Connectionists: Machine Vision and Big Data Analyst

[Nabney, Ian T]

Aston University and Wheelright Ltd.

This KTP project offers a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious PhD graduate to launch a career in industry with the support of company and academic mentors.

There are over 5 billion pneumatic tyres within the global vehicle fleet. Their maintenance is critical to safety and fuel efficiency, yet drivers have to rely on manual inspection for tread depth and tyre condition; the simple gauge for pressure.  Automation is absent or limited to tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). WheelRight's unique technology uses the vehicle's motion to capture data to measure tyre pressure, vehicle weight, tread depth and tyre condition.  No equipment is installed on the vehicle. Any vehicle, car, bus or truck can be driven through an installation at up to 15kmh. The data is collected and processed in seconds, identifying faults and automating a safety critical chore for motorists and fleet operators. The first systems are based in the UK but a trial system has been installed in the USA. The market opportunity is global; wherever vehicle tyres are ignored.

Aston University has joined forces with WheelRight on this project with the aim of implementing machine-vision techniques to analyse tyre images, identify abnormal tyres and create a data warehouse of tyre information. Their goal is to make the process of tyre inspection, automatic, accurate and easy to use. 

We are looking for confident, credible and personable candidates with good inter-personal skills to work within WheelRight's small team and with its collaborators and clients. You should be a self-starter with the ability to show high levels of initiative and motivation and the ability to work autonomously to agreed targets and goals. You should be able to articulate ideas, effectively interpret user requirements and have good presentation skills with a strong problem-solving ability.

You will need a PhD in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics based subject, involving both Mathematics and Computing.  You should have experience of some of the following: statistical data modelling or data mining; machine vision techniques; machine learning algorithms; neural networks. Experience of programming in an appropriate language (Matlab, R or C# preferred), and knowledge of how to write well-engineered code are essential to this role. It would also be advantageous to have experience in the presentation of complex analyses to untrained users, the Netlab toolbox for Matlab, knowledge of object-oriented design using C#, .NET or Java, along with an understanding of the full software development and product lifecycle.  Previous experience of data warehouses along with the ability to analyse data domains and create entity relationship diagrams and databases would be useful.

As part of this project you will be able to develop your technical skills, including Bayesian methods of model combination, machine learning algorithms for image recognition and regression and software engineering skills (including data modelling of large-scale tasks and 'real world' architectural design of data warehouse).

In addition to the KTP Associate Development Programme to develop your management skills, you will have a generous personal development budget for industry standard training, and will be encouraged to join and work towards Chartered status of an appropriate professional body such as the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) or the British Computer Society. You will be employed by Aston University but will be based at the company, WheelRight Limited on Begbroke Science Park in Oxford.

Deadline: 1st March 2015
Apply at http://jobs.aston.ac.uk reference 150032
Salary is £26,000 to £30,000 plus £4000 individual training budget
Contract is fixed term for 2 years

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Prof Ian Nabney
Head of Computer Science and Head of Mathematics
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Aston University
http://www.aston.ac.uk/ncrg/
0121 204 3645