Favourite blogs for Waseem's blog

This_is_Tomorrow: artists meet the academy at WMG

Writing about web page http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/project/projects/this_is_tomorrow

In March, WMG received a visit from a group of artists as part of a project, commissioned by Warwick Arts Centre and China Plate Productions, called This_is_Tomorrow. It turned out to be a really fascinating and thought-provoking experience for all involved.

To describe the context of the visit first: five artists were invited to visit five Science departments at the University of Warwick over a period of five days. The project aims to ‘generate new artistic ideas through unique artist/academic collaborations.’ Artists were carefully selected from across disciplines, exposed to a range of research and its authors, with the aim of exploring and illuminating ‘contemporary thinking and research about the human condition and key issues that face humanity across a range of subjects’. Or to put it another way - artists and academics are often the people who ask and/or answer the difficult ‘big’ questions in our society – what happens if you combine them together in an open and unmediated manner?

This is the second year This_is_Tomorrow has taken place at Warwick. The first tangible outcome of last year’s interaction is a theatre production called ‘Bank On It’ (Theatre Rites), co-produced in association with Warwick’s department of Economics. Bank On It is opening at the Barbican in London in June 2013.

So on Day Two of this year’s collaboration, the artists involved came to WMG to meet some of our leading academics. Those involved in the day were:

Artists:

• Alecky Blythe (Playwright and screenwriter)
• Chris Goode (Performance artist)
• Charlotte Vincent (Artistic Director of Vincent Dance Theatre)
• Robin Rimbaud AKA Scanner (Electronic musician and producer)
• Michelle Browne (Performance artist and curator)

Academics:

• Paul Jennings (Professor of Experiential Engineering)
• Irene Ng (Professor of Service Systems and Marketing)
• Christopher James (Professor of Healthcare Technologies)
• Lucy Hooberman (Professor of Digital Media)
• Jamie Mackrill (Researcher in Healthcare Environments)

It was really interesting the way the group saw the work of WMG and the way they were able to relate it back to their own work and lives. Matt Trueman – the journalist who was following the group for the week – has written an interesting blog post about the day and the academics they met. Something the group seemed to take from our academics is that a lot of our research is based around what consumers / people want and they raised the question of whether it is a good thing that we are conducting R&D based upon what people say they want or need. It is logical that this is an objective of WMG’s research, as so much of what we do is in partnership with industry and, therefore, based on the needs of customers. This idea came up again and again - when discussing what sounds a car should make, how cities / buildings should be designed and constructed, and how people should access their local health services. Our work in many of these areas looks at what people generally find appealing and useful and how we can use this information to improve products and services.

An example of an interesting conversation struck up around soundscapes and experiential research. We realised there was common ground between what an artist might be commissioned to produce (an example cited was a sound installation for a bereavement suite at a hospital) compared to what WMG’s experiential researchers are trying to do (for example, create an appealing sound environment in a hospital ward). The two are similarly not trying to create either silence or noticeable sound, but a fitting background for a specific environment that people might find themselves in at difficult times. Success in both cases is measured by how positively the environment is changed for those using it. I enjoyed seeing how the artists and academics found common ground like this and how they can sometimes use the same bases to create something to enhance an environment.

What really surprised me about the project, was the mental and physical effort of the week from the artists’ points of view. Only on Day Two of a five-day visit, when they arrived at WMG, the group already seemed slightly dazed by the sheer amount of information that was being poured into them throughout their daunting schedule. The group spoke of the previous day spent visiting the department of Physics and talks about nuclear fusion and fission and miles of blackboard equations. Even after their day at WMG, they still had Economics, Sociology and Mathematics to go! This is a lot of heavy information to take in over the course of one week and from so many different angles. However, this is obviously part of the ‘chemistry’ involved in making the project work. The group are bombarded with ideas and concepts with the hope that one or two ideas take seed in someone’s brain and grow into a new creative idea, a new way of looking at something.

We are eager to see whether any of the meetings from this year’s This_is_Tomorrow project develop into something more. We will keep you posted with any news…

Anna Ritchley : 23 Apr 2013 16:56 |  Tags: Christopher James Idh Irene Ng Lucy Hooberman Paul Jennings Rebecca Cain Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

WMG on The One Show

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/rtg-materials-manufacturing/research/3d_printing

You may have seen WMG featured on BBC1’s The One Show last night (Wed 27th March) in a piece about the increasingly popular subject of 3D printing (or Additive Layer Manufacturing as it is also known).

We thoroughly enjoyed being part of this feature and hope that it demonstrated some of the unbelievable opportunities that surround the advancement of these incredible technologies.

Presenter, Marty Jopson, and his production crew came to visit WMG earlier this month to see what we do and to film some of the technology in action. They met Dr Greg Gibbons, Head of WMG’s Additive Layer Manufacturing research, who you will have seen in the piece showing Marty how it works. Greg showed Marty round the facilities that we have available at WMG and, together, they filmed a number of segments to show the range of applications available for 3D printing. The first thing they did was to design a mystery object and set off the printer to print it!

