Screen shot running of computer game project

Computing project exhibition 2023: Andrew Lucas, Digital Games Development BSc(Hons)

I genuinely believe that the placement year and the learnings I have been able to make through my university modules have all combined to create a step-change in my expertise, motivation, self-discipline and positive attitude towards the future.
This has already translated to the fact that I have been fortunate to secure a place on a graduate programme.

Please tell us a bit about your project

The final year project focuses on some of the frustrations with savepoints, checkpoints and death in a video game. I chose this topic because I believe many video games take a different approach to these three features, so much so that I often lost interest in the game. I decided to work on a research paper to look at possible solutions and hopefully find a better approach and ultimately improve the user experience.

I decided to focus on picking my supervisor very early in the schedule and looking back I think this was the best decision I could have made. Regular meetings and discussions with him have been instrumental in guiding me in the right direction, especially with planning, meeting deadlines and technical guidance.

The facilities at the university have also been very helpful, especially in supporting me with access to the extensive amount of research I needed to do. I was also able to access fellow students to support me in various stages of the testing – both were invaluable in helping me create the result.

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Photo of Jazer Barclay

Computing project exhibition 2023: Jazer Barclay, Computer Science BSc(Hons)

The final year project has given me the opportunity to test my metal and apply my knowledge in a project of my choosing. This has been, without a doubt, the most enjoyable module.

Please tell us a bit about your project

My project is a bespoke customer relationship management and point of sale software designed for a small, local kickboxing company in Bexhill.

I chose this project as I believe in the mission statement of the business. They provide support for the public, adults, and juniors with physical or learning disabilities to help improve their hand-eye and mental coordination through regular training and practice. I would love to see this small business flourish.

They displayed a real need for help for keeping track of member lesson payments and attendance. With the skills that I had acquired over the past two years and discovery meetings with their staff, I felt that I had the toolset required to build them a custom solution to meet their requirements.

Through my scholarship, I have access to many great minds in my workplace where I could ask important questions to help sculpt my project at all stages of the development process. Combined with the guidance from my supervisor, Dr. Khuong An Nguyen, I was able to build and deploy this software for their use.

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Graduates 2023: Leonor De Bronac De Vazelhes, Architecture BA(Hons)

I was very well surrounded by tutors, who constantly challenged my designs and provided me with endless references.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

I would describe my work as sensitive, fun and in harmony with nature. I take inspiration from Japanese architecture, notably Son Fujimoto whose design philosophy is that the purpose of a building is determined by the way people use it. Other key influences in my work are the designs of Maggie’s centres. They taught me about the healing qualities of materiality and layout for both physical and mental health. I have carried this knowledge throughout my undergrad, ensuring that all my designs portrayed this sensitivity and thought, putting user experience at the forefront of design. I intend to keep designing with those qualities in mind once I join the professional world.

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Erin Saltmarsh headshot

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Erin Saltmarsh, Aeronautical Engineering MEng

I have found projects and opportunities, such as the university robot wars, STEP lab projects, or the ESA PETRI programme, especially enjoyable. They have allowed me to engage more deeply with my subject, network with other like-minded people, and engineers, and gain a variety of skills applicable to industry.

Please tell us about your project

I am working in the STEP (Sustainable Technology and Engineering Project) lab to look for improvements to a parametric optimization process, for coil wound heat exchangers, that uses Aspen EDR, developed by a previous STEP lab student. In addition, I am using a combination of simulation, and experimental methods to compare the performance of different types of heat exchangers, such as fan cooled, plate, and coil wound heat exchangers.

Why did you choose to study engineering at Brighton?

I have always been interested in engineering and aircraft. When looking for a degree at college, this subject felt like the best fit and appeared to have everything that I wanted from a degree. The apparent niche of aeronautical engineering, compared to mechanical engineering, for example, also seemed enticing.

