SPOTLIGHT AND DESIGN - Brunel University London · in lung deposition of drug aerosols, particularly ... The outcome of this study should provide guidance to pharmaceutical ... programming

Prof. W Balachandran, School of Engineeringand Design, is a recipient of the IEEE 2005Innovation and Creativity Award for the papertitled "Numerical Modelling of Inhaled ChargedAerosol Deposition in Human Airways"published in the IEEE/IAS Transactions. Thesimulation results reported in this paperhighlights the importance of electrical chargein lung deposition of drug aerosols, particularlyin the lower airways (18 – 23 generations).Delivery of submicron drug particles ofappropriate electrical charge to these loweralveolar regions is essential to dilate theconstricted airways of asthmatics. The modelhas also facilitated the understanding of pollen

allergens reaching the lower alveolar regions, and in particular the thunderstorm initiatedasthma. The outcome of this study should provide guidance to pharmaceutical industries tomanufacture intelligent new dispensing devices which can produce tailored drug aerosols toreach the alveolar regions requiring treatment.

Professor wins IEEE Prize for Allergy Technology

James Perowne, 26, graduated this yearfrom Multimedia Technology and Design.He is now developing an interactive toolfor the fashion industry to aid onlineshoppers with their purchases.

A ‘360° Fashion Photo’ is a rotating imagewhich allows web surfers to view a personfrom any angle. Users can take control byrotating and zooming to bring stillphotographs to life. 360° Fashion Photoswill revolutionise images on the web inthe fashion world. Instead of many staticshots of the same outfit, a model can do a'twirl' in a single moving image.

The initial idea was conceived during the2nd year of James’s undergraduate degreeand was inspired by similar multiplecamera techniques developed by the filmindustry (first seen in the movie, Lost inSpace (1998). What originally started as apersonal project was eventually takenfurther as the focus of his final yearproject. In June, James won the BrightIdeas competition, run by West Focus,which created some interest from a fewinvestors at the award ceremony. Brunel

Science Park saw the potential of thistechnology and awarded James the Proofof Concept Fund to further develop hisprototype into a commercially viableproduct.

The complete 24 camera system wasdesigned and built over a 14 monthperiod. By triggering the multiple camerasto take simultaneous photographs,Macromedia software can then be used tostitch all the images together to form asmooth rotating image ready for the web.A small studio was recently set up in theUxbridge Industrial Park to house theentire operation. The studio, with itsdressing rooms, make-up areas,photography studio and workstations is allready to launch next month to the fashionindustry. The project is run by JamesPerowne with the help of a small team ofstudents on work placements from BrunelUniversity. Currently the company is intalks with Nikon to get much neededsponsorship for new equipment. Visitwww.lobsterstudio.co.uk to view the 360°Fashion Photo prototype.

MULTIMEDIA GRADUATE’S “360° FASHION PHOTOS”

wins Bright Ideas competition

Welcome to the thirdSpotlight newsletter of theSchool of Engineering andDesign.

As we all at Brunel celebratea double anniversary year (40years of Brunel Universitybeing granted a Royal Charterand the 200th anniversary ofIsambard Kingdom Brunel’sbirthday) the School’s Marchnewsletter continues tohighlight the success andachievements of bothstudents and staff. We alsooffer a warm welcome to themany new members of staffthat have recently joined us.

Introduction

ON ENGINEERINGAND DESIGNSPOTLIGHT

MARCH 2006

www.brunel .ac .uk

Contents IEE Prize | Bright Ideas Competition | Viral Tracking Game | Professor Giacomin | BAFTA Award | Boeing Project | 3D Body Scanner

Racing Team I Imaging Group | Ferrari Technical Director | Sir William Siemens Medal | Made in Brunel | New UG Course

Medical Design Prize | Aerospace Trophy | Dr Guy Gratton | Calendar of Events | New Courses

103479 Spotlight Issue 3_FINAL 22/3/06 9:33 am Page 1

2 | www.brunel .ac .uk

My name is Wendy Obichukwu andI'm studying BEng ComputerSystems Engineering. In 2004 Iworked as a student engineer at3M plc for my industrial placement.On my first day at 3M I was nervousand felt out of my depth, as theprospect of dealing with realprojects with actual responsibilitiesmeans that you are accountable foryour actions in the workplace.During my placement, I worked ona major project and I was surprisedby the responsibility I was given (nonot making tea and coffee!) – thedesign and implementation of aquality control software engine. Tobe honest, I was worried because Iwasn't sure that I could deliverwhat was necessary, but throughresearch, hard work and some helpfrom my colleagues, the project wassuccessfully completed and its agreat feeling that I have made avaluable contribution to thecompany. The placement gave methe opportunity to learn aboutproject management, softwaredevelopment and build up anetwork of business contacts thatwill come in handy for my graduatecareer. It also helped me to improvethe quality of my work and feelmore confident in my capabilitieswhile earning a decent wage at thesame time.

INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT– Student Perspective

Multimedia Student launches successfulVIRAL TRACKING GAME ON THE INTERNET

BSc MULTIMEDIATECHNOLOGY ANDDESIGN COURSERECOGNITION“Computer Arts” creative magazinelisted the BSc Multimedia Technologyand Design course as the 4th bestdigital media computing course andtop Multimedia course in the UK

I’ve always had a keen interest incomputers and their application. I choseMultimedia Technology and Design atBrunel because it covers a broad range ofnew media topics in enough detail to giveyou a solid grounding in each. I wasparticularly interested in Flash taught in thefirst year, so I continued learning in myown time, writing small games andprograms in actionscript.

As my course is a thick-sandwich degree, Ispent the third year working in London ona placement. I still had a keen interest inFlash and managed to get a placement asa Flash developer for a leading onlineagency with the portfolio I had built overthe past 2 years. My placement wasexciting and stimulating. During my timethere I worked on games for clients such asMcDonalds, BBC, Nickelodeon, ITV, Fox’sBiscuits and Dominos Pizza where I wassolely responsible for the Flashdevelopment. I learnt a lot on myplacement and I would recommend thismode of study.