There were a couple of things that we hoped to try and get across in the piece – the things that make 3D printing such an exciting development. Firstly, the fact that 3D printing enables the user to print a range of complex objects in one complete structure with no assembly required. Secondly, the immense number of industries and sectors that will be able to benefit from this in the future. Greg showed an example to demonstrate this – a small but complex part part from a Formula One racing car (a steering manifold). If you looked closely you would also have seen a model of a patient’s fractured pelvis which was CT scanned, then manufactured by Greg and sent to hospital to be used by a doctor to prepare for his surgery – two completely different uses but both where precision and customisation are essential. Not only this, but imagine the tantalising proposition that, one day in the future, we may be able to afford to own one of these machines in our homes to print off our own objects. The price of 3D printers has already dropped considerably as companies realise their potential commercial value so it may not be in the too distant future.

Marty also showed a number of other objects that had been 3D printed to show the value for the public, as well as industry. There were some amazingly intricate objects, all of which had been printed – cups, toys, bike parts, jewellery, even a violin!

This then lead us to the mystery object that Greg and Marty had printed – a customised ‘One Show’ corkscrew. Printed in its entirety with moving parts and, of course, they had to check that it worked on a nearby wine cork!

Did you see us on The One Show? What would you like to print if you had your very own 3D printer?

Anna Ritchley : 28 Mar 2013 10:03 |  Tags: 3D Printing Alm BBC Greg Gibbons Manufacturing |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

WMG on LinkedIn

Writing about web page http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4843247

We have recently decided to create a Group on LinkedIn for everyone associated with WMG and we hope it will become a really useful place for our staff, students, alumni and other associates to interact.

Why have we decided to start this group now?
It's something that we have considered starting in the past and we have received requests from various corners of WMG to do so. We thought about setting up a few separate groups that would cater for different communities of students or alumni, but all of these people already have other channels for interacting with each other, such as facebook groups, and we didn't want to dilute what is already working well elsewhere.

In the end, we have decided that the value of a LinkedIn Group could be that it is a forum for everyone - our alumni, recent graduates and current students (undergraduate, MSc, doctoral, professional & executive), our staff and others who work with us on our research, education and business programmes. It may be that something is happening in one part of WMG that you want everyone to know about, maybe an alumnus is now working in a company who wants to promote a job opportunity to existing students, maybe a current student wants some help from those in industry on how to get through job hunting and interviews or maybe someone has just found an article that they think would be of interest to others.

Whatever you are interested in, we hope the group will become a place that everyone can go to for friendly advice and discussion. We hope you enjoy using it!

The WMG LinkedIn Group is also featured on WMG's official company page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/wmg-university-of-warwick

Anna Ritchley : 12 Feb 2013 11:21 |  Tags: Linkedin |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

WMG exhibition adventures

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/hvmcatapult/

Guest blog from WMG EngD Student, Courtney Thornberry

This past week saw a lot of activity for those involved in the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult at WMG in the area of the automotive industry.

On September 5th and 6th, Nick Mallinson (Programme Manager for HVM Catapult), Carla Shepherd (Administrative Co-ordinator) and myself, attended the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle event at the Millbrook Proving Ground. Our booth was busy nearly all of the time on both days as we engaged with people from both industry and academia. We discussed work being done at WMG and networked to identify possible collaborations. This industry-focused event was a very successful one, in which many professional contacts were established and will hopefully lead to the growth of many Catapult activities at WMG, particularly within energy storage and generation.

Additionally, over the weekend, on 8th and 9th September, the WorldFirst F3 car and this year's winning eV Grand Prix go-kart were featured at the Sustainable MotoExpo in Cheltenham. This public event allowed representatives from WMG, including Nick Mallinson, Steve Maggs and myself, to engage with the public about ongoing work at WMG. Recent alumnus and eVGP team member from 2011, Sagar Depala, also helped out at the event. We were on display right next to Lord Drayson's electric racing car, which was partially inspired by our WorldFirst F3 car.

It was a great success in raising public awareness in the local area about the work done at WMG in the area of sustainable motorsport.

Anna Ritchley : 12 Sep 2012 14:20 |  Tags: Courtney Thornberry Hvm Catapult Steve Maggs |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Reconstructing a Roman Fort – Virtual Reality for Heritage Sites

We spent a rather wet and windy morning at Lunt Roman Fort yesterday, filming a piece on a very exciting 3D reconstruction project that WMG has been involved in, along with The Virtual Experience Company and The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.

Taking a group of Year 7 pupils from the local Westwood Academy School, we first showed them the Fort itself, where they were able to have a private guided tour, before coming back to WMG to be the first members of the public to experience a new virtual reality reconstruction of the entire site. They were very patient with two film crews and the weather to contend with! Here's a quick sneaky behind the scenes clip of the children taking the virtual tour...

