NEXUSS CDT Research Experience Placement Supervisor Proforma 2018

Lead Supervisor: / Dr Nick Harris
Email: /
University/Research Organisation: / Southampton University
Department: / Electronics and Computer Science
Project Title: / A low cost long range environmental monitoring node
Total Student Support Costs: £ / £2500 (£200 for 10 weeks plus £500 research and training support grant)
Based on a minimum of £200/week full time for a minimum of 8 weeks and maximum of 10 weeks and a £500 Research and Training Support Grant.
Proposed Start Date:
Monday, 17 June 2018 (please update) / Proposed End Date:
Friday, 21 September 2018 (please update)
Projects should run over the summer vacation and we recommend that projects will have terminated by 21 September 2018.
Brief Summary – please provide a brief summary (maximum 300 words) of the project.
This should include:
  • Project outline;
  • Links to staff/School/Centre activity as appropriate;
  • Supervisory arrangement;
  • How space/equipment/supporting resource demands will be met;
  • Elements of the project that will incorporate elements other than computer/modelling e.g. fieldwork and data collection;
  • How the project will enhance the skills of the appointed student;
  • Any intellectual property rights concerns that may arise from the work.
Outline: To enable the use of distributed sensors, a low-cost, flexible, low-power sensing node is required. This project focusses on the requirements of such a system, utilising experience within the supervisory team to create an example system, and link it to a suitable radio infrastructure, such as LoRa, to create a testbed for long-term sensor evaluation. The output will be a design for a deployable node that is easily configured for different sensors and applications.
Links to Staff: This project is able to leverage the current interest in IoT, and low-power systems. The supervisor (Dr Harris) has extensive experience in environmental sensor design and low power electronics, but the project will be of interest to many colleagues in ECS (hardware and computer science)
Supervisory arrangement: Dr Harris will directly supervise the student, on formal weekly basis. A plan and a specification will be created early on and progress measured against this.
Resources: A desk will be provided within the group’s space. Test and measuring equipment suitable for this project exist within group labs eg sensor test rigs, environmental chambers, and rapid prototyping facilities.
Practical Elements: Although some simulation is required initially, we are targeting producing hardware for environmental use. Although test rigs involving soil columns are intended to be used, a successful project will result in trial installations eg on the ECS building in a soil environment, and through Dr Harris’s links with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, who are currently using Dr Harris’s prototype chloride sensors in an instrumented catchment
Skill Enhancement: The student will be introduced to the world of robust system design, and will understand the difficulties in creating reliable systems for long-term use.
IP: Any developed IP will be exploited as appropriate through RIS. There is little likelihood of infringement of others rights.
Please give an indicative timescale for the student’s work over the length of the project: (maximum 150words).
This should include:
  • The broad tasks the student will undertake;
  • An indicative timescale for these tasks.
1)Basic targeted literature review on wireless sensor networks (ongoing)
2)Hardware specification/ Initial design evaluation (1 week)
3)Breadboard testing (1 week)
4)PCB design and build (2 weeks but in parallel with 6)
5)Verification of power requirements/power supply(solar) (1 week)
6)Enclosure requirements/design/build (2 weeks in parallel with 4)
7)Test of sensors/example programs/integration of base station (1 week)
8)Initial deployment/analysis of early data/modification of code (4 weeks - iterative)
9)Report (throughout project but finalised at the end)
Total project length 10 weeks
Proposed procedure for appointing students, including selection criteria:
Please identify specific criteria that should be considered for the selection of placement students e.g. specific quantitative skills that may be required, subject knowledge etc. If a student has been pre-selected, or the research area has been led by the student, please provide the student’s contact details, and a summary of their suitability for the NEXUSS CDT REP programme.
This requires a student with electronic design interests, and an interest in embedded system programming, as it is developing hardware that is enabling for other researchers. A knowledge of environmental monitoring is not necessary as this can be taught to a level needed, but an interest in the environment is of benefit.