Smart Products Beacon

A Reflection on The Connected Everything and Smart Products Beacon Summer School 2020

Hazel Sayers — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:42:54 +0000

A Reflection on The Connected Everything and Smart Products Beacon Summer School 2020

post by Cecily Pepper (2019 cohort)

My first summer school started with an invite via email. Despite my interest in the topic, my first thought was that robotics was not my area of expertise (coming from a social science background), so maybe I shouldn’t bother applying as I’d be out-of-my-depth. Although after some consideration, I thought it would create some great opportunities to meet new people from diverse backgrounds. So, I stopped worrying about my lack of knowledge in the area and just went for it; and I got a place!

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Smart optical coordinate and surface metrology

Hazel Sayers — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 11:30:53 +0000

A new paper has been published in the journal Measurement Science and Technology. This research is part of The Midlands Centre for Data-Driven Metrology Network (MCDDM), funded by UKRI Research England Development Fund with acknowledgment to the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Ultra Precision (EP/L016567/1) and Taraz Metrology Ltd.

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Shaping the Connected Museum: How can cultural heritage be reproduced digitally?

Hazel Sayers — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 16:00:42 +0000

As part of the Shaping the Connected Museum II project, funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, researchers from the University of Nottingham have been working with colleagues at Ningbo campus to deliver a series of events to drive creative growth and innovation through international collaboration.

Researchers from the NVIDIA Joint-Lab on Mixed Reality (China campus), Horizon Digital Economy Research and the Mixed Reality lab (Nottingham) contributed to a unique museum exhibition at the City Gallery in Ningbo. The event enabled audiences to enjoy and learn the cultural comparisons between the cities of Nottingham and Ningbo.

To continue to promote international partnership and bring together cross-cultural understanding, ‘Shaping the Connected Museum’ is planning events in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention (UNESCO). In collaboration with the Ningbo Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and the Ningbo Natural Resources & Planning Bureau, the NVIDIA Joint-Lab on Mixed Reality hosted a symposium on the 26^th of October “The Digital Reproduction of Art and Culture Heritage”. Eight sister cities, including Mandela (South Africa), Vienna Neustadt (Austria) and Florence (Italy) participated in the event, which addressed the increasing challenges to art and cultural heritage conservation due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Consumer Behaviour and Food Waste: Understanding and Mitigating Waste with a Technology Probe

Hazel Sayers — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 09:39:59 +0000

Food Design 2 was one of the University of Nottingham Smart Products Beacons initial demonstrator projects part funded by Horizon Digital Economy Research. Research addressed food in the digital era by exploring the use of digital technologies to enhance the food consumption experience.

Findings and results are now published in this journal article in Food, Volume 11, issue 14

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Consumer Behaviour and Food Waste: Understanding and Mitigating Waste with a Technology Probe

Hazel Sayers — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 13:37:29 +0000

Eliot Jones-Garcia is a student at the Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training, University of Nottingham. In collaboration with Martin Flintham, Assistant Professor in Computer Science (and Co-Investigator at Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute), University of Nottingham and Serafim Bakalis Professor, Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen, Eliot has been carrying out research to investigate consumer behaviour and food waste.

Read more about this work in Eliot’s article ‘Consumer Behaviour and Food Waste: Understanding and Mitigating Waste with a Technology Probe’ recently published in MDPI journal ‘Foods‘

This work was supported by the UKRI grant numbers EP/S023305/1 & EP/M02315X/1) and the Smart Products & Future Food Beacons at the University of Nottingham.

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Knowledge Cafe: Discuss how assistive robots can and should use your data

Hazel Sayers — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:04:04 +0000

Date: 30th June, 4.30pm – 8.00pm

Participate in this Knowledge Cafe to understand and discuss how intelligent assistive robots use your data and their potential impact.

One of the greatest political, social, and economic challenges of the 21st century for western societies with an ageing population is to consider how to maintain a high standard of health and well-being. One solution is the use of intelligent assistive robots for use in the health and social care sector.

In order to develop these robots, accurate datasets play a critical role. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key element of these robots. Every AI model is trained and evaluated using data, quite often in the form of static datasets. Researchers are depended on the data samples to train and test algorithmic systems in order to develop AI embodied robots. Data from participants in research project are needed for the design, programming, construction and testing of these robots.

These new technologies hold not only advantages but also a variety of concerns regarding their direct and indirect effects on society.

In this Knowledge Cafe, you will have an opportunity to see some assistive robots in action and then participate in a discussion on the benefits and risks of these robots, how your data is used and how GDPR, and AI regulation, and ethics attempt to minimise these risks.

This event is crucial for creating the opportunity for public debate and awareness of AI in healthcare, and supporting responsible research and innovation.

This event is organised as part of the Alan Turing Institute Network, the EPSRC Emergence Network and the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute.

Event Organisers:

Anna-Maria Piskopani, Horizon Research Fellow in IT Law

Praminda Caleb-Solly, Prof of Embodied Intelligence

Free food and refreshments will be provided.

Please register to attend HERE

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Shadow Universities Minister visits Cobot Maker Space

Hazel Sayers — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:13:34 +0000

The Cobot Maker Space – founded by investment from the University of Nottingham Smart Products Beacon and strategic EPSRC funding – welcomed the Shadow Universities Minister, Matt Western MP on the 18th November. The Labour MP for Warwick and Leaming was introduced to Robin the Robot. Find out more in this UoN Press Release.

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ERDF LEADD:ING Collaborative Robotics Workshop to be hosted by the Cobot Maker Space

Hazel Sayers — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 15:19:56 +0000

Calling all small businesses, artists, creative technologists and entrepreneurs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Are you interested in exploring immersive technologies such as augmented reality or smart, wearable technologies?

We are delighted to be hosing an ERDF-funded LEADD:NG project ‘collaborative robotics’ workshop on Thursday 25th November, 1pm- 3pm. During the workshop you will learn about ‘cobots’ and how they are becoming ever more integrated and functional in society. We will also introduce you to our cast of accessible, collaborative robots with a series of demonstrations and highlight examples of innovative uses of cobots to solve particular problems or to engage audiences/consumers in eye-catching ways.

Attendance to this event is by registration only. More information please email LEADD:ING

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Cobot Maker Space launch video

Hazel Sayers — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 10:23:28 +0000

The Cobot Maker Space (CMS) – founded with a combination of Smart Products Beacon and strategic EPSRC funding – officially opened at the University of Nottingham in September. Today the CMS released a video of the official launch, during which Professor Jessica Corner, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange performed an official ‘ribbon cutting ceremony’ – assisted by Robin – a service robot.

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Internet of Food Things Network Plus – online event

Hazel Sayers — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:20:48 +0000

The Internet of Food Things Network Plus is holding an online event on 1st November entitled “Data, science and policy for a healthy food system” on Monday 1st November.

This strategic workshop will address the interplay of data-driven science and innovation in the food system, food safety and food-related health – how can the kinds of interdisciplinary activities that the Internet of Food Things Network (IoFT) and the Quadram Institute do, be applied to UKRI research topics in order to address government food strategy goals as well as broader sustainability goals.

The aim of the event is to:

Establish a better understanding of government policy and wider societal needs for the food/health system,
Initiate more collaborative thinking across disciplines and between institutions to prepare approaches to addressing these opportunities,
Share this thinking with representatives from various policy and regulatory bodies: Defra, FSA, UKRI, OAI, Innovate UK etc

Further details here: https://foodchain.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/online-conference-data-science-and-policy-for-a-healthy-food-system/

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