I have enjoyed the extra curricular activitiesand facilities that Brunel has to offer. Ijoined the karate club (not having done itbefore) and it has been a great experience.I have travelled to India, Venice andBelgium with the club to learn from karatemasters from across the world.

For my project this year, I have been doinga detailed study into Viral Marketing andhow content spreads across the web. I’vedeveloped a bespoke tracking system thattracks data from Flash files as they spread

across different domains and websites, aswell as details on how people use them. Totest my tracking system and my viralmarketing theories, I developed a seasonalgame – ‘Snowman Salvage’ that I launched2 weeks before Christmas. In the 4 weekssince the game launched, I have tracked iton over 300 different websites and it hasbeen played by 1.5 million people. Thegame has recently been licensed by amajor online publisher.

While at Brunel, I have also worked as anew media freelancer and have built up asubstantial client base. This year I set-upincorporated with a friend who I had meton the course. Things are going very wellso far with lots of exciting new clients. Alot of the third year modules that I amcurrently doing have been great forpreparing me for the outside world. Myfavourite is project management where weare learning a lot of valuable skillsimportant in running your own companyand managing other people.

I’d encourage people to study Multimediaat Brunel as the course gives you a solidbase which you can build upon in all areasof new media, and the opportunity for aplacement gives you real commercialexperience, a great advantage whenlooking for a job after university.

Paul Croft, current final year BScMultimedia Technology and Design


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“Brunel Design has alwayshad an excellent reputation asone of the leading designschools in the country. It wasthis coupled with thestructure and course contentthat helped me decide tostudy at Brunel. The BA coursehas a strong emphasis onpractical learning throughmaking. Modules cover a wideskill base, from PICprogramming and mechanicsto graphics and sketchingtechniques. The designschool’s links with industrymean that graduates arehighly employable, withalmost all students opting tostudy for a year in industry.

These links to industrywidened my designexperience when Pioneerapproached Brunel Design inmy second year. As sponsorsof the Bafta Television Awardsthey required a design for the

Pioneer award, to representthemselves at the ceremony.My design was chosen andpresented to Channel 4’sGreen Wing in April 2005, andwill also be used in 2006. As areward I was able to attendthe ceremony on the night.The competition gave me myfirst real “live” design project,widening my skills by liaisingwith various suppliers andtechnicians, and working to abudget and deadline.

This project certainly helpedwhen applying for anindustrial work placement. Iam currently working forNokia which is proving to be avery valuable experience,developing my knowledge ofthe working world as well asa wide range of design skills.”

Natalie Vanns, current BAIndustrial Design andTechnology student

Design studentwins prestigiouscompetition todesign a BAFTAaward for Pioneer

Prof. Joseph Giacomin hasrecently joined the university,assuming responsibility for theDesign subject area of theSchool of Engineering andDesign. His teaching andresearch is in the area ofHuman Factors, thus his arrivalstrengthens our alreadyenviable position as one ofthe leading European centresfor human design. Prof.Giacomin's “PerceptionEnhancement Systems”research group investigatesthe laws governing the humanperception of vibration andsound, with particularemphasis on applicationsinvolving road vehicles. Theemphasis is on thedevelopment of technologiesfor enhancing the featureswhich affect the interactionbetween people and themachines they use. Hisresearch team has majorongoing research projectswith several industrialpartners, and has a strongpublications track record inboth engineering andergonomics.

Prof. Giacomin is welltravelled, having come to usafter working for SheffieldUniversity, for Centro RicercheFiat in Torino, Italy, and afterworking for both the US Armyand Navy in Washington DCBesides the UK, he is alsoinvolved in numerousscientific collaborations inboth Italy and the USA, and isa visiting lecturer of thePolitecnico di Torino, one ofthe top 3 Italian universities ofscience and engineering.Joseph has made clear hispersonal motivation forcoming to Brunel since, in hisown words, "Brunel Design issimply the best designprogramme in the UnitedKingdom, no other universityapproaches Brunel's qualityand reputation". We hopethat everyone will joinSpotlight in offering a warmBrunel welcome to our newcolleague. Joseph can becontacted at his e-mail [email protected] his team's researchactivities and publications canbe downloaded at the websitewww.perceptionenhancement.com.

PROFESSORJOSEPH GIACOMINJOINS BRUNELDESIGN



Current Designstudent wins projectwith Boeing

I am in my second year of the BScProduct Design course. I chose tostudy at Brunel because of theexcellent reputation of its designcourses. The industrial placementyear offered also influenced mychoice of university because I feel itis an important aspect of studyingthe subject. The course covers awide range of modules from thescientific to the creative. We alsoget to do practical work, which notall universities offer. The facilitiesare good and the lecturerssupportive, often providing helpwhen you have difficulties withassignments.

I am currently working on a projectset by Boeing and British Airways.The first stage was for all level 2design students involved coming upwith a concept for the interiorenvironment of future Boeingairliners. I was one of six to make itthrough to the second stage. Myconcept is of a WingWalkers Cabin– a glass pod on the wing of theplane that people can walk out intoto get a great view of the skyaround them as they fly. The finalwinner will win a trip to Seattle tovisit the Boeing Design Facility.

The high standard of the courseand the practical work experiencemean that job prospects aftergraduation are good. Brunel Designgraduates get careers in a variety ofareas because of the broadness ofwhat is studied.

I would encourage anyoneinterested in design to visit Bruneland see for themselves what theuniversity has to offer them.

Katy Jenkins, second year Product Design

Albert Lau, from the USA, joined the MSc inAutomotive and Motorsport Engineering inSeptember 2004.

I chose to study at Brunel because theMotorsport course offered was unique. Thereare very few comparable courses available. TheMotorsport course not only teaches theengineering principles behind building a racecarbut also other aspects of the sport that areusually not studied in depth at otheruniversities.

