Month in Review: September 2023

September is always a funny time of year. Teaching is so close that it dominates your time, but you do virtually no actual teaching (and no at all, this year, as teaching starts next week). So my time has been dominated by teaching prep. I try to do as much as I can over the summer, but this is the time when everything needs to be nailed down.

    You have to decide which improvements to your modules will make it in, and which will have to wait. Exams need to be written; the Virtual Learning Environment needs to be brought up to date. PCs in Lecture Theatres need to be checked. Dissertation project proposals need to be made ready 

     Which isn't to say that research takes a back seat completely. There are two grant proposals in the work; two papers; and I've been experimenting with the HapCoil motors from Actronika, and their HSD.mk.ii board, which is a very nice piece of kit.

    I've been experimenting with OpenCV for image segmentation with Sàndor Daranyi of MUSE-IT (on which I am an advisor - he was also part of the SUITCEYES project).

     We had an excellent visit from Graham Pullin, Katie Brown and Fin Tams-Gray from Dundee, our colleagues on ITDF, to talk about potential collaborations. It was particularly valuable to be able to demonstrate the haptic kit we have: it is impossible to describe haptics over a video call.

     And to end on a high note, Hassan Dogar, my PhD student successfully defended his thesis! Congratulations, Hassan! 

    Onwards then, to the 23/24 academic year!