An ECS researcher is part of a team which has just secured funding from Google to make the classics and other ancient texts easy to discover and access online.

Leif Isaksen, of the University's School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), is also part of the Archaeological Computing Research Group in the School of Humanities. He is working together with Dr Elton Barker at The Open University and Dr Eric Kansa of the University of California, Berkeley on the Google Ancient Places (GAP): Discovering historic geographical entities in the Google Books corpus project, which is one of 12 projects worldwide to receive funding as part of a new Digital Humanities Research Programme funded by Google.

The GAP researchers will enable scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to search the Google Books corpus to find books related to a geographic location and within a particular time period. The results can then be visualised on GoogleMaps or in GoogleEarth. The project will run until September next year.

"We are very excited about the potential of this project," said Leif Isaksen. "Up to now many ancient texts have been accessible only at elite institutions or have been very hard to find; now a much wider range of people will be able to discover them. This work will really help open up the field and lead to many further projects." ECS will work on a Web Service and Web Widget for the project. This will make it possible for Webmasters to add links to the ancient texts within their websites, enabling the public and researchers to search for them easily. The Widget will also be embedded in the Hestia (Herodotus Encoded Space-Text-Imaging Archive) and Open Context projects.

Leif Isaksen is completing a PhD at Southampton with Dr Kirk Martinez (ECS) and Dr Graeme Earl (Archaeology) on integrating archaeological data using Semantic Web technologies. “Google’s recent acquisition of Freebase, the Semantic Web encyclopaedia, means there is a range of exciting possibilities for convergence in the future,â€? he said.

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Leif Isaksen is a member of the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia research group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. If you are interested in doing PhD research in this group you can find out more on our Postgraduate Admissions Pages.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

An academic at the University of Southampton is studying the potential for damage posed by lightning to carbon fibre composites (CFCs), which are increasingly being used in aircraft manufacture. The research will aim to reduce damage and minimise repair costs.

Dr Igor Golosnoy, of the University’s Electrical Power Engineering Research Group within the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), is working with EADS Innovation Works UK on a three-year project which aims to assess the effect of lightning strike on modern CFCs materials used in airframes or wind turbine blades.

Aircraft manufacturers are increasing the use of CFCs because they are lighter than aluminium and provide significant weight savings.

But according to Dr Golosnoy, CFCs have a significant drawback because of their peculiar structure. They contain several layers of long carbon fibres impregnated in epoxy resin and bonded together. The fibres are laid in different directions in each layer, making the composites highly electrically and thermally anisotropic (which means they have different physical properties in different directions). As a result, any lightning strike damage would present differently in each layer, making it more difficult to repair composites.

“We’re not talking about any immediate danger,â€? says Dr Golosnoy. “Modern jets can still fly safely despite lightning strike damage. The problem here is that any damage should not remain undetected and must be repaired promptly. Our role is to establish in detail how the damage occurs in composite structures and to give suggestions on repair and protection as well as to look at possible improvements in CFCs themselves.

“Although CFCs are strong and provide a superior mechanical performance, their electric and thermal conductivities are much lower than those of aluminium alloys. As a result the energy from the strike does not dissipate quickly enough along the unprotected surface, making them more susceptible to damage,â€? he continues.

“There are several ways to protect the composites, such as having a layer of metal mesh or thin foil on the top, but this increases the overall weight and means that both the coating and the composite get damaged. It also makes the repair procedure even more complicated.â€?

Over the lifetime of the project, which will look mainly at the fundamental physics of the phenomenon, Dr Golosnoy plans to develop a qualitative mathematical model and predict the airframe behaviour during lightning strike. He will also undertake a parametric analysis of how the layup of composites affects their thermo-electric performance.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

If you are interested in doing PhD research in the EPE group see our postgraduate admissions pages.

Academics are launching a study this week to understand what aspects of Twitter content are considered valuable, and how that impacts presentation and perception of online identity.

