology for helping supervisors and improving supervision quality. We have acquired funding to pay for a postdoctoral researcher to work with the interns over the full 10 week period and to manage the software development process. The project will most likely be built as a set of back-end tools with a web front-end but it is very open-ended.
Possible ideas include: Organisation: scheduling supervisions, and handing work in electronically (perhaps using CamScanner); Supervision work: sharing good supervision work questions and leaving feedback and ideas for future supervisors, support for automated marking of work (such as in the Java practicals); Peer feedback: allowing groups to share answers and discuss with each other and their supervisor before a supervision takes place.
Benefits: The tools we are building will hopefully be used across the department including by your own supervisors; Get experience working as a software development team; Your code will be open source and so you can use it yourself in future or show it to future employers; Get an idea of what it is like to be a PhD student in the department; You'll work closely with staff and researchers.
Skills required: Good programming ability of the equivalent of exercises 1-7 of the Part 1A Programming in Java course in the Computer Science Tripos.
For more in-depth information regarding the project please CLICK HERE.
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Dr. Andrew Rice
Your application should be a printable document (e.g. PDF) containing: your name and email address, a photograph (so we can remember who you are when we speak to you!), details of your previous programming experiences, and a brief paragraph with your interests or ideas about the project
Deadline for applications is Friday 19th April 2013
Insertion Date: 8/3/2013
Tension/Compression Monitoring in Structural Elements
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr James Talbot Engineering Department
Project Description:
This project is inspired by the current construction of the Leadenhall Building a new tower in the City of London. It arises from a request from Laing O’Rourke, the lead contractor on the building and a partner in the Department’s Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC). The nature of the Leadenhall construction is such that it is desirable to establish the state of tension/compression in the steel diagonal bracing elements of the primary structure as this is assembled on site. This must be done in a non-invasive way, without causing damage to the steel surface coating. The aim of the project is to explore the possibility of using dynamic measurements to indicate whether a structural element is in tension or compression. One of the Leadenhall bracing elements will be used as the basis of a series of experiments, to be conducted in the Structures Laboratory.
- Criteria: 3rd year undergraduate with interests in civil, structural or mechanical engineering.
- This UROP could continue on to a 4th year project.
- Experience in structural vibration, experimentation and Matlab is desirable.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Inkjet and powder-bed 3D printing
Lead Supervisor: Dr Ian Hutchings Inkjet Research Centre, Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Explore the application of inkjet and control techniques to 3D Printing and additive manufacturing.
Although technologies for additive manufacturing have been around for about 25 years now and are able to fabricate objects with incredibly complex geometries these parts are, in most cases, only prototypes and not functional as the range of materials currently used is very limited. A subset of these 3D printers work by depositing liquid drops onto thin layers of powder in order to bind powder particles together and form a pattern (2D). Successive layers of powder are spread and printed and the process is repeated several times until the 3D object is completed. Further processing of this ‘green’ object could involve high-temperature sintering or infiltration. There is, however, a great lack of understanding of the various dynamical processes involved in this technique.
During this project the student will:
• Contribute to the assembly of test equipment to produce thin layers of powder
• Help to synchronise this equipment with a 3-axis robot and/or a droplet generator (printhead)
• Possible collaborate with another UROP student working on fluid flows in porous media
We seek a student with programming skills in the context of automation and control (i.e Labview, Matlab or other specific software).
Experience in an experimental environment would be advantageous.
Continuation: the project might lead to a 4th year project.
Please apply to Dr A.A. Castrejon-Pita Inkjet Research Centre
Insertion Date: 28/03/2013
Smartphone Sensing to Support Social Psychology Research Applications
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr Cecilia Mascolo Computer Laboratory
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
As part of an ongoing research project, this work focuses on collecting sensor data (e.g., accelerometer, location, audio samples) via smartphone applications to support the design of future social psychology and behavioural intervention mobile applications.
This project is flexible and can focus on either iOS (iPhones) or the Android operating system. If the former is selected, the work would centre on porting, testing, and building example applications (in Objective-C) using a generic sensing framework that we have already built for Android (in Java). If the latter is selected, instead, the project will focus on using our available framework to design, build, and test a mobile application that will be used to collect data that will support research into smoking cessation.
There are possibly two UROPs available for this project
This project is subject to obtaining EPSRC funding. Please ensure you are eligible to apply.
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Dr Cecilia Mascolo.
Your application should consist of a single PDF containing your CV including your name and email address, relevant experience and a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the project.
For information about Dr Cecilia Mascolo.
The work could lead to a final-year project.