The Automotive and Motorsport MSc was anew course this past year. The key to makingthe first year a success was the support of theuniversity and the determination of thestudents. The lecturers understood theimportance of being constantly in contact withindustry. One link with industry was visitingguest speakers. Another example of this is theAutosport show in Birmingham. It is the singleevent each year that brings together every facetof the motorsport community. The universityknew the importance of this and provided themeans for all of the students to take part.

In this first year, the lecturers were veryreceptive to our new ideas regarding thecourse. By being open to student feedback,they better understood our needs and what wewanted out of the course. During the initialweeks of the course when forming our FormulaStudent team, we rearranged the teamstructure as we saw fit and the university

adjusted their academic group projects likewise.This kind of latitude is not generally found atmost universities.

The Formula Student project is, in my opinion,the single greatest engineering exercise becauseit has value. Value because it is a year longproject that mimics the real world industry inevery shape and form. The project is not onlyan engineering design exercise, but one ofbusiness and team management as well. Theteams are created with a hierarchical structurenot dissimilar to professional race teams. Theywork to a schedule and budget and areexpected to promote their own team imagethrough marketing and sponsorship. On top ofall this, the teams have to design, manufacture,and race a one-off prototype racecar in thespan of one year. No other student projectcomes close to replicating the real world thanFormula Student. The skills that I learned andthe experiences that I gained were integral inmaking myself marketable to the motorsportsindustry.

While finishing up my degree course at Brunel,through the links that we acquired withindustry, I was offered a position at a leadingBritish Touring Car team, West Surrey Racing. Ifeel that I have accomplished all the goals that Iset for myself when I arrived at Brunel; theuniversity has provided me with a strongfoundation on which to build a successfulcareer.

Brunel MSc Automotive and MotorsportEngineering – Student Perspective

A new 3D Body Scanner waspurchased in the School inJanuary 2006, jointly fundedby the School and the HEFCESRIF2 project BRUN07/033“Intelligent VirtualModelling”. Prof. DavidWright is the principal

investigator of this SRIF2 project, and DrJinsheng Kang, Dr Sheng Feng Qin and Mr YueZhao (PhD student) are also working on thisproject. The latest NX12 3D Body Scanner wasmanufactured by [TC]2, USA(http://www.tc2.com). It has 24 cameras in 4columns, and 4 Pentium IV computers toprocess the scanned data. The NX12 3D BodyScanner scans the whole human body in lessthan 6 seconds and produces a true-to-scale 3Dbody model within minutes. It has a safe whitelight body scanning system.

The system operational parameters are asfollows:

Point accuracy: <1 mm

Circumferential accuracy: <3 mm

Data point grid density: 2x2 mm

Scan duration: 6 seconds

Data density: 800,000 points

Measurement extraction: Automatic

Scan volume: 2.1mh x 1.2mw x 1.0md

The system comes with a 3D BodyMeasurement Software, which canautomatically extract anthropometrical data atuser customisable definition, and output VRMLformat 3D body surface models. Also,additional software Geomagic Studio 8 andFashion 6 (http://www.geomagic.com) waspurchased to further refine the 3D surfacemodel.

The 3D human body surface model can be usedin conjunction with a motion capture system (A7 cameras Eagle Digital System fromMotionAnalysis Co. USA was purchased in July2004 under the HEFCE SRIF2 projectBRUN07/033) for realistic human modelling andsimulation, which has a wide application inproduct design for human factors, simulation ofhuman’s reaction in hazardous environment,biomechanics modelling, medical applicationsand health care, Virtual Reality; computergames and films. It can also be used forgarment and apparel design, body shapeanalysis and survey, health and fitnessmanagement. We expect the new equipmentto boost research activities within the School inthese areas.

The NX12 3D Body Scanner is installed inTB209. If anybody within the School wishes touse it, please contact Dr Jinsheng Kang Ext.66330 or Mr Hui Yu (PhD student) Ext. 67079.

3D Body Scanner Procured in the School

ABOVE IMAGE COURTESY OF BOEING


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New Wireless Communication Systems MSc – Student Perspective

“I’m currently in my second semester of the new MSc in WirelessCommunication Systems. My background is mainly in IT, as Igraduated last year with a BSc in Computer Science withDistributed Systems.

The reasons that I was attracted to this course and to thisUniversity are many, and since I’ve joined the course the reasonshave increased. The concept of ‘wireless’ in communications andnetworks has been very ‘hot’ in recent years. The demand to filljobs in this area has increased a lot. Since I was interested innetworking, I decided to search for a degree that would broadenmy knowledge to match this interest. I came across my currentcourse on the web.

I, and my fellow students, came from different backgrounds.Some graduated in Engineering and others in Computing. At thebeginning this mixture troubled me, but since I started this courseI’ve realised that both skills are necessary, since wirelesscommunication is based on both computing and engineering.Now, we help each other and we share our knowledge through

group projects and meetings. The lecturers are very friendly. Theynot only focus on the textbook material, but also point out to usnew technologies derived from their current research andtechniques they’ve learned while they were employed in industry.

Brunel University is massive in terms of surroundings. Newlaboratories with high-tech hardware and software have beenbuilt. These facilities are available to any student at any time wewish to use them as part of our projects. There is a library thatholds a big collection of textbooks and journals that are updatedfrequently, classrooms that contain digital projectors and mediaequipment which makes the lectures more interesting andinteractive, a gym, basketball courts, football pitches and otherfacilities for any other sport you can imagine. A new refectorybuilding providing high quality food, and even 3 bars and a nightclub where you can entertain your self, a local shop, a bank, amedical service, superb accommodation and other facilities that Ihaven’t even discovered yet. Besides the facilities, I’ve also comeacross great services too. Every day seminars are conducted byexperienced people who present to us new emergingtechnologies, marketing issues, new perceptions in the industry oradvising us on subjects such as time management, reducing stress,writing skills, passing an interview, etc. Also there are plenty ofsocieties that you can join based on your religion, ethnicity, sportactivities or other interests.