While our footage is still in the edit, you can view a great report from David Gregory, BBC Science and Environment Correspondent for Midlands Today here . Of course the rain stopped when the BBC arrived!

Lunt Fort was occupied by the Romans from about AD60-80 and while a great deal of archaelogical work has been done on mapping out the site and reconstructing some of the main features such as the barricades and main gate, cavalry training ring and grannary (which is now the visitors' centre) using traditional techniques, there is a limit to how much can be recreated physically.

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, who manage the site, approached The Virtual Experience Company a couple of years ago with a view to producing a virtual 3D model to help visitors really get to grips with how the fort would have looked when it was under occupation and what life would have been like. This is now available to view in the Visitors' Centre as well as online.

However The Virtual Experience Company wanted to go one further. Having worked on heritage projects since 1999 and looking to increase their product capability and corner their market, they approached WMG to see what our researchers could do with our state of the art 3D Power Wall. Usually used for manufacturing, e.g. for viewing vehicle prototypes or for examining component parts, our Product Evaluation Technologies team were able to take The Virtual Experience Company's 3D reconstruction and lift it further, to be experienced in a 3D virtual reality environment here at the University.

The Virtual Experience Company (VEC) are now involved in our SME programmes, designed to support West Midlands businesses through knowledge exchange, access to technology and bringing complementary organisations together through our extensive networks. As a result, the VEC now has a fantastic demonstrator tool in our 3D Power Wall which they can use to push them ahead of the competition in showcasing their work to clients, and they have built new contacts to extend their work in the areas of educational games based around their heritage reconstructions.

It's also been a great experience for our researchers to not only help a local company and a local public attraction in the Fort, but also to work in a field that's outside our usual arena and which shows just how varied the applications are for our expertise and technologies.

For the official press release see here

Hannah Reese : 04 Jul 2012 11:25 |  Tags: 3D BBC Mark Williams Roman Fort Virtual Reality Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Healthcare App Network – HANDI Workshop

Guest post from Dr Kevin Yap, Associate Professor of eHealth Innovation

HANDI - the Healthcare App Network for Development and Innovation - conducted its third workshop this year on 13 June at the International Digital Laboratory, in collaboration with the Institute of Digital Healthcare. This was an insightful half-day workshop by clinicians, developers and informaticians for innovators interested in developing healthcare apps. HANDI is a not-for-profit organisation who wants to help "make things happen" for app developers so that there is a return-on-investment.

Based on a quick scan, there were about 60 people in the audience, in which ~25% were working or have worked in the NHS before. The workshop was started off by Mr Ewan Davis who gave an overview and introduction of the HANDI organisaton and their aims and vision. This was followed by Dr Wai Keong Wong who gave a clinician's perspective of how healthcare has evolved with the informatics age. In particular, he gave a simple and clear message for all developers in the audience - to "go and see" what clinicians do in practice, since that is when they would understand the workflow and procedures first hand, and allow them to develop apps that are not only practical for use by practitioners, but clinically-relevant as well.

Mr Rob Dyke continued the session with his experiences on healthcare app development. He gave certain key lessons that was especially helpful for the mix of audience in the room - in the form of the "Five R's".
1) Reduce - we should simplify codes to what is essentially needed in practice,
2) Reuse - we should reuse the available repositories for app development,
3) Recycle - we should encourage the sharing of coding templates through open standards and open source channels,
4) Risks - we should manage risks and lower opportunity costs, and
5) Rewards - we should encourage app development that can be adopted and used by the wider community, and satisfy the stakeholders, such as patients, healthcare professionals, project boards, etc.

Professor Jeremy Wyatt gave an interesting insight on the current status of mobile apps for health promotion, and emphasised the need for assessing the quality of apps through various evaluation theories. It was interesting to learn from his talk that majority of the popular apps for health promotion were those that were eye-catching and looked aesthetically attractive, but there was no real evidence that such apps could improve patients' health. Besides the need for qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluation, it was also emphasised in his talk that stakeholders and evaluators play roles that are as important as developers in relation to asking, prioritising and formalising relevant questions for health promotion apps.

The last speaker, Dr Ian McNicoll, talked about the need for interoperability in the midst of the current diversity of apps available on various platforms. He spoke about the OpenEHR archetypes, and the need for structured terminology codes and a smart platform for apps.

The workshop ended with an interesting panel discussion and interaction between the speakers and audience. For readers who are interested to know more about HANDI, and the workshops in Newcastle, London and Warwick, more information can be obtained on the HANDI website (www.handihealth.org). Membership is free and you can participate in discussions through their forum or on Twitter #handihealth, or follow them @Handihealth. I shall end with the distinctive tagline of HANDI - Disrupt, Innovate, Support.

