This is supplemental information to our official website. Here, we provide information early, or a bit more information that may be of interest. 8th May: There will be changes! We are in the process of establishing Project #5, and still looking for #6 😳

1 Measure energy waste/ improvement

Supervisor: ass. professor Sam Woodford

Many coal, oil, nuclear and geothermal power stations reply on a variation of the Rankine cycle to produce shaft work and so generate electricity. A key part of this circle is the ‘condenser stage’ where rejected steam or vapor is cooled back into water to be pumped back into the cycle. This cooling can be done in varies forms such as cooling towers or with heat exchangers using rivers or sea water as a cooling medium, but how much energy is wasted in this condensation? Find a means to extract energy in any form of work from the rejected steam in these cycles before it goes into the condensing phase and evaluate if it is an economically viable supplement to power generation.

2 A privacy-conscientious home device

Supervisor: professor Henry Mainsah

Much of the tech currently on sale share data with manufacturers or third parties. This creates privacy issues. But is this sharing of data necessary? Make a proof-of-concept of a device similar to devices sold today, but with local and secure storage. This can for example be a doorbell with built-in camera. The aim is to showcase for users and politicians that such devices are viable, and that much of current data-sharing is unnecessary.

3 Building a model of Wind Assisted propulsion ship

Supervisor: professor Vahid Hassani

New regulations demand substantially lower CO2-emissions from shipping, like container ships. This has lead to a new interest in wind-assisted propulsion – think sails and engines together. These «sails» are not your typical Bermuda rigging of a sailing yacht, and which – if any – solution may work on a commercial scale is still up in the air (sorry for the pun!). The researchers at OsloMet Ocean lab are curious, and want a group of students to begin experimentation and point the way for possible future research and experiments with prototypes.

4 Project: Real-time monitoring of musculoskeletal health

Supervisor: ass. professor Ali Muhtaroglu

Biomedical knowledge, electronics engineering and computer science comes together to further develop a real-time musculoskeletal monitoring application using simple in-house neuromorphic electronic cards along with off-the-shelf sensors and materials. The goal will be to design a wearable system for bilateral monitoring and reporting of chosen short- and long-term musculoskeletal health parameters, mostly associated with left/right symmetries of the body. In addition to the above mentioned competences, mechanical engineering, materials knowledge and product design may be highly beneficial to this project.

5 Social robot prototype; child healthcare

Supervisor: professor Weiqin Chen

Social robots offer substantial promise for helping children in healthcare contexts. Most existing social robots are commercial products that are not often suitable for children. We want you to design a proof-of-concept of a social robot that can serve as a starting point for further research and experiments. You should be prepared to do some research as we need the design to be quality assured, and a well-documented process is expected. The end goal is a robot that can lighten the moods of children e.g. through conversation. (For more information about social robots in child healthcare: Dawe, J., Sutherland, C., Barco, A., & Broadbent, E. (2019). Can social robots help children in healthcare contexts? A scoping review. BMJ paediatrics open, 3(1), e000371. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2018-000371)

6: Sustainable buildings

Supervisor: phd scholar Leila Farahzadi

Are you ready to transform sustainability principles into a real-world prototype with a focus on energy efficiency? Join this dynamic project!

The construction industry is in need of innovations towards sustainable building practices that maximize energy efficiency alongside minimal environmental impact. This project is to create a tangible prototype of a building envelope with low-impact materials and life cycle thinking principles, while at the same time considering energy consumption performance.

The building envelope includes all the building components that separate the indoors from the outdoors. Building envelopes include the exterior walls, foundations, roof, windows and doors.

Aim: Showcase a prototype, research findings, design decisions, and testing results through presentations and reports.

The group will need a diverse skill set. Basic understanding of building design/ civil engineering, about materials, as well as different fabrication techniques (3D modeling or traditional construction methods). It is an advantage if at least one group-member knows building simulation software.