Our research group is interested in the design and development of novel technological advancement that appears in everyday devices with embedded power of computation, advanced sensing, and communication. This involves a broad spectrum of perspectives ranging from wireless and mobile computing, constant Internet connectivity and connectivity to services in large scale distributed systems, secure infrastructures, sensing and reactive environments, and human interaction modelling.

Key research themes

  • Legal and social aspects of pervasive computing
  • Security and digital forensics
  • Mobile and wireless technology
  • Parallel computing using commodity devices, grid and cloud computing
  • Interaction design and modelling, human centred development, usability and accessibility
  • Embedded, context-aware, ambient intelligence and wearable systems

Research aims

Our broad aim is to bring our information systems and computer science expertise to bear in order to improve the effectiveness of the everyday pervasive computing environment. Of interest to the group are organisations that provide mobile communication services, cloud security, embedded system design, plus those that provide social care, and any developments in technology that can make the work of these organisations more efficient.

To achieve this, we:

  • establish and maintain links with organisations, universities and professionals to keep abreast of their problems and needs;
  • conduct research to investigate new solutions to relevant problems;
  • provide knowledge transfer services to organisations and individuals in the mobile, security, interactive design, embedded systems and social care sector that wish to adopt information, communication and sensing technologies.

Research collaborations

  • Brasov University (Romania)
  • Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • Brunel University (UK)
  • Centre d’Excellence en Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (CETIC, Belgium)
  • Communication Systems Pakistan (Mr Tahir Khan)
  • Hewlett-Packard Italiana Srl (Italy)
  • Minzu University of China (Beijing, China)
  • Motorola (Mr Asad Khan)
  • Northumbria University
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • Peking University (China)
  • University of Brighton (Interactive Technology Research Group)
  • University of East London
  • University of Kent
  • University of Greenwich
  • University of Leeds
  • Valencienne University (France)
  • XLAB Slovenia
  • Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland)

Core services

  • Short and long-term research projects
  • Feasibility studies
  • Evaluation of mobile, security and distributed applications, and related technologies
  • Developing and/or evaluating prototype applications
  • Advice and assistance in the commissioning or installation of systems or software from commercial suppliers
  • IT training (mobile, forensics, usability, etc) tailored to the specific needs of an organisation

Additional services

  • Industrial placements for students on our sandwich degree courses
  • Projects for final-year undergraduates and for students on our MSc courses
  • Collaborative PhD programmes
  • Short courses tailored to the needs of an organisation
  • Consultancy

Funded projects

  • Rubee Technology, HEIF (£12,000), 2011. Principal Investigators: Dr Mo Adda, Dr Benjamin Azziz, Dr Sanaz Fallahkhair
  • m-health Review, Department of Health (£12,000), 2012. Principal Investigators: Dr Jim Briggs, Dr Carl Adams, Dr Sanaz Fallahkhair, Deborah Prytherch, Adesina Iluyemi
  • Remembering my favourite things: A mobile phone app designed to remind you of happy memories, HEIF (£11,000), 2012. Principal Investigators: Dr Alice Good, Dr Clare Wilson