People often reach for Twitter when they have just had a great breakfast, updated their blog, feel exhausted, or want to share a news article. The question being explored in the study is - Who gives a tweet? Responding to the widespread perception that the majority of Twitter updates are boring, inane, or largely sandwich-related, researchers from the University of Southampton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Georgia Institute of Technology want Twitter users to anonymously rate their friends' tweets.

"Social networking sites currently take an optimistically positive view of status updates,â€? says Paul André, graduate student at the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science. “Facebook enables users to 'like' their friends’ updates, and Twitter has 'favourites'. But this ignores the value that could be gained from understanding which updates are disliked and why." Michael Bernstein, PhD student at MIT, comments: "Analysing the negatively rated tweets, and the consensus that forms around them, will help us understand the emerging approved or accepted norms in these new forms of online communication."

The researchers have launched the website WGATweet.com (Who Gives A Tweet), and are asking Twitter users to sign up and receive ratings from both followers and strangers. "The site allows us to gather a more nuanced type of feedback than is currently available, and offers users an insight into how their updates are perceived by different groups, helping them understand what their impact really is," explains Kurt Luther, graduate student at Georgia Institute of Technology. Twitter users can sign up (for free rating and analysis of their tweets) at http://wgatweet.com.

This research is part of Paul André's doctoral research, along with supervisor dr mc schraefel, in examining how to get more value both into and out of social media, towards enhancing personal and social awareness.

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Paul André is a member of the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia research group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. If you are interested in doing PhD research in this group you can find out more on our Postgraduate Admissions Pages.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

The School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Southampton has signed a research-based collaboration agreement with Oxford Instruments.

Oxford Instruments has 10 systems installed in the University’s state-of the-art Southampton Nanofabrication Centre (SNC), operated by the ECS Nano Research Group. Oxford Instruments’ process engineers will have use of this and selected other equipment at the SNC which opened just last year.

This will in effect expand Oxford Instruments’ research capabilities, and increase the already extensive process offering the company is able to make its customers. Oxford Instruments’ systems installed in the SNC include: FlexAL ALD tool, Ionfab300Plus ion beam tool, Plasmalab System400 sputtering tool, Plasmalab System80Plus RIE plasma etch tool, Nanofab1000 nanoscale growth tool, System100 PECVD plasma deposition and System100 ICP380 plasma etch tools.

In addition, Oxford Instruments is funding a post-doctoral position to work on a collaborative project with the SNC and other partners. This project will build on work funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) at the SNC as part of the Nanotechnology Grand Challenges for Healthcare research programme. The project will research novel materials and technologies for use as nanowire biosensors. The ultimate objective of both the Oxford Instruments and EPSRC projects is to build a nanowire biosensor system that can be used as a diagnostic tool for point of care applications.

Professor Peter Ashburn, Director of the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre at the University, comments:

“This collaboration with Oxford Instruments is undoubtedly a clear indicator that our research expertise and facilities are among the best in the world. We are certain the relationship between our two organisations will be mutually beneficial and our aim is that it will result in a commercial product for use in the life science and healthcare markets.â€?

Frazer Anderson, Business Development Director at Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, is equally positive about the collaboration: “As a leader in systems and processes for etch, deposition and growth, Oxford Instruments has an established relationship with the University of Southampton, with a substantial range of its equipment already installed in the SNC. One of Oxford Instruments’ key objectives is to pursue responsible development and deeper understanding of the world through science and technology, and this collaboration with such a prestigious research university is just the type of activity that will achieve this end.â€?

Dr Alec Reader, Director of the NanoKTN, was instrumental in facilitating the initial discussions between Oxford Instruments and SNC and has strongly encouraged industry-university collaborations of this type. Oxford Instruments is currently involved in discussions with the NanoKTN on ideas for taking this research forward to the next stage. ____

Professor Peter Ashburn is Director of the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre and a member of the Nano research group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. If you are interested in doing PhD research in this group you can find out more on our Postgraduate Admissions Pages.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall has been appointed Dean of the new Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences in the University of Southampton.

