Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders)
DCU PhD Project Template:
**Please use one form per project**
Please complete & submit to graduate.research@dcu.ie by Friday 13th July
PI name & contact details:
Dr Cathal Gurrin
School:
Computing
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
Yes
Research Centre / group affiliation:
CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies
Research group / centre website:
http://www.clarity-centre.org
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.computing.dcu.ie/~cgurrin/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
CLARITY is an SFI-funded CSET which has been in operation for 4 years, since July 2008. It is a
partnership between UCD, DCU and the Tyndall National Institute in Cork and addresses the
emerging world of what is called the sensor web. CLARITY develops its own sensor technologies as
well as using off-the-shelf sensors for applications in areas such as sports, health and wellness,
environment, energy monitoring, ambient assisted living and the online world of social media and
search.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Using Sensors to Monitor Detailed Physical Activities
Using wearable accelerometers (on the chest), it is possible to accurately identify user activities such
as sitting, walking, standing, driving, etc… These user activities can be employed in the real-world to
quantify an individual for reasons such as personalized healthcare, exer-gaming, and professional
healthcare interventions. Currently our research can accurately identify user activities to accuracy
levels of 96-98%, however the activities we recommend are very broad in nature (e.g standing,
sitting…). This PhD subject is concerned with employing multiple high-sampling rate accelerometers,
at different parts of the body (e.g. wrists, belt area, ankles) to identify fine-grained user activity
(such as writing, typing, talking, gesticulating, and other medical activities such as tremors, shaking,
etc…). To identify these user activities typically requires data analysis using machine learning
techniques and learning how to recognize activities from wearable sensors that are effective across
user populations. In addition, the research should consider the user experience and user benefit and
consequently, will require extensive user trials and evaluations with real-world users in a variety of
user-cases from medical to quantified self and social.
Unique selling points of PhD project in DCU:
DCU projects should offer something that’s not available in Brazil – specific equipment, multi-disciplinarity,
aspects of structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research groups etc.
CLARITY is a truly inter-disciplinary research centre and within DCU, CLARITY research is carried out in the
schools of Computing, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Sciences, Health
and Human Performance, Nursing and Human Science, and the Institute of Ethics but all in the one
location on campus. As well as carrying out basic and fundamental research, CLARITY has funded
projects with 57 different industry partners, from large multi-national companies in Ireland like Intel
and Alcatel-Lucent, to international companies like Disney Research, Under Armour and Adidas, to
Irish SMEs like Netwatch, Episensor and Beta Electronics. In a recent independent review of CLARITY
conducted by Science Foundation Ireland, CLARITY was deemed to be "operating as a world class
research centre".
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Computer Science, Computer Engineering
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)
Health and Biomedical Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
X
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters
Biodiversity and Bioprospection
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Please complete