News
ESA Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR)
29 January 2010
The Infrared Multilayer Laboratory has recently been awarded two prestigious development contracts to design and fabricate space-flight infrared optics for the ESA Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) project. The contract for the supply of precision infrared optical filters and beamsplitters was awarded to the Laboratory from detector contractor AIM Infrarot-Module GmbH (Germany) and satellite designers at Selex Galileo (Italy).
Reading top teachers receive national accolade
25 June 2009
Dr Shirley Williams of the School of Systems Engineering and Clare Furneaux, Lecturer in the Department of Applied Linguistics have both been awarded National Teaching Fellowship Awards from the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
The University of Reading aids pioneering research in hunt for future landing sites on the Moon
19 June 2009
Optical components developed by scientists from the University of Reading form a key part of the instrumentation on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently launched from Cape Canaveral that will pave the way for a return to the Moon by US astronauts. Data gathered by LRO will help mission planners select future landing sites and scout locations for lunar outposts.
RSPSoc Student Prize (PhD) for 2008 to Marc Bartels
17 June 2009
The Council of The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society has awarded the "Student Prize (PhD)" for 2008 to Marc Bartels, for his PhD study entitled: Segmentation and Classification of Terrain Features in Airborne LIDAR Data.
A Missing Link in Cybernetics
10 June 2009
Dr Alex Andrew, retired Lecturer in Cybernetics, has recently written another book entitled A Missing Link in Cybernetics, published by Springer in the IFSR International Series on System Science and Engineering.
New business face of the UK unveiled
29 May 2009
HBSC identifies hot business hubs in the UK with 8 subject themes and the cities where this activity is centred. Cybernetics is one of the themes and Reading is the centre.
Systems Engineering degrees are accredited
06 April 2009
The successful University led "periodic review" of our courses was followed by an accreditation visit coordinated by the Engineering Accreditation Board involving the British Computer Society, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Measurement and Control. We are pleased to report that all the degrees we put forward are now accredited by one or more of the professional bodies for the next five years.
Reading Professor organises highly successful key Web Workshop at Edinburgh e-Science Institute
03 April 2009
Over 140 people from across the UK attended a five-day Edinburgh workshop recently, which highlighted the pros and cons of evolving Web 2.0 technologies, such as blogs, wikis and social networks. Also on the agenda were discussion and views of the next generation of web-based ideas and innovations. Organised by the University of Reading's Professor Mark Baker and funded by the Edinburgh e-Science Institute, the conference saw UK leaders involved in Web 2.0 services, applications and users, share their expertise on these technologies that underpin the Internet and the Web.
EarthCARE MSI programme
29 January 2009
The Infrared Multilayer Laboratory has recently started work on the first phase study contract for the design, development and fabrication of space-flight infrared optics in the ESA EarthCARE mission. This initial contract received from Surrey Satellite Technology Limited comprises a conceptual design and feasibility study for thin-film coatings and materials development for filtering the optical system in the Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) instrument payload.
New award for Reading's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
23 December 2008
The University of Reading's Knowledge Transfer Centre is celebrating another success. One of its latest projects has won the award for Best Partnership North West England, as part of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards 2009.
Peter Fellgett - Professor of Cybernetics
25 November 2008
Peter Berners Fellgett, emeritus Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, died peacefully in his sleep earlier this month at his home in Cornwall. PBF, or πΦ as he liked to be known, was the first Professor of Cybernetics in the UK, having been appointed in 1964 into what became the Department of Applied Physical Sciences, which later became the Departments of Cybernetics and Engineering.
University Professor scoops top technology award
19 November 2008
Professor Kevin Warwick, from the University's of Reading's School of Systems Engineering, is to be awarded the esteemed 2008 Mountbatten Medal by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Robot with a biological brain on display at the Science Museum
28 October 2008
A Robot with a Biological Brain is currently on display in the Antenna gallery at the Science Museum, London. The display starts on 16 October 2008 and lasts for at least six weeks.
Musical interpretations
14 October 2008
Many academics attend or organise conferences during the summer, but few conferences end with a 64 piece orchestra as an integral part of the presentations. Professor Paul Sharkey, School of Systems Engineering, organised such a conference in Portugal in September - the International Conference Series on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies. The final day of the conference was held at the architecturally acclaimed Casa da Música, Porto with a special opening session on Helping Through Music.
Machines edge closer to imitating human communication
12 October 2008
At a major Artificial Intelligence competition at the University of Reading on 12 October, machines have come close to imitating human communication. Top machines from around the world were entered into the competition and following extensive scrutiny these were whittled down to the five best for the 12 October finale. During the Turing Test at the University of Reading, the ACEs competed in a series of five minute long, unrestricted conversations with human interrogators, attempting to pass themselves off as human. The interrogators did not know whether they were conversing with a human or a machine during the test.
The Turing Test / 18th Loebner Prize for Artificial Intelligence 2008
09 October 2008
Will a machine be good enough to fool judges into thinking it is human? On 12 October, six artificial conversational entities (ACE) will each compete in a series of five minute long, unrestricted conversation Turing Tests. The ACE will be attempting to pass themselves off as human to human judges.