Professor Hall is one of seven new Deans whose appointment is announced today (Tuesday 3 August) by the University. She will lead the new Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences, which comprises academic groupings in Electronics and Computer Science, Optoelectronics, and Physics and Astronomy.

"It is an honour and a very exciting prospect to lead the new Faculty,' says Professor Hall. 'It spans an amazing range of research areas from astrophysics to web science, from nanotechnology to power engineering. Much of our work is fundamental to the development of society in the digital age. I believe we have an amazing story to tell in terms of our impact on the core technologies that underpin these developments and the emerging businesses that drive them."

Wendy Hall, DBE, FRS, FREng is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, UK. She was Head of the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) from 2002 to 2007.

One of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia, she has been at its forefront ever since. The influence of her work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the Semantic Web, and the emerging research discipline of Web Science.

In addition to playing a prominent role in the development of her subject, she also helps shape science and engineering policy and education. Through her leadership roles on national and international bodies, she has shattered many glass ceilings, readily deploying her position on numerous national and international bodies to promote the role of women in SET, and acting as an important role model for others.

She became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2009 UK New Year's Honours list, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009. She was President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 2008-10, the first person from outside North America to hold this position. She is a Member of the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and a Member of the British Library Board. In 2006 she was awarded the Anita Borg Prize for Technical Leadership.

Writing to staff in the new Faculty Professor Hall comments: "I look forward now to working with the staff and students in the Faculty to strengthen our core disciplines and to develop exciting new cross-Faculty research initiatives and education programmes."

Professor Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, comments: "I believe that we have appointed an outstanding new leadership team to take forward our ambitious new strategy, which seeks to build on the world-leading research and top-rated education that we already have in Southampton. "However, at a time when public funding for teaching and research is being cut that means an even greater focus on research quality. It also means transforming the structure, quality and flexibility of our educational programmes, so that by 2012 we are offering students a much greater choice of learning options."

For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

Students and researchers in ECS have been taking to the Frisbee field, led by ECS researcher dr mc schraefel, who is passionate about 'geek fitness'.

Starting from the growing field of evidence of the connection between exercise and intelligence, mc is convinced that smarter and more frequent movement will provide a competitive advantage.

"Movement, taking in oxygen, achieving a positive hormonal cascade from positive movement, gets us in a better state of awareness, alertness - and breathing - which is calming for creative brilliance," she says. "It also helps generate BDNF - what some in the field call the 'miracle gro of the brain' that enhances learning."

mc talks about research that shows learning a new skill like frisbee-throwing and coordination also gets the brain working to build new patterns. "Frisbee has two things going for it - it's aerobic to get the neurotransmitters and related hormones gassed up; it's also skills-based, which is building the brain network. Trying to get better at a forehand throw is doing great things for our ability to think better, learn better, perform better", she adds.

mc currently holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellowship, sponsored by Microsoft Research, and a significant proportion of her research is directed towards the impact of environment on the discovery and innovation process, especially factors which hinder creation.

She believes that exercise and physical activity are underrated by research environments, so systems could be geared towards illustrating that activity has benefit, particularly as obesity costs the UK £3.5 billion a year, and low back pain, stress and anxiety all contribute to absenteeism.

"We are not just brains with bodies,' she says. "We are a complex set of interconnected systems. We have brains, some argue, because we move. Isn't it ironic that now with our brains in this culture we tend to inertia? The result may be that we're compromising our brains by de-emphasizing our bodies. In fact we are designed to move. Our sedentary office environment violates the design we have to be most effective."

An ECS student who graduated with First Class Honours in July and will shortly embark on a PhD in the School has been short-listed for the title of Best Electronic Engineering Student in Europe.

Steffi Sesuraj is one of three student finalists for the ARM Award for Best Electronic Engineering Student, one of the prestigious European SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Student of the Year Awards 2010.

Steffi was nominated by her supervisor, Professor Darren Bagnall, of the Nano Research Group in the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science, on the basis of her excellent performance on the BEng Electronic Engineering course, but especially for her third-year project on the development of more efficient solar cells: ‘Design, Fabrication and Characterisation of a Nano-Plasmonic back reflector for a-Si Thin Film Solar Cells’.

