Students across the UK will get the chance to be part of a residential summer course launched by the University of Southampton that aims to inspire the next generation of electronic engineers and computer scientists.

The lucky participants will have the opportunity to gain an insight into life at one of the UK’s top universities as well as find out about the careers they could aspire to once they graduate.

The week-long course is being run by Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University in July 2015 and builds on summer schools previously held there.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Senior Admissions Tutor Dr Geoff Merrett said: “Last summer we hosted a summer school in electronics and it was a fantastic success.

“This year we want to expand on this and offer something even better. Our week-long residential will cover all areas of Electronics and Computer Science, from computer science and software engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, to information technology in organisations, and web science. We hope that by taking part in the summer school we will engage the students in the subjects, inspire them to apply for a university place and open their eyes to the exciting breadth of careers that a degree in ECS can lead to,â€? he added.

A-Level students who sign up to the course will take part in activities in the undergraduate laboratories, meet current and former pupils, network with potential employers, visit a commercial or research facility in the UK, and hear about the latest teaching and research from the University’s team of globally-renowned lecturers.

They will also get the chance to live in halls of residence for a week and enjoy a range of social activities.

The summer school will build on ECS’s continuing commitment to encourage more women to go into science and engineering subjects at university and as a career.

Co-organiser Dr Reena Pau, a PhD alumna from the University of Southampton, said: “We hope that by giving young women the opportunity to experience what life is like studying science at university we will dispel many of the myths and misconceptions they may have.â€?

Students from last year’s electronics summer school hosted by ECS say they really enjoyed the experience.

Megan, from Wiltshire, said: “It was really worthwhile and helped me know that I wanted to do electronics at university.â€? Ricki, from Cambridgeshire, added: “A great taster of what electronics is like, and made me certain on choosing electronic engineering at university.â€?

The ECS summer school will run from 27 to 31 July, 2015 and is open to the top students in Year 12 studying A-Levels in Maths and one of Physics, Further Maths, Computing or Electronics. To find out more about what is on offer and how to apply visit www.summerschool.ecs.soton.ac.uk.

A professional skier battled against two online gamers in the world’s first interactive mixed reality downhill ski race using technology pioneered by the IT Innovation Centre – an applied research group within Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton.

Hitting speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, the top class skier hurtled down the world cup ski course in Schladming, Austria, in a bid to reach the finish line before his two competitors – virtual reality gamers based in Thessaloniki, in Greece, and Munich, in Germany.

The four-stage race was broadcast live over two days from the Wearable Technologies Conference, in Munich, at the beginning of February.

Despite the skier on the real slope picking up an early win in the first race, the two online gamers went on to battle back and win the successive races, with the racer in Greece gaining the lead and finishing with the best overall time.

The racers used a 3D tele-immersion platform and wore new virtual reality technology that allowed them to compete against each other by racing down the same ski slope at the same time. The competition was the culmination of research by the European Commission funded 3D LIVE project. The project’s technical lead, Michael Boniface, Technical Director at the IT Innovation Centre said: “The race was a huge success and demonstrated that mixed reality can deliver unique and truly exciting experiences.

“The competitors interacted in real-time sharing their experience in a 3D virtual environment delivered over the Internet to wearable immersive devices. The professional skier wore Smart Ski Goggles with a heads up display that allowed them to see the virtual world alongside the real slope. The indoor competitors were fully immersed in a virtual world using Oculus Rift. By using advanced sensor and gaming technologies to create and manipulate 3D information in real-time, the platform delivered truly interactive experiences closely linked to real world activities. “Mixed reality can deliver experiences that have never happened before for people online and people on location. We envisage opportunities for new types of live games that combine digital and real interaction in many different competitive sports but also serious applications. For example, if you are watching a live sports event at home, maybe a championship ski race, you can actually compete against the real pros.â€?

Watch us on BBC News and BBC Click.

Watch the Racing on Youtube:

India’s first Web Observatory has been launched by Professor Dame Wendy Hall of Electronics and Computer Science and by Indian scholar Professor Sowmyanarayanan Sadagopan at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B).

