A final year PhD student in the Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology research group of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), has received the 2nd place best paper award at the international IEEE-NIH Conference on Healthcare Innovations and Point of Care Technologies Conference (HI-POCT’16) held in Cancun, Mexico this month.

Nikolaos Vasilakis’ paper demonstrates an affordable manufacturing technology based on printed-circuit boards (PCBs) that enables the integration of electrochemical biosensors, microfluidics and electronics in a monolithic manner. The technology is very suitable for affordable Point-Of-Care implementations, enabling both quantitative and qualitative diagnostic tests that are a necessity for addressing global health challenges, particularly of low-income countries.

The work is sponsored by the A.G. Leventis Foundation and is part of a world-leading transdisciplinary research group, led by Dr Themis Prodromakis within ECS at the University of Southampton. The team is uniquely placed in delivering impactful innovations for Healthcare technologies through developing an end-to-end infrastructure for electronics-based diagnostics. The technology is developed in close collaboration with Newbury Electronics Ltd (a UK-based PCB manufacturer), Imperial College NHS (benchmarking of tests for TB) and the support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC EP/L020920/1).

Dr Themis Prodromakis commented, “We are delighted that our research is acknowledged by world-leading healthcare organisations with this award. There is indeed great need in substantiating affordable point-of-care diagnostic solutions for those who need it the most. Our approach is unique in achieving this by optimizing well-established manufacturing processes used in consumer electronics applications and thus brings new prospects to mobile healthcare.â€?

The HI-POTC conference focused on healthcare innovations and point-of-care technologies and their clinical translation for global quality healthcare. The conference provided a unique platform for healthcare researchers to keep abreast of emerging technology trends in global heath by establishing collaborations and networking with pioneers in this remit and key stakeholders including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organisation, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Undergraduate students from Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton are playing a part in the development of the UK as a leading nation in Building Information Modelling (BIM).

BIM is a 3D model-based process that equips the engineering, construction and architectural industries with the ability to plan, design and construct buildings more efficiently. It is a global digital construction technology that will soon be deployed in every country in the world, incorporating the digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of buildings and places. The UK’s Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are running an internationally respected programme to embed the use of BIM across centrally procured public construction projects. They are implementing the long term programme to enable the adoption of BIM by individuals, businesses and government agencies who plan, design, construct, operate and maintain diverse physical infrastructures.

The participating students from the MEng Computer Science programme, are helping in this nationwide incorporation of BIM software by tackling innovative BIM ideas as part of their group design project in the Web and Internet Science research group.

Working with GroupBC – a leading company in the implementation of BIM – last year’s students have already explored the adaptation of BIM for their MSc project and this year’s cohort are facing a similar challenge.

This pioneering work came about through the research of programme leader and Strategic Partnership Manager at the University’s Web Science Institute, Dr Sepi Chakaveh.

Sepi has been working with GroupBC for the past three years on developing innovative ideas and projects.

One of her initiatives is the technology transfer of central information onto a localised server.

She said: “In order to ensure full usability of BIM, organisations need to be able to download specific sections of the BIM information. At the moment it is stored on huge central servers, but our students are developing prototype software tools that will enable people such as builders and architects to download a selected part of the BIM information on to a local server.

“Working with GroupBC they will apply data science to construction to come up with the best solution to localising this information, enabling industry to have an ‘on demand’ access across a variety of devices.

“There is a huge industry emerging from BIM and in the years to come every building will have, not just property assets, but digital assets as well. Our collaboration with GroupBC is ensuring our students are well positioned at the forefront of this evolving technology, gaining significant experience to maximise their employability when they graduate.â€?

An international electric car championship has teamed up with Southampton researchers, including a Web and Internet Science (WAIS) professor, to explore the effect of climate change on the Arctic ice sheet.

Formula E, a global FIA race that only uses electric-powered cars, is working with Professor Kirk Martinez, from Electronics and Computer Science, and Professor Jane Hart, from Geography and Environment, to understand how climate change is affecting glaciers and their break up into icebergs.