According to Professor Bagnall, Steffi’s experimental work has demonstrated for the first time that plasmonic arrays of metal nanoparticles can be used to significantly improve the performance of solar cells.

"Researchers have been attracted to the idea of using metal nanoparticles to provide ‘plasmonic solar cells’ for around six years," says Professor Bagnall. "Now, as a result of Steffi’s detailed and innovative work we are now much better placed to demonstrating working plasmonic solar cells. This is a considerable achievement since it has provided a new method for how the cells should be constructed."

Steffi will now continue and develop this project in her doctoral research, using the advanced technology in Southampton Nanofabrication Centre. Her aim will be to use nanotechnology to engineer a design for thinner and therefore more cost-effective solar cells that maintain high efficiency.

"Working on developing a Nano-Plasmonic Back Reflector was definitely an exciting venture for me,â€? says Steffi. “The field of plasmonic application for solar cells has demonstrated that nanotechnology is no more a ‘thing of the future’– it has the potential to be implemented in the present, on a large-scale basis.

"This project was a wonderful opportunity to work with the ECS Nano Research Group. Its members are very talented and friendly and made me feel part of the Group.

"I definitely got a lot out of the project in terms of scientific knowledge and research skills. The enthusiasm which I’ve developed for plasmonics applications and nanotechnology in general has motivated me to continue with a PhD in this area, at the Nano Group, under Professor Darren Bagnall and my co-supervisor Dr. Harold Chong.

"I’ve constantly been on the move in my life, from India to the Netherlands and now Southampton. I feel at home in this University and look forward to another four exciting and fruitful years of research."

The SET European Awards will be presented at a ceremony before an audience comprising of hundreds of technology students, academics, senior industry executives; as well as senior figures from government, scientific and technical institutions and the media, which takes place on Friday 3 September at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

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Steffi Sesuraj is a member of the Nano research group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. If you are interested in doing PhD research in this group you can find out more on our Postgraduate Admissions Pages.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

ECS researchers are developing technology that may enable people to power MP3 players and other devices through their clothes and the carpets they walk on.

Dr Steve Beeby and his team at the University’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) aim to generate energy through people’s movement, eliminating the need to change batteries on devices.

In a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Southampton team will use rapid printing processes and active printed inks to create an energy harvesting film in textiles. This film can also be printed on carpets, enabling individuals to generate energy as they walk around the home or office.

“This project looks at generating electrical power from the way people move and then applying an energy harvesting film to the clothes they wear or the materials they have around them,â€? says Dr Beeby. “We will generate useful levels of power which will be harvested through the films in the textiles. The two big challenges in smart textiles are supplying power and surviving washing.â€?

The research, which begins in October and runs until 2015, will provide a toolbox of materials and processes suitable for a range of different fabrics that will enable users to develop the energy harvesting fabric best suited to their requirements.

Dr Beeby has been awarded a prestigious EPSRC Leadership Fellowship to undertake this research, providing up to five years of funding. These awards are a direct investment in Britain's most talented researchers.

Applications for the research include using the energy to power wireless health monitoring systems, as well as consumer products such as MP3 players. Applications also exist in the automotive sector.

The underlying sensor technology, which will make the energy harvesting process possible, is being developed by Dr Beeby and his team through the Microflex project, a Framework 7 European Union funded project due to finish in November 2012. _____ Dr Steve Beeby is a member of the Electronic Systems and Devices research group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. If you are interested in doing PhD research in this group you can find out more on our Postgraduate Admissions Pages.

For further information about this news story contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

After their stunning performance in the 2010 Solar Splash competition in Arkansas earlier this year, Team Tarka demonstrated the boat's speed and manoeuvrability at the University's Boathard at Woodmill.

Team Tarka, led by Dr Peter Wilson of the School of Electronics and Computer Science, achieved outstanding success in Solar Splash - the World Championship of Collegiate Solar Boating.

