Objectives:

1) Development of 3D printed mould

2) Test formulation of microneedles by varying ratios of polymer and sugar using lab bench
fracture testing and penetration testing
3) Testing needle permeation in excised murine skin and ability of drug to treat cellular models
of inflammatory disease
This is a cross disciplinary-based project that will require you apply:
 Design skills: microneedle patch design for 3D printing and silicone moulding
 Experimental skills: carry out mechanical testing and potentially cell biology testing in AMS
 Analytical skills to process the data and apply appropriate statistical tools for evaluation and
discussion
 Supervisor: Dr Sarah Junaid
External partner: Dr Muhammad Moid Khalid Khan

Improving control of a Myoelectric arm

Current bionic arm systems are not highly effective enough, which is clear from the significant
rejection rate of users who opt to live without a prosthetic. Rejection rates in paediatrics are reported
between 32 % and 45 % and adults between 23 % and 39 % depending on the prosthesis type. Only 7-
8 % of adult upper amputees become myoelectric users. According to NHS England, 55-60,000
people in the UK with an amputation or congenital limb deficiency attend a specialist rehabilitation
service. This number is increasing, with the incidence of amputations due to peripheral vascular
disease and diabetes on the rise in recent years. There is therefore a need for a bionic limb that can
help people maintain high functioning and healthy ageing lifestyles. The problem with the current
myoelectrical systems is the control mechanism, which can trigger unintended movements (false
positives) or lack of motion (false negatives). The mechanism relies on electrical muscle activity,
which requires considerable training to adapt and learn to use. A novel sensor has been developed that
can measure movement to 0.15 mm accuracy and could have the potential to improve control of
existing myoelectrical prosthetic arms. Current systems operate on EMG electrical signals from
muscle activation. Used in conjunction with this novel sensor, it may improve user control.

Aim: embed the novel micromotion sensor into an existing myoelectric arm to test its efficacy in
improving user control of the system

Objectives:
1) Bench top testing of the microsensor using testing parameters analogous to muscle
movements in the upper limb
2) Design a system that embeds the novel microsensor to an existing myoelectrical hand design
(electrical circuit design & retrofitted hardware design)
3) Test the system using the same benchtop protocol as objective 1 and compare data on the
efficacy of the new system with the myoelectric system alone.
4) Compare data with statistical analysis and report recommendations for further work

This is an industry-based project that will require you apply:

 Design skills: to understand the technical and non-technical drivers and refine the electrical
circuit and hardware design accordingly
 Experimental skills: Competence setting up a testing protocol and test using quantitative and
qualitative testing methods methodically and with rigour
 Analytical skills: to process the data and apply appropriate statistical tools for evaluation and
discussion
 Supervisors: Dr Sarah Junaid & Dr Tabbi Awotwe

Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion into engineering programmes at Aston University
through an outreach active learning activity

Mechanical and Design Engineering at Aston University boasts one of the most diverse cohorts in the
country. Approximately 80% of our students are from BAME backgrounds and our retention and
degree performance from BAME students are above the average for the sector. This is good news for
social mobility, with many students being the first in their families to go to university. However, more
can be done to improve progression and attainment. More also needs to be done to improve the
number of female students, with only 11-12% from year to year and improve the academic
performance of students from BAME backgrounds to continually improve social mobility for the
region. One of the challenges is to increase the entry requirements and to improve the recruitment
strategies done to attract the students with the potential to become excellent engineers for their
communities but may not necessarily have the access or knowledge about engineering to make an
informed choice to apply.

Aim: to increase social mobility and proportion of females in Mechanical and Design Engineering
programmes at Aston University while improving recruitment entry levels.

Objectives:
5) Identify the WHO: Analysis of the last five years of student data in Mechanical and Design
Engineering including entry levels, qualifications, the students’ metadata, degree progression,
performance and graduation levels and compare this to local demographic data from the
student recruitment and outreach team (SRO) to make recommendations on recruitment gaps
to target using current and higher entry requirements for decision making.
6) Identify the HOW: Using the target groups, carry out a critical review of the literature in the
last five years on the communications channels and platforms for reaching these target
groups.
7) Identify the WHAT: Design a CDIO Active Learning workshop that delivers that markets the
unique selling points (USP) of studying Mechanical and Design Engineering at Aston
University and collect feedback.
8) Evaluate the feedback from the workshop and provide recommendations for the Who, How
and What that will be used to inform new recruitment targets and outreach initiatives.
This is an industry-based project that will require you apply:
 Design skills: to understand the technical and non-technical drivers and design a hands-on
active learning activity for recruitment to young people unfamiliar with engineering
 Critical thinking skills: read and critique the literature on social mobility and increasing the
number of women in engineering, with a lens on the local demographics in the West
Midlands. Identify relevant areas that require further study with the aim of widening the reach
to potential engineering students as part of the Education strategy at Aston university to
increase social capital and citizenship.
 Analytical skills: to process the metadata and apply appropriate analytical and statistical tools