Undergraduate research (Crucible theme): Difference between revisions

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Cambridge undergraduates study one subject, and do that very thoroughly. In a university with no "minor" options, how do students build interdisciplinary skills? One way is to spend the summer pursuing undergraduate research opportunities in other departments.
Cambridge undergraduates study one subject, and do that very thoroughly. In a university with no "minor" options, how do students build interdisciplinary skills?  


A major Crucible initiative since 2002 has been the development and maintenance of an [[Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)]]. Initially based on the UROP programme at MIT, and developed by [[David Good]] within the education programme of the [[Cambridge-MIT Institute]], the programme has since been maintained with funding from the Newton Trust, and from EPSRC (coordinated by [[Alan Blackwell]])
One way is to spend the summer pursuing undergraduate research opportunities in other departments, via the Cambridge [[Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)]]. Crucible members have led a wide range of projects in which teams of undergraduates gained experience of design research, creating advanced technologies informed by human and social perspectives.
 
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/teaching/urops/
 
Crucible members have led a wide range of projects in which teams of undergraduates gained experience of design research, creating advanced technologies informed by human and social perspectives.


Major undergraduate research project teams:
Major undergraduate research project teams:
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* [[ReadYourMeter.org]]
* [[ReadYourMeter.org]]


 
Other design research opportunities for Cambridge students include:
 
Other design research opportunity for Cambridge students include:


* Computer science tripos [[group design projects]]
* Computer science tripos [[group design projects]]
* Manufacturing engineering tripos design studio
* Manufacturing engineering tripos design studio
* Masters in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment
* Masters in [[Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment]]
* Cambridge Digital Studios
* [[Cambridge Digital Studios]]
* [[Interdisciplinary Design Project]] in Engineering
* Certificate in [[Humanities Computing for Languages (CHUCOL)]]


The [[Cambridge Design Education Forum]] involves members from each of these departments.
The [[Cambridge Design Education Forum]] involves members from each of these departments.


Specific cross-disciplinary projects funded under the UROP scheme include:
[[Category:Themes]]
 
MML, 2004
 
1. Software techniques for integrating digital video into language
learning (Contact: Gavin Burnage)
 
Dominic Smith (Girton) will work for 10 weeks, for 1 week beginning 14
June, then for 9 weeks beginning 28 June.
 
2. Register in the History of Spanish (Contact: Dr Chris Pountain)
 
Gemma Wheeler (Robinson) will work for 4 weeks beginning 21 June
Julia Angell (St John's) for six weeks beginning 19 July.
 
Physics, 2006
 
James Mead worked on:
[[Dasher]]
Investigate and evaluate methods for text-messaging with two
buttons, aimed at disabled people.  Specifically, test new two
"dynamic" methods of steering the free software communication system,
"Dasher", developing and enhancing them in response to user feedback.
The main deliverables are a new mode for Dasher that's robust and
ready for delivery to real disabled users, and a quantitative evaluation of it.
 
Computer Lab, 2006
 
Chris Smowton worked on [[Dasher]]
 
Gareth Bailey, Hugh Warrington, Mattias Linnap, Vincent Chen, Vilius Naudziunas
 
 
Linguistics, 2007
 
Kirsty McDougall, supervised a student working on forensic speaker identification
Student- Qinkan Wu
 
Improving Techniques for Forensic Speaker Identification
 
A growing number of court cases involve the need to establish the speaker
of some recorded speech - a hoax emergency call, a fraudulent phone
transaction, an obscene voicemail, the planning of a drug deal and so on.
Voices, however, are not like fingerprints. Contrary to the impression
given by television shows such as CSI, there is no technique for
identifying a speaker with 100% reliability. A person’s voice varies,
depending on tiredness, emotion, how loud and fast he or she is speaking,
and many other factors. This variability within an individual’s voice makes
the task of speaker identification very complicated in the forensic domain,
where recordings are usually short, of poor quality and in a range of
speaking styles.
 
The DyViS project (‘Dynamic Variability in Speech: A Forensic Phonetic
Study of British English’) in the Phonetics Laboratory in the Department of
Linguistics is carrying out research tackling these issues. The project has
compiled a large-scale database of speech in different speaking styles from
100 speakers of Standard Southern British English. These recordings are
being analysed to determine how well the speakers can be discriminated and
what the best measures are for characterising their speech. The effects of
using the telephone on an individual's speech is also being analysed.
 
The student project will involve developing scripts to process and analyse
speech files efficiently using programs such as Praat. A background in
computer programming is required, but experience in using Praat is not
necessary. The exact nature of the work to be undertaken is flexible
depending on the skills and interests of the student.
 
Anthropology 2007
 
Social Anthropology online video library
Contact: Paul Sumption / Professor Alan Macfarlane
Student: Dahir Alissan
 
Within the department of Social Anthropology we have a video library of
approximately 3000 films. Previously a small Filemaker database was
published to the web to enable searching of an online film catalogue.
 
This system is doesn’t offer advanced searching and the database structure
lacks 3NF or normalisation. We are looking for a new solution for both the
administration of a new database and a web front end that allows advanced
searching.
 
The deliverable would be a backend in any open source SQL database.
An administration system for maintaining the database this could be an ODBC
front end or a web based system.
A web based front end that allowed searching and listing of films.
 
There is plenty of scope for adding extras features or adding a loan
booking system if time allowed.
 
Restrictions: A preference towards a student that has a good knowledge or
interest in web based database applications.
 
You’d be based at the Department of Social anthropology however as this
project is web based once the project was underway SSH / FTP could be used
to allow you to work from your own workstation if preferred.
 
 
Computer Lab 2007
3D control of music structures
- supervised by Chris Nash
- student Tris Bracey
- working with Alejandro Vinao
 
Music 2008
 
Statistical analysis of violin timbre perception
Supervisor: Claudia Fritz/Ian Cross
Student: Andrew Norman
 
Computer Lab 2008
 
Software for dance
Supervisor: Luke Church
Student: Cheryl Hung
 
ReadYourMeter.org
Supervisors: Luke Church, Ian Davies, Andrew Rice, Alan Blackwell, David Mackay
Ravi Rayan, Peter Calvert, Dan Ryder-Cook
 
Computer Lab 2009
 
Supervisor: Luke Church
Student: Adona Iosif
 
Computer Lab 2010
 
Evolutionary blending of 3D surface models - part of the [[Coded Chimera]] project
Student Graeme Morgan
 
Student: John Lawson
- part of the [[Flagship Retrofit]] project
 
Computer Lab 2011
 
Student Rory McCann
- part of the [[Flagship Retrofit]] project

Latest revision as of 06:54, 1 September 2011

Cambridge undergraduates study one subject, and do that very thoroughly. In a university with no "minor" options, how do students build interdisciplinary skills?

One way is to spend the summer pursuing undergraduate research opportunities in other departments, via the Cambridge Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP). Crucible members have led a wide range of projects in which teams of undergraduates gained experience of design research, creating advanced technologies informed by human and social perspectives.

Major undergraduate research project teams:

Other design research opportunities for Cambridge students include:

The Cambridge Design Education Forum involves members from each of these departments.