HANDI website http://www.handihealth.org/

Hannah Reese : 21 Jun 2012 13:56 |  Tags: Ehealth Handi Idh Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Winning First Prize in Your Heat at Engineering YES (AKA Not Much Sleep!)

Congratulations to our team of EngD International students who triumphed at the West Midlands heat of the Engineering Young Entrepreneurs Scheme this week. Here's their report....

The Engineering YES heat for the West Midlands started on Sunday evening at the Holiday Inn in Coventry. The competition is for UK-based postgraduates students and post-doctoral researchers to present a business plan for an imaginary start-up company to a group of shrewd investors and industry experts.

Representing WMG were first year EngD International students Matt Pitts, Nick Higgins, Claire White and Courtney Thornberry. The other teams came from from Loughborough University, University College London, Lincoln, Leicester, Huddersfield, and the University of Birmingham.

After a networking lesson with the other teams on Sunday night, the event got underway properly on Monday morning with the first speaker; Dr. John R Tyrer from Loughborough University. He discussed types of spin outs from university research and noted that Entrepreneurship was a skill that could be learned: "Good entrepreneurs inspire, rather than direct, lead rather than manage."

The two other speakers on Monday morning, George Rice from the University of Nottingham and Jason Teng, a lawyer from Potter Clarkson LLP, talked about cases studies of spin-outs from engineering technology and issues with intellectual property, respectively. The teams were given an exercise that dealt with a series of cards that gave certain bits of information, and from these cards we were supposed to answer two questions. Warwick’s team was the first team out of the seven to solve the puzzle and answer the questions correctly!

Tuesday morning started with the 30 minute John Cleese video, "The Balance Sheet Barrier" which comically went through a lot of the basic ideas behind business finance. After the film, David Scott, one of the Rotary organizers of the event, gave some insight on how to organize the finance side of the project proposal.

Dr. Penny Attridge, a VC from Spark Ventures, gave good insight into what VCs look for when investing in a start-up and Jim Wood, a former engineer in the power industry, who now specializes in underlying marketing then gave some good tips on how to get good marketing research.

Both Monday and Tuesday afternoons were spent working as a team on the project and presentation, while meeting with several experts in finance, business planning, marketing and IP to ask questions about how to approach the competition with the team’s idea.

After a late night on Tuesday for Claire and Courtney working on the final presentation, and a VERY late night for Nick and Matt working on the financials, the team approached the presentations on Wednesday with cautious optimism.

WMG was the fourth team (out of seven) to present, right before lunch. The team name, H2GO, was based around the concept of a hydrogen modular fuelling station that is to be integrating into the petrol station market in the UK. This concept was related to the release of several hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles that are set to be released in 2015.

The other teams were very good, presenting ideas ranging from home lighting system, better home insulation, an anti-bacterial paint for hospitals and a new nano-paint for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). The runners-up, Innovink, who championed nano-paint for SOFCs, are also going to the final in Birmingham on June 20.

Hannah Reese : 31 May 2012 17:56 |  Tags: Courtney Thornberry Engd |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

PhD and EngD Conferences 2012

The annual PhD and EngD conferences are a great way for staff and students to share ideas about some of the research going on here at WMG and the students also benefit from the opportunity to brush up their presentation skills.

This year the conferences are happening over three consecutives Mondays, one for each of the Research Themes.

On Monday 16 April we held the first one around Digital Technologies, including presentations from the Institute of Digital Healthcare. Seven 3rd year students presented their work to an audience of fellow students and staff. Topics ranged from 3D laser scanning technology, to the potential for technology to increase Hand Hygiene Compliance in the NHS.

Second year students also contributed by producing academic posters which demonstrated the developments in their on-going research. These included the development of a Hybrid Electrical Vehicle Energy Management Strategy, the design of healthcare waiting areas, and systems for evaluating manufacturing SMEs’ competencies.

This past Monday the second conference was held on Materials and Manufacturing, featuring presentations on: 3D printing, An Unmanned Indoor Aerial Inspection Vehicle, Graphical Representation of the Range of Motion Assessment of Total Hip Arthoplasty, and Improved Determination of Forming Limit Curves.

Posters were also presented topics such as 'The potential of low carbon technologies in developing countries', 'Additive Manufacture of Nickel Superalloy based Metal Matrix Composites by Laser Melting', 'Crash Energy Absorber for Railway Vehicles' and 'Sustainable & Improved Content Gas Offerings'.

A highlight was Stefan Winkvist’s demonstration of his UAV.

The third and final conference will be held on Monday 30 April on the theme of Operations and Business Management.

Find out more about our Research Degrees

Hannah Reese : 27 Apr 2012 19:47 |  Tags: Engd PhD |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Bang Goes the Theory

A few weeks ago we had a great day filming with Bang Goes the Theory presenter Dallas Campbell. He was here to interview Professor Paul Jennings for their forthcoming programme on sound - Is life too loud?.

