Life Cycle Analysis of Electric Vehicle Batteries – final year MEng project work

In this second post, we learn from Erin, Connor, Sadiq, Ade and Don, the STEP Lab master’s team on Life Cycle Analysis theme, as they graduate with MEng degrees in Aeronautical and Mechanical engineering between them. 

What is LOBSTER

The aim of our project was to estimate the CO2 impact of second life, and end of life (EOL) processes of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, considering the batteries destinations i.e. recycling, energy storage etc., state of health, and battery types/compositions. To do this, we used data from literature and Ecochain Mobius. Results were summarized as a new piece of software written by the STEP Lab team, offering Logical Outputs Based on Statistics and Testing for End-of-life Re-purposing (L.O.B.S.T.E.R).

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Three students standing outside lab

Testing Energy Recovery Machines – final year projects

STEP Lab offers engineering experience to problem-solve energy challenges in a multi-disciplinary, real-world, project-based, research and development environment, via a Tutor-Student partnership. In this three-post series, the recent student teams from the Lab share their journey of professional engineering experience. 

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Product design students showcase their projects in exclusive Dezeen article

The architecture and design online magazine Dezeen, which has over three million monthly readers, recently featured a selection of product design students from the University, showcasing the impressive work they completed as part of their final-year projects.

The Product Design BSc(Hons) course at Brighton prepares students for a career in design through collaborative work that mirrors a real-world industry environment. This article highlights just a handful of projects that our students undertook, which now serve as the foundation for their professional portfolios.

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Hand pinning something on a wall

A Week in the Life of a UX Design Student

Choosing to pursue a Master’s in UX Design was one of the most exciting decisions I’ve ever made! 

Mahsa Tarang

Read on to find out why…

What UX Design Means to Me

I have always been interested in art and enjoy following galleries and art events, but in addition to this I have also had a deep passion for technology and enjoy listening to podcasts on human behaviour, understanding the reasons behind the choices we make. For me, these passions came together as I explored UX Design and ultimately drove me to apply for a course within this field. The blend of psychology, technology, and design fascinated me, and I knew this was the perfect path to channel my creative and analytical skills. 

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Close up of Herculas wearing full American Football kit

Brighton student’s NFL dreams boosted by coveted spot on GB men’s American football team


A University of Brighton sports scholar, Herculas Pretorius, has been called up to Great Britain’s senior men’s American football team after success with his university team.

Herculas, who is a second-year Mechanical Engineering BEng(Hons) student at Brighton, is the youngest player to be named on the 45-man squad of the GB American football team. This follows his impressive showing at separate rounds of trials with the national men’s senior team

As a beneficiary of the University of Brighton’s Talented Sports Performers programme, Herculas’ journey into the British American football team began at the Brighton Panthers where he plays as a linebacker.

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Graduates 2024: Jamie Singleton: Architecture BA(Hons)

I loved the aspect of circular economy that the University of Brighton really drove and the problem-solving attached with it. It presented a real challenge that I loved working to solve.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

Throughout my time here at Brighton the emphasis on designing with sustainability has been so incredibly strong, so in this semester I really wanted to take it to a new level. Tutors such as Duncan Baker-Brown, Glenn Longden-Thurgood, Tony Roberts and Ian Bailey have really pushed me to explore the relationships between locations and longevity as a means to create a hyperlocal, vernacular project. This semester I have explored the concept of ‘rearranging landscape’ – the idea of using onsite (or local materials) that harvested in more traditional formats and adapting them in a contemporary, yet approachable format.  

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A laptop with a computer game on the screen and a hand reaching for it

Graduates 2024: Hanna Harings-Mahendra: Product Design BSc(Hons)

Organising the course so that each student can be their individual selves makes the course well worth it.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

My project is called Recover Quest, it’s a rehabilitation video game for injury recovery, focusing on the hand and wrist and uses real time hand tracking. The project is partially influenced by myself as I have a condition called erbs palsy which means limited rotation and range of motion in one arm. I rarely do my exercises and wanted to find out if others felt the same and that’s how this project started!

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Marius wearing his final project, a knitted jumper

Graduates 2024: Marius Moen Holtan: Sustainable Design MA

I’ve benefitted hugely from the support from both Tom Ainsworth and Sally Sutherland during my time on the course. Tom’s constructive disruption and Sally’s deep empathy has inspired me to push and advocate for the value and impact of my work. 

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences.

My work employs knitting as methodology to explore ways of knowing and the connection between wearers, clothing and cultures. I’m influenced by the relationship between the physical and meta-physical, design narratives and the intersection between practice and research. 

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Istvan Hanzo standing infront of a University of Brighton building

Computing project exhibition 2024: Istvan Hanzo, Computer Science with Cyber Security

Studying and working with lecturers and other students has been a great experience. The good relationships I developed with my lecturers really stood out and made my experience more memorable. It genuinely felt like they do what they do because they enjoy teaching, and they are good at it, which is truly motivating.

Tell us a bit about your project.
I had two different ideas for my final year project. One was an application for tracking online user activity based on browser fingerprints and integrating AI to create user profiles based on this – a similar concept to how personalised advertisements work – and the other one was creating a password manager application that uses passwordless authentication. I am interested in these topics because they both apply modern technologies to address cyber security problems without compromising privacy or usability.

The final product was influenced by both ideas. Choosing Password Spray attacks as the main aim of detection was a great challenge, as it already bypasses basic defence mechanisms, and even large companies like Microsoft are falling victim of it. The final product – if enhanced further – could either function as a vulnerability testing mechanism to audit the effectiveness of existing security protocols, or as an additional function embedded in an existing Intrusion Detection System (IDS) or Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).

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