Robotics in neurorehabilitation
08 October 2008
One of the first films on research activities to be put on the new University Research pages features the work of William Harwin and Rui Loureiro and their collaborator Christine Collins of the Royal Berkshire Hospital on the use of robotics to help people rehabilitate from brain injuries. This exciting work is an example of the research which is covered in modules in degrees such as Biomedical Engineering & Cybernetics and Robotics, taught here in the School of Systems Engineering.
Reading student's roving robot a finalist at prestigious international competition
01 October 2008
Antonios Bouloubasis, a University of Reading Computer Science student, has been recognised for the development of his cutting-edge space exploratory robot at this year's Robotdalen Scientific Awards ceremony.
University research could save soldiers' lives
26 August 2008
Two teams from the University of Reading have successfully presented new research and technology aimed at finding vital new ideas to counter the threats faced daily by our Armed Forces. Both teams won through to the recent finale of the Grand Challenge, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) competition designed to find solutions to a comprehensive range of military threats in an urban environment.
Robot with a Biological Brain: new research provides insights into how the brain works
18 August 2008
A multidisciplinary team at the University of Reading has developed a robot which is controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. This cutting edge research is the first step to examine how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data.
Cybernetics and its Application
18 August 2008
Richard Mitchell, Will Browne, William Harwin and Kevin Warwick have compiled a new custom book to go with the Part 1 Cybernetics and Its Application module, SE1CA5.
Reading tops the UK league for commercially available supercomputing in UK
21 July 2008
The Advanced Computing and Emerging Technology Centre (ACET) now has the most powerful supercomputer in the UK – meaning that the drive for increased computational accuracy is no longer limited by a business’ own IT infrastructure.
Reading to host Loebner Prize
16 May 2008
This year, the School of Systems Engineering at the University of Reading is hosting the prestigious Loebner Prize for Artificial Intelligence.
Broadband Antireflection Coatings for Integrated Optics Waveguides
28 April 2008
The Infrared Multilayer Laboratory has recently started work on the first study phase contract for the design, development and manufacture of broadband antireflection coatings for integrated optics waveguides on the ESA Darwin flotilla mission.
Ede and ravenscroft prize
22 January 2008
MEng Electronic Engineering student, Michael Hallworth, received the Part 1 Ede and Ravenscroft Prize for the best performance in Part 1 in the Faculty of Science during 2006/7.
Bursary competition for final year students
11 October 2007
This academic year, Automation Consultants has partnered with Reading University, to offer a bursary of £3,000 to one final year student in Computer Science and Informatics.
Thales UK awards
23 August 2007
Thales Research & Technology UK (TRT UK), research arm of leading electronics and systems company Thales UK, presented Reading finalist Chenghua Lin with its 2007 award for the best MEng / BEng Electronic Engineering final year project at the University's graduation day on 5 July.
Androids Advance Challenge: the UK's first humanoid robot championship!
28 June 2007
The UK's first humanoid robot tournament is to be held at the Science Museum in London on the July 4 2007 (09.00 press call, event ending 17.00). Sixteen teams from secondary schools in London and the South East of England will compete with each other on the day by controlling their humanoid robots through a demanding assault course, and then watching their robots perform in a 'robot disco dance-off'!
New Lecturers' Project Prize
08 June 2007
Dr Corin Gurr, from the School of Systems Engineering, has won the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice Project Prize 2007.
New MEng degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics and in Robotics
08 June 2007
Following the success of the current three year BSc degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics and in Robotics, the School is pleased to announce that it is now introducing four year MEng versions of these two degrees.
Research Sabbatical
13 April 2007
Dr Andrew Adams is spending a research sabbatical at Meiji University in Tokyo, funded by the University of Reading, Meiji University and a Global Research Award from the Royal Society of Engineering. He will be studying the differences in attitudes and laws to privacy of electronic data between the UK and Japan.
Beijing visit
23 March 2007
Dr. Ferryman completed a highly successful visit to Beijing during March 2007. The visit, in collaboration with the Informatics Research Centre, aimed to explore the opportunities for commercialisation, deployment and evaluation of the output of computer vision activities within the School.
Kekule-cycle 2007-2008
06 February 2007
Prof Kevin Warwick has been invited to give the opening presentation in next year's prestigious cycle of lectures at The University of Antwerp devoted to August Kekule.
EPSRC CTA studentships 2007-2008
22 January 2007
A small number of EPSRC CTA studentships will be offered, on a competitive basis, to selected applicants of the MSc in Cybernetics and MSc in Network Centred Computing for the academic year 2007-2008.
Diviner experiment for the JPL Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
07 June 2006
Following on from its successful collaboration with Oxford University on the recently launched Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the Infrared Multilayer Laboratory has been awarded a contract to design and manufacture of mid-infrared focal plane interference filters for the Diviner experiment for the JPL Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
Back to Mars for the closest look yet
05 August 2005
On August 10th 2005 Optical filters, part of the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), manufactured at the University of Reading will be launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida beginning its journey to the red planet.
New EPSRC/DTI Sustainable Technologies Initiative Project
06 December 2004
Dr Gary Hawkins and Dr John Bowen of the Instrumentation and Signal Processing Research Group have been successful in their bid for a EPSRC/DTI Sustainable Technologies Initiative for a study into 'Mixed Metal Oxides as Alternatives to Cadmium in High Temperature Pigments and Opto-Electronic Materials'.