Dallas was interested to find out more on Professor Jenning's research into sounds in electric vehicles. We know that electric vehicles are quiet at low speeds so Professor Jennings is interested to learn how to design appropriate sounds that give sufficient warning, whilst having minimal negative impact on the environment.

Filming took place in our interactive NVH simulator lab and the sounds room before Dallas hit the road in ELVIN our electric vehicle with intereactive noise. ELVIN is fitted with NoVISim's sound system which is programmed with a variety of noises, a UFO was chosen for Dallas. ELVIN can help gain some really valuable feedback from drivers and road users including what sounds they prefer to hear as pedestrians and as the driver of the vehicle.

Between you and me, it was difficult to get Dallas to stop driving ELVIN, thankfully there was still more filming to do or else I think he would have driven off in him.

We can't wait to see the programme, which is on BBC One Monday 19th March at 19.30, we hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed filming it!

Lisa Barwick : 14 Mar 2012 12:45 |  Tags: Bang Goes The Theory Dallas Campbell Elvin Professor Paul Jennings Sound |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

How Did I Get Here – Story of an International EngD Student

Guest post from Courtney Thornberry, one of our latest recruits to the International EngD - and she really is international, hailing from the USA!

When I landed at Birmingham airport in August of 2011 for the Sustainability for Niche Applications and High Performance Transport (SNAPT) Summer School, I knew very little about the University of Warwick and WMG. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time in Indiana at IUPUI (Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis) to get the opportunity to attend. As a girl growing up in rural Indiana and Michigan, my knowledge about the UK in general was limited to the pop culture I had grown up on - Monty Python, Spinal Tap and The Beatles. I was very excited to travel, meet people, expand my knowledge of British culture and have new experiences.

Over the course of the week I came to learn a great deal, not only with the subject material of the summer school, but also about the people at WMG. Over dinner one evening, I had a chat with Dr Steve Maggs and Dr Nick Mallinson about the new International Engineering Doctorate programme at WMG. I had actually given Steve a tour of the fuel cell labs I was working in at IUPUI for my Master’s degree earlier in February 2011. I had completed my Master’s in Engineering Technology, focusing on fuel cell electrode fabrication, and I was considering either entering the work force, or going on for a doctorate degree, while I was doing some part time work at IUPUI. My advisors at IUPUI, among others, were encouraging me to go forward for a doctorate degree, but I had not yet found a programme I was completely interested in. I was not particularly interested in the structure of a typical PhD but the structure of the EngD was something completely different.

When I returned back to the States, I did more research on the programme and started communication with Nick, Dr Kerry Kirwan and Steve. I applied formally, after discussing a research topic with Steve and Dr Jay Bal via what was a very early morning Skype conversation for me. There was not enough time for me to start in October 2011, so it was decided that I would start in January 2012. I had to get accepted, which was facilitated a great deal by Kerry, and then I had to work on getting a student visa. I finally got my visa around the beginning of November 2011, and was able to purchase a plane ticket.

Moving anywhere is always an ordeal, but relocating to another country is huge. I had to essentially get rid of everything I owned, including my car and my motorcycle. I found a place to live through Warwick Accommodations, in Kenilworth. After much packing and saying goodbye to friends and family, I landed again in Birmingham on a Thursday afternoon a few days after New Year’s. I was greeted by Steve and Nick, who helped me get to my flat and settled in. I could not have got everything straightened out without help from Steve, Nick, Kerry, Dr Stuart Coles, Ruth Cherrington, Nikki-Ann Wensley, Thomas Blenkinsopp and many others. Everyone has been so nice and helpful, which has made this transition go very smoothly for me.

I’ve been exploring several areas of interest with regards to my EngD topic, which is looking at aspects of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and how those aspects can be beneficial to SMEs (Small to Medium-sized Enterprises). I’ve so far been doing this by working with the Warwick Racing Formula Student team to understand their working dynamics, researching types of collaboration, such as open source hardware design, and trying to fit in a sustainability theme as well. I took my first MSc module at the end of January on Collaborative Product Development. I’ve also starting working with some other EngD students on a couple of group projects that are required. We’ve come up with some good ideas so far, but are still in the early stages of project development. 

I’ve now been here for two months. I have had a myriad of cultural, social, and professional experiences, including: hanging out at the pub in Kenilworth; going out with the Formula Student team; meeting with my sponsor company, PTC; getting a French roommate in my flat; getting on the wrong bus; and coming down with Tonsillitis. I’ve also enjoyed running with people at WMG and other international students that are my neighbours. I’ve signed up for two 10k races this spring and I am looking forward to more races in the future, hopefully running a few marathons in my time here. I am very happy to be a part of WMG and I am looking forward to being an EngD student here for the next four years!