The Web Observatory, set up in partnership with the Web Science Trust, the University of Southampton and other global Web Science laboratories, provides a global, distributed analytics platform that not only provides access to datasets of various sizes but also in helping analyse the web.

Profesor Dame Wendy Hall, Executive Director of the Web Science Institute at the University, said:

“I’m really excited about the launch of the Web Observatory in India at IIIT-Bangalore. The web has changed our lives irrevocably and it is so important that we understand how this is happening, so that we can better forecast what might happen in the future. The Web Observatory is crucial to providing the data and data analytics to support evidence based policy making and business intelligence in the future.

"It is also crucial that this is a global effort and it is wonderful to see the development of the Observatory at IIIT-Bangalore as the first step of the evolution of a network of Web Observatories throughout India. Similar Web Observatories exist in European, SE Asia and US universities.�

Further information about the Web Observatory’s launch can be found on the Gov.uk website.

Researchers from Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton will play a major role in establishing a European Data Science Academy (EDSA) – a new online platform for training data scientists across Europe.

The Academy will help organisations and businesses across the EU to benefit from the global explosion and availability of large and complex data sets – known as ‘big data’. Possessing the ability to generate insights from these huge data sets, data scientists can discover stories and trends that may otherwise remain hidden, creating opportunities for an organisation to improve, economise or investigate further.

As the data-driven economy continues to grow, increasing numbers of organisations require skilled professionals who are capable of handling big data. To help meet this urgent demand, the EDSA will create a supply of data scientists with the knowledge and skills to help organisations of all sizes manage and make use of such quantities of data, allowing them to remain competitive in an increasingly expanding data-based economy.

It is estimated that in the UK, demand for professionals with the skills to manage large amounts of data is expected to grow by 160 per cent by 2020, creating nearly 56,000 jobs per year .

Dr Elena Simperl, Associate Professor in the Web and Internet Science Group at the University of Southampton, is the technical lead for the EDSA project. She says: “Big data analysis can provide an unparalleled level of insight into what is happening around a particular issue, by revealing trends that may have never been noticed before.

“The EDSA project offers a great opportunity for Southampton to strengthen its position in the data science industry. This complements the launch of our new MSc program on the same topic later this year.â€?

The project will be funded by a €2.9m (£2.2m) investment through the EU Horizon 2020 program. It will use e-learning technologies to create courses and training for data science professionals across key EU industrial sectors.

The EDSA project involves nine partners from higher education, professional training organisations and technology innovators, from the UK and the rest of Europe. Educational institutions involved are: the Open University (who are leading the EDSA project), the Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia), Kungiga Tekniska Hoegskolan (Sweden), the University of Southampton, and the Technisce Universiteit Eindhoven (Netherlands).

Other organisations involved are: the Open Data Institute (ODI), which was founded by University of Southampton Professors Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt; Fraunhofer IAIS, a leading German applied research institute; Idexlab, a French open innovation company; and Persontyle, a UK social enterprise focused on numeracy and data science.

Registration for courses from the European Data Science will open later in 2015.

For further information on The European Data Science Academy, please visit: edsa-project.eu.

The University of Southampton will be represented among the keynote speakers at the launch of Innovation is GREAT in Tokyo this Friday.

The GREAT campaign, which is aimed at building British prosperity through innovation and creative business partnerships, will be launched by HRH The Duke of Cambridge during his visit to Japan.

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Open Data Institute and Professor of Artificial Intelligence within Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, is among the six speakers who will share their experiences of embracing innovation as a driver for product development, business growth and collaboration, to help launch the year-long campaign. Professor Sir Shadbolt's speech will cover how data is changing society. He said:

“We live in an age of superabundant information. The Internet and World Wide Web have been the agents of this revolution. Data science is emerging as an area of competitive advantage for individuals, companies, universities, public and private sector organisations and nation states. “It is a privilege to be showcasing the UK’s world-leading work in this area. At the Open Data Institute, which I co-founded with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, we are showing how open data published on the Web is improving the efficiency of our public services and giving rise to open innovation. Whilst at the University of Southampton our research in Web Science helps us understand how we can use the Web to solve problems beyond any individual or single organisation.â€? Tim Hitchens, HM Ambassador for Japan said: “I’m delighted to confirm that Prince William will join us at this event. We will formally launch our Innovation is GREAT campaign, which is a year-long programme of activities and events designed to celebrate and promote partnership between the United Kingdom and Japan. “The campaign will showcase and stimulate UK-Japan business, research and education collaborations that tackle global problems and improve lives through innovation.â€?