Insertion Date: 13/3/2013
Capillary dominated flows in carbon sequestration
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Dr. Jerome Neufeld also Dr. Sam Pegler & Prof.
Herbert Huppert at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
EPSRC criteria apply
CLICK HERE for criteria
Project Description:
The feasibility of the emerging technology of carbon dioxide sequestration relies on trapping through dissolution of CO2 into deep saline aquifers and the action of capillary forces on time scales much faster than the rates at which CO2 may leak from the target aquifer.
This project will investigate the fundament new fluid dynamics of buoyancy-driven propagation in the limit of large capillary forces in a porous medium through a suite of analogue laboratory experiments. Experiments will be conducted in the fluid dynamics laboratory in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. The successful candidate will enjoy interacting with a substantial body of people involved in understanding the key role fluid dynamics plays in the feasibility of this key technology.
This UROP is subject to obtaining funding. Please ensure you are eligible to apply (according to the EPSRC criteria)
Applications or questions should be sent by email to Dr Jerome Neufeld.
Deadline for applications is Friday 3 May.
Insertion Date: 19/3/2013
Scaled study of the wake effect in high-speed inkjet printing
Contact:Supervisor: Dr Kai Hsiao IfM Inkjet Research Centre, Department of Engineering
Project Description:
Inkjet printed wide block colour images exhibit, under non-standard conditions that are pertinent to future printing applications, patterns that resemble classical wake dynamics. A proposed approach to study this effect will involve devising and constructing a scaled model of the printing arrangement. For example, by fixing cylindrical posts below a stationary wall over a flow channel to represent vertical jetted drop streams, the induced wake over a range of flow velocities matched non-dimensionally to the printing condition can be visualised by a range of techniques including particle tracing, PIV, and high-speed imaging.
All new results obtained in the study would be written up for academic publication and presented to members of the Innovation in Industrial Inkjet Technology project. There may be additional opportunity to work in the R&D department of a local inkjet firm to collect real-world data for validation.
Click here for more information IfM Inkjet Research Centre- Suitable for Physical Science or Engineering students with experimental interests from the 2nd or 3rd Years
- This UROP could continue on to a 4th year project.
- This UROP project will be funded by industrial money from the I4T consortium and will be based with the Inkjet Research Centre in CUED.
- Please apply to Lead Supervisor
Prototyping a magnetic field based displacement sensor
Contact:Supervisor: Dr Sarfraz Nawaz Engineering Department
Project Description:
Structural health monitoring usually requires wireless sensor devices for ease of deployment and long-term measurement. These wireless nodes are used for measuring very small changes in the structure and therefore the transducers required for these measurements require a very high resolution. As wireless nodes are battery powered, the transducers should be low power as well. Displacement sensing is one of the key measurements in most of the structural health monitoring applications; for example, measuring a crack width and monitoring if it is increasing with time.
The main aim of this project is to measure the performance of a very sensitive magnetic field sensor for small-scale displacement measurements in structural health monitoring applications. This will involve connecting an evaluation sensor board to a wireless sensor node, developing the embedded software for reading data from the sensor and setting up experiments in the lab to measure, calibrate and compare the performance of magnetic sensor with a resistive displacement sensor.
- Experience required: Experience with C/C++ programming; Familiarity with micro controllers
- Continuation: The project can easily lead to a 4th year project
- Funding: From the Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction - no application restrictions apply
- Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor
Online Education: a website to help school pupils prepare for university engineering interviews and entrance.
Contact:Lead Supervisor: Prof Richard Prager Department of Engineering
Project Description:
These UROPS will involve web authoring and preparation of educational videos to form part of a new website called ~ i-want-to-study-engineering.org ~ This will be an online resource to make it easier for talented people to get into competitive universities to study engineering. Some schools have better resources and experience to support university admission candidates than others. i-want-to-study-engineering.org will provide the best advice, support and tuition and it will be available free to everyone.
~ i-want-to-study-engineering.org ~ will be aimed primarily to support school pupils in year 12, from the time when they apply to university. It will help them prepare for admissions interviews. It will help them prepare for the start of their university engineering course. There will also be a section on the site to motivate year 11 pupils to study engineering and to help them to choose the most appropriate A-levels.
If you have yet to meet your industrial experience requirements, this role is NOT considered suitable to meet the industrial experience criteria.
Criteria : an interest in using the web for teaching.
applicants need to have an interest in either preparing teaching material, or the technical side of web development, or both.
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Continuation: the project might lead to a 4th year project.
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Please apply to Contact/Lead Supervisor.
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More Information about Prof Prager
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Insertion Date: 15/02/2013