You can follow Courtney on her EngD journey via her personal blog http://www.iupuigradtowarwick.blogspot.com/

Hannah Reese : 14 Mar 2012 12:43 |  Tags: Courtney Thornberry Engd Student Wmg |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Working Towards a Low Carbon Future

Tuesday marked the end of the active R&D phase of the two year Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project (LCVTP), with a full day of presentations, knowledge transfer and networking opportunities here at WMG.

Funded by Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund as well as industry contribution, the £29 million project was managed by WMG and run in collaboration with partners Jaguar Land Rover, Mira, Ricardo, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, Zytek Automotive and Coventry University.

The aim was to create the required R&D capability and capacity for the development of key low and ultra-low carbon vehicle technologies, safeguard jobs in the region's automotive supply chain and play a key role in making the West Midlands a global centre of excellence in low carbon vehicle engineering.

With so many delegates in attendance the organisers were forced to move venue into WMG's largest auditorium where Dr Alistair Keddie, Chair of the project's Steering Group welcomed everyone. It was good to hear from him that the project had achieved impressive results which had recently been independently evaluated and the team had been declared to have significantly acheived all technical objectives.

Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, gave an interesting keynote speech on why programmes like LCVTP matter, citing two main drivers: 1) Environmental - climate change concerns and regulations and 2) Economic - industry competitiveness and customer demand. He believed that energy efficiency and security, particularly in relation to fuel supply, would be of the utmost importance in the future and the automotive industry needed to protect itself by ensuring it was competitive and had the required capabilities through growing SMEs, Centres of Excellence and of course the new High Value Manufacturing Catapult of which WMG is a member. The new Catapult will have an important role in leveraging the findings from the R&D and getting them through to market.

Gavin Bottrell, Project Manager at WMG, informed us that 40 different companies and suppliers had been involved in the project, creating 405 new skills, 38 business assists and £12.5 million knock on investment for the design and manufacture of low carbon vehicles. By 2014 it will have created £36 million in value added to the project partners. A Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study has also shown that if several of the key technologies developed by the project were to be incorporated into a large luxury saloon car, CO₂ emissions would be cut by up to 20%.

Even thought the active phase of the project is now at an end, partners are continuing to take the knowledge and new processes into their own product development. Project Director, John O'Connor, explained that WMG would be continuing its work on batteries, power electronics, lightweighting and HMI through the new High Value Manufacturing Catapult. He also highlighted the importance of stepping out of the automotive box to work with goverment on energy policies and also alongside the energy companies themselves.

If you are interested in other events on these themes - efficient transport, lightweighting and energy efficient powertrains - then the UK Trade and Investment are holding Sert 2012 on Wednesday 21 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 at the Henry Ford College, Loughborough.

Hannah Reese : 23 Feb 2012 16:55 |  Tags: Lcvtp Low Carbon |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Winter Graduation 2012

After the quiet of early January, campus was once again buzzing last week as students participating in Winter Graduation arrived to receive their well earned prizes, revisiting old haunts and collecting hats and gowns and photographs a plenty along the way. With families and friends in tow it was great to see so many familiar and happy faces back again.

For WMG it was a day of two halves, starting with a reception and lunch over in Arden conference centre for those graduating with MSc's from our part-time Professional and Executive Programmes and those with PhD and EngD Research Degrees. After a substantial 3 course meal and time to chat with tutors and staff, the Graduands made their way over to Butterworth Hall for the ceremony we're sure they had long been waiting for, before going on their way into their new futures.

For us, it was then over to Rootes Social Building, where the Panorama Suite had been beautifully transformed by the hospitality staff and our Admissions Team for an evening reception for our full-time MSc students. With around 600 guests from all over the world, there was a fantastic atmosphere with reunions going on all around us.

One thing that was great to hear was the feedback from the new Graduates on their time at WMG. We were able to capture a number of video profiles and testimonials at both the lunchtime and evening receptions at which we heard again and again how much they had benefited from their time at WMG and the memories they would take away with them. Two of our full-time MSc students have even gone on to set up their own business together.

Judging by the number of people around the alumni registration table it won't be the last we see of the class of 2011!

Hannah Reese : 25 Jan 2012 17:51 |  Tags: Engd Graduation Msc PhD Professional Programmes Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Interview with Professor Heinz Wolff

Last month I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview Professor Heinz Wolff. Professor Wolff is a highly respected scientist and public figure and is probably best known as the inventor of bioengineering - you may also remember him from his television work including the BBC series 'The Great Egg Race'.

I caught up with Professor Wolff, who was at the University of Warwick for The Institute of Digital Healthcare's 2nd annual conference 'Digital Innovation and Technology for Patient Benefit', inbetween his key note speech 'the brain is as a computer peripheral' and before the panel discussion on 'the pros and cons of focusing digital healthcare projects on patient benefit'.

I was keen to ask Professor Wolff what his thoughts were on what is the essence of engineering, the perception of engineers and women in engineering and what can be done to encourage more children into engineering.

