Wireless Communications Using Light

In this lecture, Dominic O'Brien introduces the field, the challenges, and the promise for the future of this area of research. The demand for wireless communications is growing exponentially, and the radio spectrum required to meet this demand is increasingly crowded, leading to predictions of a ‘spectrum crunch’. Using light for wireless transmission is an attractive alternative. Optical wireless can offer access to almost unlimited spectrum, albeit with many implementation challenges.

In this talk, Justin Coon explores the issue of complexity in the IoT from a fundamental perspective and provide some insight into what this means for practical deployments in the future. The evolution of wireless communication technology over the past two decades has led to severe engineering challenges concerning interference and network densi cation. As we begin to embrace the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, these challenges are sure to grow. Indeed, it is predicted that connection densities will surpass one million per square kilometre in the near future, largely owing to the deployment of IoT networks and services. Yet, relatively little has been done to quantify the growing complexity of these networks, and the subsequent implications that this growth will have on network performance.

Professor Constantin Coussios (Magdalen), Professor of Biomedical Engineering, gives the 2016 annual Jenkin Lecture, on 17th September 2016. From applications of fluid mechanics and control engineering to organ preservation, and from ultrasonic waves and bubbles to oncological drug delivery and spinal surgery, engineering can play a key role in developing tomorrow’s therapies. This session will explore how multi-disciplinary engineering approaches are changing clinical practice.

Professor Lionel Tarassenko CBE FREng FMedSci (St John’s), Head of the Department of Engineering Science, gives a lecture for the department of Engineering Science Alumni Weekend on September 17th 2016. Digital technologies are making a huge impact on our daily lives, from communications and entertainment to transport and aerospace. These new technologies also offer an unparalleled opportunity for healthcare. Find out how novel sensors, smartphones and machine learning will impact not only hospital patient monitoring but also the remote management of individuals with chronic diseases in their homes.

The 42nd Maurice Lubbock Memorial Lecture: ‘Paving the Path for Human Space Exploration:The Challenges and Opportunities’ presented by Lauri N. Hansen, Director of Engineering, NASA Johnson Space Centre.

Professor Paul Taylor, University of Oxford gives a short talk as part of the 41st Maurice Lubbock lecture series in the Department of Engineering Science.

Professor Matthew McGilvray, University of Oxford and Professor Richard Morgan, University of Queensland give a talk at the Department of Engineering Science as part of the 41st Maurice Lubbock Memorial Lecture programme.

Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Professor and ARC Federation Fellow at the University of Sydney, gives the 41st Maurice Lubbock Memorial Lecture.