For more information about the University’s Open Data and Web Science research visit: www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/researchimpact.

ECS students had the opportunity to hear personal perspectives on entrepreneurship from distinguished alumnus, Mike Payne, when he visited the department last week.

Mike graduated from the Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Southampton in 1965. After a Masters degree in Physics in London, he moved to the United States in 1969. He is celebrated as a co-founder of some of the most important companies in the CAD and PLM communities – including SolidWorks, PTC, and Space Claim (acquired last year by ANSYS for $85M) – which have changed the way everyday articles are designed and manufactured. In 2010 Mike was awarded the CAD Society Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution, recognizing a lifetime and legacy of excellence in building business and technology for 3D CAD and engineering.

Mike was warmly welcome to ECS by Zilong Wang, President of the ECS Entrepreneurs student group which organized the event, and then distilled his experience and enthusiasm for the industry and for entrepreneurship in the first of a new regular series of ECS Entrepreneurs talks.

"It was such a great pleasure to have Mike as first speaker of our new entrepreneur talks series," said Zilong. "It means more to hear from someone who also graduated from ECS and has done something extraordinary - just as Mike did with SolidWorks. It was very inspiring."

Rehabilitation technologists at the University of Southampton led by Dr Chris Freeman are part of a national team who will transform science fiction to reality. Over the next three years, the team will produce prototypes of soft robotic trousers to transform the lives of those with mobility impairments. This is the first time soft robotic technologies have been employed to address rehabilitation and health care needs in a single piece of clothing. Sci-fi dreams will become practical solutions, enabling our ageing population to live with greater independence and dignity.

Starting in July 2015, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council have awarded the team two million pounds for this exciting three-year project. The prototype wearable technology will include trousers and socks that are easy to use, comfortable, adaptable and meet each user’s individual mobility needs.

Dr Freeman of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering research group within Electronics and Computer Science, said: “I am excited to be part of this multidisciplinary project, which brings together the UK’s leading researchers in control systems, soft robotics and smart materials. We will develop fundamental technologies that will transform independent living for the disabled and infirm. Clinical and user involvement at every stage will ensure we produce the right not the wrong trousers.â€?

Smart trousers could help vulnerable people avoid falls by supporting them whilst walking, give people added bionic strength to move between sitting and standing positions, and help people climb stairs which were previously insurmountable. They could replace the stair lift in the home and other bulky and uncomfortable mobility and stability aids. Ultimately they have the potential to free many wheelchair users from their wheelchairs.

This intelligent clothing or ‘second skin’ will use artificial ‘muscles’ made from smart materials and reactive polymers which are capable of exerting great forces. They will be developed using the latest wearable soft robotic, nanoscience, 3D fabrication, functional electrical stimulation and full-body monitoring technologies, all driven by the need of the end users, who will also be directly involved in the project. They will include control systems that monitor the wearer and adapt to give the most suitable assistance, working with the body’s own muscles. For patients needing rehabilitation the smart clothing can initially provide strong support and subsequently reduce assistance as the patient recovers mobility and strength.

Many existing devices used by people with mobility problems can cause or aggravate conditions such as poor circulation, skin pressure damage or susceptibility to falls, each of which is a drain on health resources. Wearable Soft Robotics has the potential to alleviate many of these problems and reduce healthcare costs.

The University of Southampton is partnered with the universities of Bristol, the West of England, Nottingham, Leeds, Strathclyde and Loughborough.

This year's London reception for ECS alumni will be held at BMA House, Tavistock Square, on Tuesday 12 May.

Formal invitations to alumni will be issued within the next few weeks and we are looking forward to seeing an excellent representation of graduates from all the ECS degree programmes, including Computer Science, Electronic Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

Last year's event attracted over 260 graduates from more than 50 years of the School's history, and provided a great opportunity to reconnect with fellow ECS alumni, as well as catch up on activities and new initiatives in ECS.