On the day that we spoke the announcement had been made of the £1m Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, so naturally I was interested to hear what Professor Wolff thought of this.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Professor Wolff - he has some very interesting stories and insights.

I hope you too enjoy hearing what he has to say.

Lisa Barwick : 16 Dec 2011 11:30 |  Tags: Engineering Wolff Women |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya interviewed for the Politics Show in the Midlands

Patrick Burns, BBC Midlands Political Editor visited us on Wednesday 7th December to interview Professor Lord Bhattacharyya for the Politics Show West Midlands.

The interview took place in our Premium Vehicle Customer Interface Technologies centre where our Product Evaluation Technologies Group undertake their research providing technical solutions for a variety of business sectors, supporting the entire product lifecycle from design and development through to market.

It didn't take long for us to set up the interview area to ensure that Gary the camera man had enough space to film.

Once Professor Lord Bhattacharyya arrived it was down to business and Patrick started asking his questions. The main theme of the interview was to take stock of 2011 and look into 2012 focusing on what this might hold for West Midlands economy particularly in the areas of skills, technology, manufacturing, exports and the role universities have to play in the economy.

After the main interview was filmed Gary needed to grab a few 'different angle' shots to assist with the editing of the interview for the final broadcast.

Within 45 minutes Patrick was thanking the Professor for his time and headed off back to the BBC offices in the Mailbox.

Hear what the Professor had to say on Jaguar Land Rover's revival

Plus Patrick's outline of the interview 'can Midlands firms manufacture new hope for economy?'

The interview forms the centre piece for this week's (Sunday 11th December 2011) BBC Politics Show in the Midlands from 12 noon.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya's interview is at 40 minutes and available until Saturday 17th December 2011

Lisa Barwick : 09 Dec 2011 17:31 |  Tags: BBC Bhattacharyya Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Research Degrees and Summer Internships – Open Evening

With Christmas nearly upon us, exams and summer will be here before we know it and many students will have decisions to make:

• For first and second years - how will I spend my summer?
• For final year students - what to do next?

With that in mind, we held an open evening here at WMG for students from across the Faculty of Science to learn a little more about what we do and what opportunities could lie ahead with us. It was great to see almost 50 students keen to find out more.

After the opportunity to chat with staff and current students, watch the new International Doctorate promo video and take a look at some of our materials over drinks and nibbles, the action moved down to the auditorium.

Academic Director Professor Richard Dashwood gave a lighthearted and personal introduction to WMG, peppered with his own experience of doing a research degree. Recent graduate Mitan Solanki spoke about his PhD and gave valuable advice on what life is really like as a doctoral student. Another recent graduate and now WMG Technology Transfer Specialist, Ben Wood, entertained with tales of his EngD; the highs and lows and the many media opportunities that seemed to have come his way!

Rounding off the evening was Dr Steve Maggs who provided the much appreciated information that summer research internships for 1st and penultimate year students come with a £1,600 bursary!

After some great questions and another chance to speak to staff directly, students were taken on a tour of our workshop facilities and shown what they could be doing in the near future....

For anyone who missed the evening and is interested in doing either a PhD, EngD or applying for a summer research internship (remember it's paid!) then full lists of the available projects can be found on our Research Degrees pages. Also check back, as full details of the projects (not just titles) will be going up in the next couple of days.

Don't forget you can also follow us on Twitter @wmg_doctorate

Hannah Reese : 08 Dec 2011 21:27 |  Tags: Engd Engineering Doctorate Internship PhD Richard Dashwood Steve Maggs Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Product Evaluation Technologies

If you’ve seen our previous post, you’ll know that we’re building up our collection of video profiles for WMG research and activities. The latest to be immortalised on film is our Product Evaluation Technologies (PET) group.

Headed by Professor Mark Williams, the PET group can provide technical solutions for a variety of business sectors, supporting the entire product lifecycle from design and development through to market.

We can scan both internal and external features of any component or product and create 3D digital prototypes, or digital simulations.

Our 3D power wall allows you to ‘walk around’ the prototype saving both time and money through informed decision making early on in the development process. Recently the group have put this to good use with Coventry-based Envisage, helping them to show customers virtual reality simulations of exactly how a new advanced concept seat would look within their planes, giving them the ability to walk around a virtual cabin.

The group have also used their so called ‘super powers’ to help a local motorcycle company develop a virtual prototype engine for their superbike, which finished second in the first ever Moto2 in Qatar.

These techniques can also be employed in reverse engineering, allowing you to see inside a component without taking it apart.

We can scan pretty much anything and print it in 3D. Dr Greg Gibbons made an appearance on Blue Peter back in April where he showcased the technique by printing a Blue Peter badge!

Although it has worked with large organisations such as JLR, Tata, Autodesk and Nikon, the group is also available to smaller businesses, working with over 50 SMEs to date in sectors ranging from automotive, healthcare, marine and rail.