These are a fraction of the reasons I like to be a student at BrunelUniversity. By reading all the above, I feel like I am trying topromote this University the same way as somebody employed bythe Marketing Department, but I’m not. I’m just a student likeeverybody else who has been amazed by this course and what theUniversity as a whole can provide during your studies. I’menjoying being a student here so much that I’m looking forwardto extending my studies by doing a PhD.”

Article by Dionysios Skordoulis

MA Design & Branding Strategy – Student Perspective

My home country is China and before coming toBrunel I was a graphic designer, then an accountmanager in an advertising company during whichtime I developed a series CIS for clients. Movinginto the retail industry and working with retailpartners, we opened about 30 chain stores inHenan province (China) with our own brand.Through this experience I felt that a strong andunique brand is the key-point driving businesses tobe successful, but I lacked the knowledge of brand

management and strategy to further my ambitions. With these needs, Icame to Brunel and took the MA Design and Branding Strategy coursewhich is one of the leading branding and design management coursesin Europe.

During the academic year I enjoyed my life at Brunel. The classmateswere from many countries, so I could experience different cultures. Welearned and helped each other and often had parties and played gamestogether.

I gained good communication skills through working with others andbeing encouraged and motivated by the presentations and teamprojects. As a result of the very professional lecturers and tutorials andthe willingness of the lecturers to always help us, all the questions Ibrought to the course on branding were answered. I am missing thecampus, the library, the dorm, the classmates and the lecturers.

My final dissertation focused on “Branding the Shopping Experience:Supermarket branding in China”. This was a series of studies anddesign audits of Tesco and other retail organizations. I interviewed a

number of key people within the retail and branding field. I alsosurveyed 150 people in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou withquestionnaires combining Chinese and European cultures andmanagement methods. This enabled me to create a touch point modelfor Chinese supermarkets to improve consumer’s shopping experience.

On returning to China I worked for Yolo (Shanghai) Home DecorationProduct Sales Co Ltd as a Marketing Manager in Shanghai. Yolo is thebiggest home decoration experience centre and decoration product firmin China that has 800 showrooms. My main duties: marketing researchand analysis, sales planning, media planning, VI communication andmanaging, branding strategy and management. My achievements atYolo: build up the VI system, organized the news conference andopening ceremony, made and implemented adv-campaigns andpromotions and communicated the company’s brand value. I used mytouch point model in my work to great effect. When I applied for thisjob I had 3 interviews and competed with many applicants, but I hadenough confidence derived from my working experience, myeducational background and skills learned from Brunel. Finally I won thisjob through my competition presentation.

Recently, because of a family location move I changed my job. I amcurrently working for Jamewish (Beijing) Brand Consulting Co Ltd as aSenior Brand Consultant. I am in charge of the commercial group’sbrand strategy and corporate culture project. It’s providing me theopportunity to practice what I learned from Brunel and getting moreworking experience. I believe I will open my own consulting firm soon.My dream is to create a top global brand.

Ma Bing graduated in MA Design & Branding Strategy in 2004


6 | www.brunel .ac .uk6 | www.brunel .ac .uk

The Brunel Racing Team has discovered theformula for success. The team won the prize forMost Fuel Efficient vehicle at the Formula ATAevent held in Turin at the end of September,beating stiff competition.

Brunel Racing was the top UK team coming fifthoverall in the competition in Italy. Their win isanother coup for Brunel University’s School ofEngineering and Design as it comes hot on theheels of the Brunel Masters Motorsport teamwinning first prize in Class Two of the annualFormula Student racing competition in July.

The nine team members and two racecars fromBrunel University travelled to Italy with highhopes for the 2005 development car – a new,lightweight approach to Formula SAE cars. As thefirst team to complete all aspects of the safetyscrutineering, Brunel Racing had a rareopportunity to refine the vehicle set-up andprepare for the main events.

Despite a failure in the gearshift system resultingin the vehicle being stuck in third gear, the lightcar was able to regain any straight line deficit inthe corners, and even managed to overtake itscompetitors on track at the time.

Jonathan Gray, Brunel Racing Team principal,commented, “As a result of the small singlecylinder engine, the team managed to use theleast fuel to cover the full race distance, winningthe fuel economy aspect of the event. It was agreat result for the team."

Formula ATA is a new event organised by theItalian Automotive Technical Association. It runsunder the same rules as Formula Student. Theannual event is dedicated to single-seated cars,constructed by students from national andinternational universities.

Formula Car Fuels Further SuccessFOR THE BRUNEL RACING TEAM

For further details on Formula Student, please visit: http://www.imeche.org.uk/formulastudent/index.aspFor further details on Formula ATA, please visit: http://www.ata.it/formulaata/ Brunel Masters Motorsport, please visit: http://www.bm2.org.uk

In November 2004, Dr David Smith from the e2v centrefor electronic imaging (CEI) at Brunel University wasinvited to present some of his research at Westminsteras part of the first “Britain’s Young Physicists” reception.The research poster presented by Dr Smith atWestminster was entitled “From Night Vision toMapping the Heavens” and described work carried outby members of the CEI characterising the operationalproperties and radiation tolerance of electron-multiplication charge coupled devices for application inthe Radial Velocity Spectrometer instrument of theplanned European Space Agency Gaia mission. Gaia is acornerstone mission due for launch in 2011 to start its 6year mission to accurately map the positions of a billionstars in our galaxy.

A number of MPs were present at the reception andwere interested to hear about the application of imagingtechnology, originally developed for night visionpurposes, in the planned scientific imaging devices of anupcoming space mission.

The CEI is part of the Imaging for Space and TerrestrialApplications group within the School of Engineering andDesign, and was officially opened in March 2004. TheCEI was set up in partnership with e2v technologies, aworld leading scientific imaging sensor manufacturer, tocarry out research and development of CCD and activepixel sensor imaging devices for a number ofapplications.