The innovative collaboration has already successfully planted a tracking device on an iceberg off the coast of Greenland that has enabled the researchers to monitor the iceberg’s journey in real time.

Since the tracker was placed in the summer, researchers have been able to follow the iceberg down the coast of Greenland and are gaining greater understanding of the way these iceberg movements can contribute to rising sea levels.

Formula E has now committed a £25,000 donation to further develop this research.

Kirk said: “We are studying glacier response to climate change using an interconnected sensor system that monitors glacier retreat. This retreat is partly controlled by water from the glacier surface melting and allowing glacier sliding, and the information we gather from our research will help us predict future melt rates.

“This donation from Formula E will allow us to use the latest technology to investigate this glacier melting and velocity by devising smart GPS units that can be trialled on a set of glaciers in Iceland.

“The melting and movement of glaciers varies around the globe – some move a few metres a year, while others cover the same distance in a matter of days. Iceland provides a wide range of glaciers in one study area, so by positioning these low-cost, networkable positioning systems on these glaciers we will be able to access their data by satellite or radio links on a daily basis.”

Jane, a Professor in Geography, added: “Climate change and its effects require considerable technological advances in order for us to understand and counter them. This new donation means we will be able to monitor glacier activity for a year, analysing the resulting information to better understand glacier response to climate change.

“It will also enable us to develop robust sensing systems that could be used to monitor other remote environments. The exchange of information between ourselves and Formula E will benefit not only our research but also the public understanding of science and technology.”

This project builds on previous research carried out by the pair in Iceland and the Cairngorm Mountains that used cutting-edge sensing technology to study the environment. They implemented innovative combinations of technologies from the Internet of Things (IoT) – smart Internet connected devices - in a sensor network system to develop a concept for environmental sensing in remote mountain settings.

Funded by a £174,000 technology proof of concept grant from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the pair worked with colleagues at the University of Dundee on the year-long project in the Cairngorms observing hydrological peatland and frozen ground processes.

Kirk said: “IoT inspired sensor networks offer a revolutionary new way of investigating the environment. By embedding sensors into the landscape, many remote or hazardous environments can be measured live for the first time throughout the whole year.”

To find out more about the iceberg tracking research, visit the team's Glacsweb website

An ECS undergraduate student has presented his third year project results at the prestigious IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems, held in Abu Dhabi in October.

Andrew Wightwick, a fourth year undergraduate student working towards an MEng degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, presented a paper titled “Secure communication interface design for IoT applications, using the GSM network”. The paper was based on a third year project and was supervised by Dr Basel Halak of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering research group.

Andrew's paper proposes a secure communication interface for IoT devices using GSM-based short messaging service; it also presents an implementation example of the scheme using field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which showcases a fully working prototype for remote control of a personal controller.

"To have a paper accepted for presentation in an international IEEE conference is an extraordinary achievement for Andrew,” said Dr Halak, "and a credit to the high quality education and support our students receive here in Electronics and Computer Science (ECS).”

The IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS) is the oldest circuits and systems symposium sponsored by the IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Earlier this year, Andrew gained the best UK result in the International Microelectronics Olympiad, organised by Synopsys.

Subjects within the University’s Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering have been placed in the top 100 amongst the Best Global Universities for 2017, according to rankings published by US News and World Report.

Amongst the publication’s subject rankings, Southampton features in the top 100 for: Computer Science, 95th; Engineering, joint 89th; Physics, 95th; and Space Science, joint 95th – subjects on offer from the Faculty’s departments of Electronics and Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, and the Optoelectronics Research Centre

The Best Global Universities rankings focus specifically on academic research and reputation, encompassing the top 1,000 institutions spread across 65 countries. US News bases its rankings on 12 indicators which focus on global research reputation through publications, books, conferences, citation impact, and international collaboration.

Overall, the University has placed 104th, climbing six places from joint 110th overall last year. The rankings, now in their third year, also place Southampton 36th in Europe and 10th amongst UK universities listed. Harvard University is ranked number one overall with the University of Oxford first in both Europe and the UK.

Click to find the full list of US News and World Report Best Global Universities 2017.