Examples of Technical Work

I have been using MATLAB for 10 years, with experience in a wide range of toolboxes and products. I am the MATLAB License Administrator for the University of Oxford and am experienced with troubleshooting licensing and installation issues as well as using MATLAB technically. Here is a small selection of projects I have completed in MATLAB:

App Development

All engineering undergraduates at Oxford must complete a laboratory exploring structural dynamics. We have an in-house built experimental set-up that models a three-story building. Each floor is fitted with magnetic displacement sensors to measure how the building moves. A motor attached to the bottom floor allows us to vibrate the building, so we can investigate how it would move in response to earthquakes. We use National Instruments for acquiring data from these sensors and MATLAB to log and visualise the live data.

In order to support student learning, we use a custom user interface. The students can easily start and stop data logging, switching between the time and frequency domains. I redesigned this app for use within App Designer, from the older GUIDE methods. I have updated multiple applications in this way.

Close up photo of computer screen with code

MATLAB Grader

I have been using MATLAB Grader (previously Cody Coursework) for 4 years. I use it to provide formative feedback outside of the classroom, which boosts student learning.

It has been shown that students learn more when the topic is one they are interested in, so I developed a wide range of coding challenges for my first-year course. As I teach general engineering, my students can be interested in all different types of engineering from electrical to mechanical or civil, so I provide a range of different examples.

I have given various talks on using Grader including to the MPLS (Mathematical, Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences) Division at Oxford, as well as the MathWorks Educator workshop on Effective Approaches to Teaching Computation. I work with a suite of custom functions to speed up gathering class analytics, allowing me to quickly spot struggling students in a large cohort.

Quanser Equipment with MATLAB

For the last 5 years, I have been responsible for supporting all teaching and outreach in the Control Lab. I ensured multiple pieces of Quanser equipment have been accessible to students. This has included: AERO, Coupled Tanks, Inverted Pendulum and Double Inverted Pendulum and magnetic levitation device. This equipment is used with Simulink to teach controller design. I have ensured models are clearly documented and arranged into sensible subsystems to ensure students can quickly understand the models during laboratories.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was important our students still had a chance to learn in a way that allowed experimental exploration. I helped design, implement and run a virtual version of our control labs using Quanser Virtual Labs.

Lego Mindstorms with Simulink

I have extensive experience with using LEGO Mindstorms hardware with Simulink. For 4 years, I have supported the teaching of control design in a week-long project where students design, build and test a segway robot to play football.

I have been the technical lead, troubleshooting issues not only in the hardware/software interface but also managing running eight segway robots simultaneously over wireless to allow for football matches to take place.

Want to Know More?

You can find ways to connect with me on LinkedIn or via e-mail.