PARLIAMENTARY RECOGNITION for Imaging Group

Further information about Gaia and the many other imaging projects the group is involved in can be found on thegroup’s web pages: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/cei

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/acad/sed/sedres/si/ista/

ABOVE PHOTO COURTESY OF ESA


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BRAWN AND BRAINS:Brunel University honours Ferrari Technical Director Ross Brawn Awarded honorary doctorate in 24th January ceremony

Brunel University has awarded an honorarydoctorate in engineering to Ross Brawn, TechnicalDirector of Ferrari. The doctorate was conferredat a Motorsport Engineering themed dinner on24th January 2006, an event celebrating thebicentenary of the birth of Isambard KingdomBrunel, at which both Ross Brawn and Sir FrankWilliams were speaking. Over 240 guestsattended the black tie dinner and guests includedBrunel University honorary graduates, alumni,current Motorsport & Engineering students,Student Racing Teams, University stakeholders,supporters and donors, Presidents of the threemain engineering institutions (Ice, IMechE andIEE) as well as representatives from Red BullRacing, BDRC, BMW Motorsport, LotusEngineering, WilliamsF1 and Ferrari.

Comments Brawn: “With the most illustrious ofengineers behind Brunel, the university continuesto stand for excellence within the field. I’ve seenthis first hand in the cars the students create aspart of their Motorsport Engineering degrees,which have impressed me immensely. I’mdelighted to be given this Doctorate: I’m sure I’llbe working alongside, or against many fellowBrunel alumni in the field in future Formula Oneraces.”

In his role as Technical Director at Ferrari, Brawnco-ordinates the development of the FerrariFormula One car, but is most famous for strategicpit wall decisions which are said to havecontributed to many of Ferrari’s victories. Hiscareer in Formula One racing spans over 30 yearsand includes stints at Williams, TWR-Jaguar andBenetton.

Having dropped out of an Engineering HNCcourse to join Frank Williams Racing, Ross is anhonorary member of the Institute of MechanicalEngineers and holds a Laurea Ad Honorem fromAncona University.

Prof. Steve Hodkinson, Pro-Vice Chancellor ofBrunel University adds: “As one of the mostrespected figures within the motorsport Industry,Ross has been an inspiration to many of ourstudents. Since engineering is central to Brunel’sidentity and Motorsport Engineering in particularis one of the areas in which the School excels,awarding a Doctorate to Ross is particularlyfitting. We hope we will both look forward tocontinued success on the track and in theworkshop.”

WORK PLACEMENT WINSComputer Systems Engineering student a job

As a mature overseas student, choosing the rightuniversity was an important task for me. Havingattended Brunel’s Open Day four years ago, I becameexcited and motivated at the prospect of becoming aBrunel student. So rather than take up a place atanother university, I chose Brunel. I decided to doComputer Systems Engineering because I lovecomputers and the course provided thecomprehensive and in-depth study of all thecomponent areas of computer systems that I wasseeking.

Student life at Brunel has been very rewarding.Amongst my more interesting student experiences wastrying to learn Spanish. I have never regrettedchoosing Brunel. I found my lecturers extremelydedicated and supportive. They displayed genuineinterest in my welfare, providing support for bothacademic and non- academic issues. Now as a

graduate I can list them my friends. There are alsonumerous other support facilities whose help has beeninvaluable to my personal development. These includeboth academic and professional programmes.

Having taken part in the university industrialplacement scheme, I had the opportunity to workprofessionally for an entire year whilst studying. Asidefrom the excellent professional experience, friends andreferences this has provided me, it has proven to be avery sound start to my career as I was offered apermanent position before I even finished my degree!

Now as a graduate, I know I will be going back toBrunel to do my higher degrees. Why would I want todo it anywhere else? My time at Brunel has been atruly exciting and fulfilling one. I enjoyed being astudent, even a mature one."

Anna Anderson , graduated in June 2005

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF SHELL MOTORSPORT



BEng InternetEngineering studentawardedSIR WILLIAMSIEMENS MEDAL

“I chose Internet Engineering atBrunel as the course matchedvery well with my areas ofinterest and the reputation ofthe University for engineeringcourses, particularly amongstemployers, seemed strong. Itook a placement year as partof my course, which Icompleted at the Universityitself, having a hands-on roledeveloping various aspects ofthe University website. I learnta lot through this experienceand it will prove invaluable as Iapply for graduate jobs. I wasawarded the Sir WilliamSiemens Medal at thebeginning of my final year,which is awarded annually toone student from each of 14engineering-led universities inthe UK, in recognition of myacademic record and successfulplacement.”

Article by Mark Hughes, currentfinal year student

As an ambitious student, choosing the rightuniversity and deciding to devote four years ofmy life was the most important decision for me, just like every other student. I preferredBrunel University over other universities for its excellent reputation in engineering and verystrong industry links resulting in an exceptionalemployment ratio. I also wanted to remaincloser to Central London to make the most of my social life and would be comparativelyless expensive than studying at any college inthe heart of London. As the name suggests,Electronic and Electrical Engineering covered awide range of modules from softwareprogramming to hardcore electronics.Mathematical background and very stronganalytical skills made this degree ideal for me.

I am grateful that the University highlyencouraged me to pursue one year industrialtraining. The Placement Office offeredtremendous support to secure a placement inRisk Management at Kodak Limited and alsooffered assistance throughout my trainingperiod. It not only provided me with financialcomfort, but also gave me a break fromacademic studies which allowed me to analysevarious career paths. I found the workplacement very rewarding as it exposed me tothe professional environment with hands-onexperience. The opportunity to get involvedwith real life projects at Kodak enhanced myproject management skills and documentationtechnique to a great extent. These skills hadproved to be my greatest asset for my FinalYear Project.