The University of Southampton boat Tarka II took second place overall and won a string of awards in the Solar Splash event held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was only the second year Southampton had entered the challenge and for the second year running, the team was the only UK competitor.

Solar Splash is an annual event, taking place over five days and comprising different water-based competitions which test speed, manoeuvrability, endurance, design, and innovation. The boats must be powered by solar energy, which places considerable constraints on their design.

Tarka II was designed and built by Electrical Engineering and Ship Science students from the Schools of Electronics and Computer Science and Engineering Sciences.

Team leader Dr Peter Wilson, who also led the University’s first attempt at Solar Splash in 2009, said: “It was an outstanding team effort, which demonstrated our strength in Engineering across the University, with students in Ship Science and Electrical Engineering working together on the design, build, and performance.â€?

Tarka II took first place in the Solar Slalom event and was placed second in the 300m sprint, in which it achieved top speeds of over 24 knots. The team also brought back awards for Outstanding Hull Design, Outstanding Workmanship and Perseverance.

The boat is constructed in carbon fibre, and is powered by two inboard electric motors driving a propeller designed specifically for each event. The hull, motor-mounting frame and propellers were all made in-house at the University.

Programme Manager Dr Reuben Wilcock commented: “It was very exciting to have the Ship Science students at the core of the Tarka II team. They worked extremely hard on a new hull for the boat and their knowledge and experience enabled us to carry out more theoretical simulations.â€?

“Coming second was a fantastic result,â€? says Dr Wilson. “The team put in an incredible amount of hard work to achieve these results, and this is testament to their skills and expertise.

“We would like to thank all our sponsors, but in particular our main sponsor ARM, and also Detica, without whom we would not have been able to travel to the competition.

“The aim now is to go one better and achieve top place in 2011!â€?

The Tarka II race team included: Tom Partington, Taddeo Haigh, Jacob Deane, Rory Boardman, Daniel Crowley, Jonathan Burton and Natasha Wilcock, with support from Tom Hebbron, Dirk De Jager, Karim El-Shabrawy, Valentin Muenzel, Dr Dominic Hudson and Dr Mingyi Tan.

Planning has already begun for the University of Southampton's entry in Solar Splash 2011. Tarka will retain the successful hull design, but more work will be put into the the boat's motors.

To find out more about Team Tarka contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.

Open Days for prospective students take place this month on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 September.

The School of Electronics and Computer Science will be holding two days of tours, presentations, demonstrations and drop-in sessions, highlighting the opportunities available on our degree programmes, and emphasizing the unique character of ECS. Visitors will have the chance to see all our undergraduate labs, and to meet past and current students, as well as to find out about our students' excellent career prospects.

Presentations begin at 10 am in the Turner Sims Concert Hall with a welcome from the Deputy Head of School (Education), Professor Alun Vaughan; there will then be separate tours and presentations for Computer Science & Software Engineering; Electrical & Electromechanical Engineering; Electronic Engineering; and Information Technology in Organisations. These presentations and tours are repeated at 11 am, 2 pm, and 3 pm.

Between 12 noon and 2 pm we will be holding two drop-in sessions in the Mountbatten Building, where visitors can see demonstrations, tour the labs with our students, and find out more from ECS Admissions Tutors. Refreshments will be available. At 12 noon in the Turner Sims Concert Hall there will also be a presentation on Robotics in ECS by Dr Richard Crowder.

You can book your place on the University of Southampton Open Day web site on the University Open Day Web Site provides further information.

'Visiting universities is extremely important in enabling students to find the best place for their study,' said Professor Alun Vaughan. 'There are many factors which make a difference to the kind of educational experience that will suit a particular student and we urge prospective students to take advantage of these visit days to find out as much as they can about what we can offer them.'

ECS Open Day Hotline: +44(0)23 8059 4506

View our Introduction to ECS Open Days by Professor Alun Vaughan.

Electronics and Electrical Engineering is ranked 1st and 2nd in the UK in recent league tables (May 2010) and Computer Science and IT is ranked 4th or 5th. Find out more about our excellent league table performance and our exceptional graduate career prospects.

For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.