What I'm doing now and how the CDT experience has helped my career

After finishing my PhD I worked at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) based in Southampton. My role at NOC, as Computer Vision researcher, was to develop algorithms and tools to aid oceanographers in identifying underwater organisms captured by cameras fitted to autonomous underwater vehicles. A couple of years later I took a role at Arm in Manchester as a Computer Vision Engineer. I believe being a part of the CDT in Communications at Bristol made me stand out among other applicants as I was able to build up a wider skill set as a result of the taught MSc year and all the training and team activities that were available to me throughout my research.

Background

I began my university years in 2007 studying Audio and Music Technology at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Following this I decided to put more focus on the Engineering aspects of the course, such as Signal Processing, and undertook a masters in Digital Communications Systems at Loughborough University in 2010.

Why I chose the CDT route and what I gained from being part of the CDT

During my masters I became keen on the idea of pursuing a PhD in Electronic Engineering but felt a little concerned about only having studied one year in a relevant subject area. The first taught year of the CDT really appealed to me as it meant I could build a stronger foundation upon which to begin my research. It also enabledme to study and explore other areas of Engineering that previously were not available to me.

How the CDT training/secondments benefitted my PhD research

My research was on Adaptive Resolution Video Coding, which I did under the supervision of Dimitris Agrafiotis and David Bull from UoB, and also Nick Easton from BAE Systems. . The CDT’s links to industry helped me to understand the challenges of the project from both an academic and industry point of view. I was also able to visit BAE Systems and discuss the project with engineers working there on similar areas of research. Throughout my PhD I was able to engage in many different team activities, including outreach at local schools and science fairs, collecting video data from the department’s octocopter, and driving around Bristol with a set of stereocameras fixed to my car while onlookers thought they were posing for Google Street View.

Long-term plans

As of December 2021 I have been working at Arm for two years and I can see myself continuing to work there for many more years to come.