When I returned to University to complete myfinal year, I was more focussed after the

industrial experience. Like every student, mybiggest concern was the Final Year Project asthis contributes the most towards degreeclassification, but the project supervisors tookpersonal interest to understand my careerinterests and tried to suggest projects based onmy strengths and future career ambitions. Ifinally decided to take up a research basedproject in fourth generation (4G) wirelesscommunication and I was surprised to receivetremendous support from my supervisor. ThePhD research group working on similar projectswere very helpful as well. Our efforts paid offand the depth of my research was beyond myand my supervisor’s expectations. My supervisormotivated me and guided me to write aprofessional paper, as he felt my research couldhelp the research societies worldwide. Myprofessional paper got accepted byInternational Wireless Conference and myresearch was presented in Denmark. As thiswould be published by IEEE, it opened up allopportunities worldwide. I was also offered aplace to join the research group at Brunel andpursue a PhD which could have been a veryexciting opportunity for students who are moreresearch focussed.

I was more excited to enter the outer world andtook up a graduate position atPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. In addition to theacademic support, I also received extensiveguidance from the Careers Centre throughoutthe employment procedure from structuringimpressive answers for the application forms togood interview techniques. In a nutshell, Iwould definitely recommend Brunel Universityto students who are after great opportunities inthe academic arena, or graduate employmentjust like myself.

RAHUL PANCHAL – BEng HONOURS DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING graduated in June 2005


Brunel University is recognised as one of the most respected centres ofapplied engineering and design in Europe. MADE IN BRUNEL is the newbrand for our annual showcase for this work. It is a chance to meet theextraordinary people who have the talent, vision and skills to makeconcepts into real and commercially exciting products for our future.MADE IN BRUNEL 2006 will be the arena to present new ideas tocompanies, to inspire young students throughout the country and tocelebrate the best of British entrepreneurial, commercially exciting andinnovative thinking.

The showcase will take place in the prestigious Gallery Hall, BusinessDesign Centre, Islington, from Sunday 4th June to the evening ofWednesday 7th June 2006. The projects within the showcase will havebeen created, developed and realised by graduating students of BrunelUniversity. 2006 marks the 200th anniversary of Isambard KingdomBrunel’s birthday and the 40th anniversary of the award of BrunelUniversity's Royal Charter. This double anniversary gives us the chanceto celebrate the values of innovation, entrepreneurship and practicalityembodied in the name Brunel and to launch our new brand.

MADE IN BRUNEL is aimed at employers, designers, manufacturers,prospective students, teachers and all those for whom innovationmatters.

For more information on MADE IN BRUNEL, visitwww.madeinbrunel.com

The event already has substantial financial support by some majornames and with a location in Central London will be one of theUniversity's biggest external events in this historic year. The team behindthe project also see this as being a long term venture with the MADE INBRUNEL brand being reinforced each year. The project is driven,managed and realised by a small team of dedicated students. Inaddition to their heavy academic workload, they have volunteered toplan, execute and deliver this collection of work to a global audience.Their passion, drive and enthusiasm characterise the spirit of MADE INBRUNEL. The whole project was unveiled on 7th December. The DesignExhibition Centre was the venue to launch MADE IN BRUNEL withdistinguished guests invited and a large number of students and stafffrom the university. The venue had been made ready to hold such anevent with a full array of graphics, exhibition stands, presentations andeven a new wall; all created by students. The address given by theproject co-ordinators introduced the brand and detailed what MADE INBRUNEL would achieve through 2006. The brand adds value to thework at Brunel and will showcase the exciting, innovative projects inengineering and design. For many it was the first they had heard of thisdynamic concept and many were enthusiastic about the show'sprominent venue in London and how the publicity material, containingwork and contact details of the participating students, would bedistributed worldwide. The launch provided a great opportunity forstudents, academics and University staff to speak with the project team,to understand the aims of the concept and the benefits of it.

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There were a number of thingsthat attracted me to Brunel.The main reasons being thegood reputation Brunel has forengineering, the fact that it isbased in London, but farenough from the hustle andbustle, and the generalatmosphere of student life.

My study experience at Brunelwas a mixture of emotionswhich included struggle,excitement, frustrations andfeelings of success. Anydegree requires hard work anddedication, my engineering

degree was no different. The lecturers and staff in the engineeringdepartment were brilliant and sometimes went the extra mile to solve aproblem and this was consistent through my years at Brunel. Theengineering school welcomed feedback from students through theintermittent board meetings, extra maths seminars were given for thosewho needed it, workloads and deadlines were closely monitored by thedepartment so that submissions were possible. The overall attitude was‘ready and pleased to help’ which is exactly what I needed. Comingfrom a non-technical background, the most supporting words werefrom a lecturer in the year 2000, stating that I could do anything I putmy mind to and do well in an engineering degree. The support andbelief spurred me on.

As well as academic support, the social life at Brunel played animportant part in my degree. A number of student focused events wereorganised on a regular basis as a way to relieve exam and courseworkstress.

I did a year in industry placement at BMW in Oxford. This was verymuch an eye opener as I was now in the real world and had to put thetheory I had learnt over the previous couple of years into practice.Working in industry built my character in more ways than I could haveimagined. Financially it was brilliant as it allowed me to clear somedebts, get a car and do some mini courses I had been interested in butcouldn’t afford back then. Having the year out to work was very vitalfor me as it gave me that much needed break from academic work.Even though I was concerned I would forget certain principles, it did theopposite and refreshed my mind, enabling me to do my final year withfull steam.

On graduation I was fortunate to get a five-year Graduate Scheme jobas a Mechanical Engineer at Air Products. I very much intend onprogressing in this chosen field and possibly others.

I would encourage applicants to do a Mechanical Engineering degreebecause it pushes you to think outside the boundaries. You feel a senseof success when solving real engineering problems and most of all youhave the utmost support from the department.

Yemi Solanke, graduated in Mechanical Engineering in June 2005

Mechanical Engineering graduate joins Air Products

NEW BRAND FOR BRUNEL



Prior to coming to Brunel, I was Manager for Space Projects at BirminghamUniversity for over eight years. During this time I had responsibility for allspace instrument development, which included projects with NASA, theEuropean and Japanese Space Agencies. The collaboration with the Japanesewill soon come to fruition with the launch in August 2006 of the Japanesespacecraft called Solar-B. This satellite will carry one of the most powerfulsolar imaging instruments ever built, called EIS, and will study solar stormsand space weather. EIS was jointly developed in the UK by Birmingham,MSSL and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. During my time atBirmingham, I developed a keen interest in teaching and was responsible forthe development of a number of innovative group study programmes forundergraduates in the area of space mission design. These group studiesprovided the opportunity for students to develop detailed space missionconcepts and present their ideas to staff, which included experts from thespace science community.

I came to Brunel in August 2004, as a Senior Lecturer within the newlyformed e2v Centre for Electronic Imaging. This joint venture between e2vLtd, one of the world's leading commercial suppliers of imaging sensors forspace, and Brunel University provided me with the ideal opportunity to buildon my research interests in imaging technology. A recent highlight for mehas been the award of European Space Agency (ESA) funding for thedevelopment of a laser imaging spectrometer for the next generation ofMars Rover. This mission is part of Europe's long-term programme, calledAurora, to explore Mars and robust diagnostic spectrometers are crucial forstudying the composition of the Martian environment. The study is incollaboration with one of Europe's leading industrial space companies, TNO(Holland), and will develop a complete engineering breadboard model to testcritical areas of technology as part of a risk mitigation strategy for themission. If the outcome of the study is successful, the development of flighthardware could begin in 18 months time with the possibility of over £1.5Mof UK contribution to the programme.

The Centre also has involvement in several other space projects includingGAIA, XEUS and another core Mars Rover instrument called XRD. With thisgrowing involvement in space technology I have championed thedevelopment of a new degree programme called Space Engineering. This willbe a cross disciplinary programme within the School of Engineering andDesign and the first student intake will be in September 2007. A key featureof this new programme will be the linkage of specialist engineering moduleswith the research and expertise of the staff within the e2v centre. The hopeis that students will be attracted by the challenge of quality engineeringcourses coupled with a space flavour. I wonder if Brunel himself everenvisaged his name associated with space exploration!

Article by Dr Chris Casteli, Electronic and Computer Engineering

Space Researcher develops newundergraduate Space Engineeringprogramme`

Studying design at Brunel is ultimately greatfun. There is great camaraderie in and out oflecture time in design through team projectsand when helping each other out across theyears.

For my final year major project – ‘Brilliant’ anintelligent hospital identity bracelet I wonthird prize in the awards sponsored byReliance Security for enterprise and innovationpresented at the *Sharper design degree show.Brilliant is designed to help prevent medicationerrors in hospitals and incorporates screens,which display the patient’s details. When thetag in the drugs packaging is touched againstthe sensor on the patient’s bracelet the screenschange to inform the nurse as to whether thecorrect drug has been selected and the doserequired or warns of an overdose if a dose isbeing given too soon.

I have continued in the medical design fieldand I am now a graduate trainee at anorthopaedics company who design andmanufacture orthopaedic implants andinstruments. I now have the opportunity todevelop my knowledge in this field whilecontributing to the design team as a whole.

Claire Dunne graduated in BA Industrial Designand Technology in June 2005

Design student wins medical design prize


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On 16 November 2005 the Dr John Barnes AAUTrophy was presented to Prof. Savvas Tassou,Head of the School of Engineering and Design,by Prof. Alan Jocelyn, Chairman of theAssociation of Aerospace Universities. Thetrophy will be in the care of the School untilnext year and thereafter if another Brunelstudent wins the trophy in 2006.

The Association of Aerospace Universities (AAU)was formed by universities in the UK offeringaerospace engineering and related courses. Atpresent its membership comprises over 25universities and 10 industrial organisations. Inthe last three years the AAU has organised aproject competition for graduating students,open to all university members. The competitionis based on both engineering content andpresentation.

This year the competition was won by NickBaldock, a graduate from the MechanicalEngineering with Aeronautics course in theSchool of Engineering and Design. Nick’s projectwas short-listed for its content and writtenpresentation and the second stage of thecompetition consisting of an oral presentationconfirmed Nick as the winner. The trophy and acheque for £250 were presented to him by LordSainsbury, Minister of Science and Education. Inhis conversation with Lord Sainsbury Nick wasvery complementary about the University andthe quality of engineering education he hadreceived.

Nick Baldock was an outstanding student,graduating with a 1st class Honours degree inJuly 2005. He also won the IMechE FredericBarnes Waldron ‘Best Student’ prize and theBrunel University ‘Best Student’ prize. Hisambitious project, supervised by Dr RezaMokhtarzadeh, was an investigation of thefeasibility of a full-scale, solar-powered, high-altitude, long endurance, unmanned aircraft.The aerodynamics of a conceptual design wereinvestigated using computer-aided tools, whilean analytical approach was taken to determinethe flight performance and energyrequirements of the design. The work hasformed the basis of a technical paper forsubmission to an international journal.

Picture of Nick Baldock with Lord Sainsbury

Mechanical Engineering student awarded the Dr John Barnes Association ofAerospace Universities Trophy

I had just graduated in 2005 in Mechanical Technology and waslooking for a course which would further strengthen my skills inengineering, especially in the rapid growth of design and productdevelopment sector. I also wanted to move to London, so I had achoice of several top rated universities, including Brunel University. Ifound this course the most appealing due to its variety of topics,including how to use six CAD packages which are highly sought afterin the industry. I had also been job hunting upon graduation andmatched job descriptions from prestigious engineering organisationswith the topics taught. The course has strong links with its sponsorsNiftylift Ltd and other organisations that have committed theirsupport and provide machine-building projects up to and beyond theprototyping stage. In addition, the course had been officially openedby the president of the IMechE, which resulted in my final decision ofjoining.

My lectures are taken in a highly equipped design studio with facilitiessuch as a smart board, state-of-the-art computers, and a Lego kitworth £1500. The lectures include subject areas such as StructuralAnalysis and FEA, Design of Mechatronic Systems and DesignExperience in which I am working with a group of six studentsdeveloping a new generation of Aerial Work Platforms for NiftyliftLtd.