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Photo of Jasmine Montgomery

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Jasmine Montgomery, Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng(Hons)

I have enjoyed my final year project as it has given me the chance to create and build my own project to work on, and it is a topic I find interesting. The independence is a great skill to carry forward into my career.

Please tell us a bit about your project

My project is an investigation into communication networks and how different configurations of networks change the network metrics and behaviour of traffic.

I have used simulation tools like Cisco Packet Tracer and GNS3, along with my research, to run simulations of scenarios, used to compare changes in a network. Videos of the simulations being built and run are also provided as an aside to the dissertation, which will run alongside my poster on the poster exhibition day to give a visual aid to what my investigation entailed.

My supervisor, Dr Deshinder Singh Gill, has been extremely supportive in my progress in many ways, including setting up weekly meetings with students, being there for many 1-to-1 meetings, always doing his best to advise me on how to make my project the best I can, and also for general support and advice. I could not have asked for a better project supervisor.

How did you choose your course – why did you choose to study an engineering degree and why Brighton?

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Engineering project exhibition 2023 poster

Engineering project exhibition 2023

All are welcome to join our final year engineering students at their project exhibition on Wednesday 3 May, 2-5pm on Wednesday 3 May. More than 160 final students will be displaying their projects, many of which are industry- or research-based and cover a diverse range of technical disciplines.

Come and see the brilliant work from our aeronautical, automotive, mechanical, manufacturing, electrical and electronic engineering student and have the opportunity to discuss their projects.

We look forward to seeing you there.  

Group of students working on a car in the lab

F24 Club Brighton: a taste of engineering at uni and racing at Goodwood for local young people

University of Brighton have been running an F24 Saturday Club since 2018, giving young people across Sussex the opportunity to be involved in an exciting and hands-on engineering project.

The initiative, run by charitable organisation Greenpower, sees teams of young people from across the country build and race kit cars. University of Brighton invite young people in years 9-11 from our partner schools across Sussex to take part in a series of sessions run by Johanna Harris, Schools and Colleges Outreach Co-ordinator along with PhD student Sean Kennedy and a brilliant team of engineering technicians and ambassadors. The club culminates with the teams racing their cars against other teams at Goodwood.

With over 100 applications for 32 places F24 at Brighton is a popular club. Jo tells us more about it and the opportunities it presents:

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Four students with their rocket car

Engineering projects for future careers

In the second blog in this series about the Engineering Practice module, Mechanical Engineering students Jake, Valentin, Edward, Connor and Isabel from Group 15 tell us about their experience, and how they developed and enhanced their skills individually and as a group which will now help them in their professional futures.

Read about Theodore, Connor and Will’s experiences of the Engineering Practice module here

Read about Electrical Engineering student Cristian’s experience here

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Three winning students standing in front of large sign

Talented entrepreneurs rewarded with prize money in University of Brighton Ideas Competition

On Wednesday evening 29 March, beepurple, the University’s startup support team, hosted the 2023 University of Brighton Ideas Competition.

The Ideas Competition Final, made possible with the support of Santander UK Universities , is one of the highlights of our beepurple calendar.

At the final last week, eight students pitched head-to-head to compete for cash prizes to help fund their startup ideas. The pitches were judged by our lineup of local founders:

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Tech drawing of engineering part

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Harry Michell, Mechanical Engineering BEng(Hons)

“The biggest highlight of my course was the final year. It’s a chance for you as a student to prove to yourself and others what you can achieve. Also, with your final year project you can steer it in the direction you want. This paired with more practical work – there isn’t much better.”

My project is looking to improve the steering of a F24 Greenpower kit car. These kit cars are currently used by the university as an outreach activity for local school children aged 11-16, the purpose of this is for each student to get an insight into engineering and what can be done with certain skills. I chose this project because I have been involved with Greenpower for almost a decade now, participating in Greenpower events throughout upper school and now university also, due to this I know what activities like this can do for people and it’s part of the reason I’m an engineering student today.

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