Professor Mark Williams says “West Midlands companies are queuing up for free access to this technology which allows them to do everything from searching for microscopic defects deep inside welded components, to laser scanning whole products as big as a car or a van to create a 3D model which they can display and manipulate on the 3D power wall.”

Learn all about PET and see the team at work in the new video

Hannah Reese : 05 Dec 2011 17:35 |  Tags: Mark Williams Product Evaluation Technologies Research Capabilities Video Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

WMG Video Profiles

If you have been at WMG over the past few months may have noticed, or indeed taken part in, some of the filming that's been going on and wondered what it was all about.

In order to showcase the work that’s being done here at WMG we had already begun been profiling our research capabilities, as well as student activities. Adding to this portfolio, we can now include testimonials, video tours of the facilities and coverage of various events.

The idea is to show you what we are up to and the areas of expertise we cover in a way that takes the words off the page and shows the real faces of WMG.

Our long term aim is to have a video profile for each of our research capability areas up on our website, as well as pieces highlighting our educational programmes and showcasing WMG as a whole.

We post a new video to the WMG home page each month, so do look out for these. We’re also uploading content to WMG’s own youtube channel which we tweet about so do follow us at @wmgwarwick.

Hannah Reese : 15 Nov 2011 17:48 |  Tags: Research Capabilities Video Wmg Youtube |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

WMG Launches New International Doctorate Centre

Monday 10^th October was an exciting day for WMG with the official launch of our new International Doctorate Centre.

After enjoying the chance for some lively conversation and networking over lunch in the International Digital Laboratory guests, including existing and potential sponsoring companies and current Engineering undergraduates eager to learn more, moved into the auditorium for the official presentations.

WMG Chairman Professor Lord Bhattacharyya described it as a proud day for WMG and the next step on a long and exciting journey which couldn’t have been taken without the support of our partners, many of whom were in the room.  The Professor also felt that the EPSRC support for the Centre showed the standard of work that we do here at WMG and the high regard in which it’s held.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chair of the Centre’s Steering Group, spoke of how he believes the Centre has an important role to play in both industry and society, with WMG able to become “the incubator for tomorrow's industrial leaders; highly skilled, business trained, internationally minded, innovative and committed to securing a low carbon future”. The audience heard how proud JLR is to be one small part of it, together with other organisations like BAE Systems, Johnson Matthey, ARUP, PTC and TTI who are all members of the Steering Group.

It was particularly good to have Heather McDougall back with us, providing a different insight from her perspective as a recent EngD graduate. Her presentation (without notes!) was wonderfully engaging and several prospective students sought her out for questions afterwards.

WMG has offered the original EngD since it was first launched in 1992 and Dr Kerry Kirwan, Strategic Director of the new Centre, is a past student happy to openly state that he believes the new qualification, with its international focus, is even better than the EngD he himself had undertaken.

There are a number of projects available already on the Centre’s website for students wanting to apply to the programme. Anyone thinking of being sponsored by their current employer, or any companies wishing to partner with WMG in this new venture should speak to the Centre’s Operations Director Dr Kevin Neailey.

We look forward to meeting the new students and bringing you more insights on how they and the Centre are progressing.

Hannah Reese : 13 Oct 2011 17:21 |  Tags: Dr Ralf Speth Engd Engineering Doctorate International Doctorate Centre Kerry Kirwan Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Welcome to WMG: Behind the Scenes

Writing about web page http://www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk

Welcome to WMG: Behind the Scenes, our new blog to tell the world about what goes on at WMG at the University of Warwick.

Why are we starting a blog? Well, you may regularly hear of WMG appearing in the news, as a result of something that we have achieved in our research, our education programmes or our work with business, but that’s just part of the story. There are lots of other things going on at WMG that you don’t get to hear about, which is why we chose to call this blog ‘Behind the Scenes’.

You may have heard news stories about our successful WorldF3rst Formula 3 racing car, but what about all the work that went on behind the scenes to achieve that project and build a sustainable race car?

You may have heard announcements about our students competing in a Robot Rescue Championship, but what did they have to go through to get there?

In this blog you won’t find our press releases, but updates that are more informal. We will highlight the people that make WMG what it is and the hard work that they do, so you can build up a picture of the vast range of interesting activities that go on here. There will be videos of our research in action, expert commentary on current issues, reports from student projects, as well as conferences and events, and much, much more.

‘Behind the Scenes’ will be written by WMG’s Communications Team - Lisa Barwick, Hannah Reese and Anna Ritchley. There will also be guest blogs so you can hear first-hand from our academics, researchers and the people who do the work.

We hope you will enjoy hearing from people all over WMG.

Please let us know what you think as we post new items…

Anna Ritchley : 29 Sep 2011 11:16 |  Tags: Introduction Wmg |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem