Sensor R&D and applications have dramatically increased over recent years and the technologies and applications are extremely varied. This has been driven by new sensor technologies, developments in electronics and data networking enabling the collection of data efficiently and the increased demand for improved efficiencies which require active monitoring and feedback. It is difficult to think of any area of engineering which does not make use of sensing technology. The aim of this programme will be to provide students with a core understanding of the generic instrumentation and signal processing requirements common to all sensing applications together with a choice of more specialised modules relating to specific application areas and industries.
Taught modules and examinations/assessments are completed during the six months October to March. After successful completion students may then progress to the six month individual research project during April to October. We endeavour to place students with industrial sponsors for the duration of their projects, with all other projects being undertaken at the University.
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The taught section of the programme is assessed by formal examinations, course work and case studies. The project is assessed through a dissertation, an oral presentation (viva) and an assessment by the project supervisor. Further details are available on the individual module specifications.
The programme will be of interest to students wishing to pursue technical careers in industry related to the design and development of sensing systems or those wishing to enter sensing research.
Our programmes provide a means where graduates from a range of technical degrees can specialise in what is an important industrial area. It is an advanced vocational postgraduate degree providing both breadth and depth beyond what will typically have been studied at undergraduate level.
Some of the subjects make full recourse to a range of mathematical topics that should be familiar to the honours graduate of an
accredited Undergraduate Degree in Electronic Engineering. Any student who may not possess this familiarity, will be expected to achieve it by private study.
In addition to the usual wide range of facilities expected in a University we have the following local facilities available for to our
Masters programmes.
Sensing Systems Laboratory
This teaching laboratory provides a set of workstations running Labview and associated data acquisition hardware to provides support
for exploring all aspects of sensing - from sensor physics and technology to signal processing, real-time data acquisition and data
processing. Additionally Crossbow wireless motes are used together with a set of development and networking tools to support exploration of wireless sensor networks and networking. The facilities are used to support many of the modules on this programme and may be used during the Masters projects.
Photonics Research laboratories
The word “photonics” describes the engineering and science underlying the manipulation of photons of light rather in the way that
the word “electronics” applies to electrons. It embraces the modern application of optical techniques to communications, signal
processing, sensors, and data storage. The broad aims of the Photonics Research Group are to research new phenomena and devices, and their applications in future fibre optic systems.
The Aston Photonics Research Group has a well-established international track record of innovation in grating devices for
applications in telecommunications, signal processing, optical sensing, and many other grating applications including many first
demonstrations. The main areas of research are: ultrafast non-linear phenomena in fibres and fibre devices; high-speed communication concentrating on solitons and soliton transmission, processing, generation and control; all-optical switching and processing; ultrafast all-optical networks; fibre gratings fabrication, design and fundamental studies; fibre grating devices and their application in communication and sensors; and microwave photonics.
The extensive facilities of the group are available for use on Masters projects.
Adaptive Communications Research Laboratories
This research group focuses on a range of networking architectures from mobile systems to ad-hoc sensor networks. Techniques involve the design of advanced digital systems for application-specific embedded systems and advanced algorithms for improving network efficiency. The group uses state of the art dynamic field programmable gate array hardware to examine physical implementations of these principles.
The future impact of pervasive computing is an area of very active research. We are interested in the applications of dynamic hardware in this area to improve system performance. We are also looking at the applications of advanced coding techniques in the area of mobile third generation networks. The group has links with both the Photonics Research Group and the Neural Computing Research Group. A range of theoretical, experimental and CAD design techniques are used to investigate novel architectures and protocols.
Research interests: Ad-hoc networks, Sensor networks, Mobile networks, Adaptive algorithms, Applications of FPGAs, Dynamic hardware in Internet routers, Concurrent systems design, Coding theory, Cellular architectures for flexible processing, and Architectures for handling high-speed serial data.
The facilities are available for use on Masters projects.
Dr John WilliamsJohn Williams received his BSc in Physics and PhD on the development, characterisation and optimisation of various new modelocked laser sources from Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.
He has been working in the Photonics Research group, Aston University since 1992 and has been a Reader there since 2000. He has authored and co-authored over 100 journal and conference papers in photonics related fields.
Dr Williams is a member of the Institute of Physics (MInstP), the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (MIEEE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET).
John's current research interests include the design and fabrication of in-fibre Bragg Gratings and their application as sensors, for the control of short pulses and for the processing and control of sub-carrier multiplexed microwave signals.
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