We have weekly reviews and visits from their Design Engineers whohave been guiding us throughout this project. I have been applying allthe aspects of the course taught subjects in the design of thismachine.

When I found difficulties with coursework I was impressed by thelecturers’ availability and quality of support. They are all specialists intheir subjects and I have learnt so much in such a little period. Dr.Sivaloganathan, the Course Director, is located just next door to thedesign studio, and I have been very lucky to meet a man full ofknowledge and wisdom. He has supported me throughout the yearwith advice and motivation. He is very keen to aid us in our work andhad been available at all times.

The integrated subjects in this course have given me the flexibility towork in the industry of my choice. I believe that this course will equipme with the knowledge and experience in finding the career path Ihave chosen which is the Oil and Gas Industry. I am on my second termand already feel that I have the ability join a company and make acontribution.

I believe students and industrialists willing to boost theirunderstanding in Design Engineering should strongly apply for thiscourse. Brunel University is a top ranking university with excellentsports facilities, easy linked to the glorious Capital and a bus ride awayfrom Heathrow Airport for those who enjoy weekend breaks.

Article by Bedros Mardikian, current student

New MSc Engineering Design course – Student Perspective


Why Choose the Schooland Brunel University

• Teaching, support andfacilities rated “excellent”

• Flexible modes of study

• Brunel graduates are highlyvalued by UK andinternational companies

• Close links with industry

• All full-time freshers receiveon-campus accommodation

• “Best University in London forSport” – The Sunday Times

• National UK League Tables: In The Guardian NationalLeague tables in April 2005Brunel General Engineeringwas placed 3rd out of 122 UKUniversities, Design 8th andMechanical Engineering 11th. In The Times National Leaguetables in May 2005 Designwas placed 2nd.

• Excellent transport links toLondon Heathrow and theCapital

For information on all ourcourses please see:http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/acad/sed/sedcourse/

Further comments, suggestionsand future submissions:Tom Kissack, Marketing and Recruitment Officer, School of Engineering and Design, Brunel University,Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK

tel +44 (0)1895 266634, E-mail:[email protected]

MSc Building Services Engineering Management –Student Perspective

I came to England from Ireland in 1973, when Iwas sixteen years of age, to work with anElectrical Contractor as an apprentice electrician.Now at forty-eight years of age, havingcompleted the distance learning MSc in BuildingServices Engineering Management at BrunelUniversity, I was admitted to the degree ofMaster of Science in March 2004.

Apart from a burning desire to conclude‘unfinished’ business from an academic standpoint I decided to embark on this course ofstudy at Brunel University as it matched myneeds both personally and professionally.Personally, because I am married with twochildren and the timescales allowed me tospread my study periods through the week andattend to my family commitments. Andprofessionally, because the course content meetsthe needs of the industry in which I amemployed, which is the Construction Industry.

I am a Building Services Manager on a newArena and Conference Centre in Liverpool,working for a major contractor, where my roleand responsibilities comprise managing the

design and build of the Mechanical & ElectricalServices, Fire Protection Services, Lift & EscalatorInstallations and Lightning Protection Installation,having an overall value of circa £25m. As asenior member of the project team, I alsocontribute in the overall management of theproject.

Starting the MSc, I found the first few modulesvery tough indeed. However the assistance andguidance I received from the staff at Brunelhelped me reach the necessary level ofcompetence to work through that difficultperiod.

I found their assistance particularly helpful at thedissertation stage of the degree, when contactwith my supervisor was constant over thetwelve-month period. She made herself availablethroughout offering helpful advice and necessaryguidance. The dissertation was an assessment ofthermal comfort within hospital wards, throughthe correct application of ventilation.

The course of study, which I completed over afour-year period, has added a new dimension towhat I am and what I do. It has given me agreater appreciation of what I read and write.My presentation skills have improved to thepoint that processes developed by me on myproject are currently being considered byEngineers in my sector throughout the regionand in some cases are being applied. Prior tocompleting the MSc, I would not have had theconfidence or knowledge to develop my careerin this way.

Article by Michael Touhey

Dr Guy Gratton, a new lecturer in the School of Engineering andDesign, is both a Chartered Aeronautical Engineer and a member ofthe prestigious Society of Experimental Test Pilots – having beeninvolved in test flying for over 15 years from both the engineeringand piloting aspects, logging 96 aircraft types as operating crew,about half of those as pilot in command. Dr Gratton, who is also aFellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and was the 2003 winner ofthe IMechE's safety award in mechanical engineering, will beteaching on Brunel's existing Aerospace Engineering courses, but isalso here to establish new research programmes oriented aroundaviation safety and flight mechanics, and to develop the teachingprogramme for the new Aviation Engineering with Pilot Studiesdegree programme starting in September 2006. We hope thateveryone will join Spotlight in offering a warm Brunel welcome toour new colleague.

Experimental Test Pilot and Fellow of the RoyalAeronautical Society joins aeronautics team

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Calendar of Events

• President of IMECHE visit March 2006• LTN Industry Academia Networking event

(Energy and the Environment) 21 April 2006

• School of Engineering and Design Show(Business Design Centre, Islington)4 – 7 June 2006

• First International Conference on Advancesin Bridge Engineering 26 – 28 June 2006

• Brunel/Surrey Engineering DoctorateConference 4 – 7 September 2006

New Courses (Sept 2006)

• MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering(Subject to Approval)

• MSc Aerospace Engineering (Subject to Approval)• MSc Building Services Engineering with Sustainable

Technologies (Subject to Approval)• MSc Sustainable Electrical Power• MRes in Engineering (Subject to Approval)• MSc Distributed Systems and Computing

(Subject to Approval)• BEng / MEng Aviation Engineering / with Pilot Studies• BSc Broadcast Media (Design and Technology)

(Subject to Approval)


SPOTLIGHT AND DESIGN - Brunel University London · in lung deposition of drug aerosols, particularly ... The outcome of this study should provide guidance to pharmaceutical ... programming

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