BMA House is a splendid venue, which we return to for the second year, while Faraday House at Savoy Place completes its renovation. The event takes place between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm, with wine and canapes, and will include a short presentation on recent developments in ECS.

Please join us if you can!

Davide Zilli, a PhD student in Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), has won a silver Engineering prize at the prestigious SET for BRITAIN poster competition and exhibition.

Davide, along with fellow ECS PhD student Mustafa Kutlu, was among 21 University of Southampton PhD students and Early Career Researchers selected to present their research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges. Their work had been chosen from a wide range of applicants, to encourage, support and promote Britain's early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians who are an essential part of continuing progress in and development of UK research and development.

The researchers, were judged in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony, judged by leading academics, with the gold medallist receiving £3,000, while silver and bronze will receive £2,000 and £1,000 respectively. The Engineering category also saw bronze for another Southampton PhD student - Angieszka Dzielendziak from the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment.

Davide Zilli’s research concerns monitoring animals by listening to the sound they make, and to do so through the use of widely available technologies, such as smartphones. He says: “Many animals are difficult to spot, because they are nocturnal, very small or very elusive, and often they make this a strategy for survival. However, the sound they emit can be a very good indicator of their presence. In the last two years I've been looking for a critically endangered insect, call the New Forest Cicada. It was only ever found in the New Forest, the national park west of Southampton, and it's the only species of cicada we have in the UK. There is a great interest in monitoring bats, birds and even elephants and rhinos, which emit lower frequency calls that travel miles and can warn us that an individual animal is in danger.â€?

Mustafa Kutlu’s research focuses on developing rehabilitation technology that will enable stroke patients to receive effective therapy in their own homes. He explains: “We are extremely proud of the technology we have been developing over the last two years, and are excited that its importance has been recognised in this way. We have been working closely with clinicians and people with stroke to make sure the rehabilitation systems address the needs of the 1.2m stroke survivors in the UK. An event like SET for BRITAIN brings us closer to the goal of getting this technology into people’s homes.â€?

Andrew Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee said, “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.

“These early career engineers, mathematician and scientists are the architects of our future and SET for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.â€?

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee run the SET for BRITAIN event in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, the Institute of Physics, The Physiological Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Society of Biology and the Society of Chemical Industry, with financial support from BP, Wiley, Essar, INEOS, the Clay Mathematics Institute, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Bank of England and the Institute of Biomedical Science.

Our 2015 Engineering and Technology Careers Fair was the biggest and most successful so far, with 85 companies in attendance and over 950 student visitors.

The annual Fair, which began in 2008, is a key feature of the year-round careers and employability activities organized by Electronics and Computer Science and the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, enabling students to meet and engage with some of the UK’s leading technology companies, and to find out more about long-term career prospects and internships. Companies also welcome the opportunity to speak to students who are interested in their business, and to highlight their opportunities in a very competitive market for highly skilled students.

"It’s always a very lively day," said Careers Fair Director, Joyce Lewis. "There’s a huge amount of energy and excitement in the room, which you sense as soon as you step through the door.

"Our students have a very good idea of what they are looking for in their careers, so they are always keen to meet the companies and find out more about specific development routes open to them - particularly the kinds of technologies they might be working with. Many of the companies have ECS graduates on their stands, who can offer useful insights into module choices and project work."

Trends this year included a greater representation of energy companies, and a strong demand for graduates focusing on security. The Fair’s ‘Innovation Zone’ included 11 companies from the SetSquared initiative, based at the University Science Park, highlighting the importance of new technologies and start-ups in driving forward technology.

"The Fair continues to demonstrate the huge number of opportunities that are open to our students," said Joyce Lewis. "But while it’s a major part of our careers activities, we also work closely with the companies throughout the year and really value these strong relationships and the support given to our students.

"This year in particular we have welcomed companies most weekends to run challenges and competitions in our labs, and almost every weekday evening in term has seen a company coming to our building to give a presentation. This really helps build the students’ awareness of what the companies offer and what is the best choice for them." Next year’s Fair takes place on Tuesday 9 February ... full information about careers and employability events is available at the Careers Hub.