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Headstart Course
The dates for next year's Headstart course are: Tuesday 10 - Friday 13 July 2012.
About 'Headstart'
'Headstart' is a well-established education programme designed by Headstart EDT, part of The Engineering Development Trust, for students interested in mathematics or science and considering a technology-based career. It provides an opportunity for those in Year 12 to spend up to a week at university prior to making their UCAS application.
The Headstart Focus course on Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of York aims to communicate the challenges of and approaches to industrial scale software development. It explains the principles of developing embedded software used to control engineered systems, for example in cars and aircraft.
The course is intended to give the students a flavour of life in York and particularly living on the University campus. First hand experience and advice will be offered by the student helpers. All daytime activities are organised by the Department of Computer Science and all the social activities in the evenings, including accommodation, are looked after by the University's widening participation members of staff.
The course introduces:
- Quantum Computing
- Artificial Intelligence and its applications
- Security & Cryptology
- Safety Critical Systems
- Introduction to Programming using ALICE - a software that teaches you computer programming in a 3D environment
In addition students will be also involved in:
- Hands-on projects using a programming language e.g. the building and programming of a robot using LEGO and the Quicksort software language
- Demonstrations of modern software engineering tools
- Lectures on aspects of computer science and software engineering
- Application of working systems
- Visit to a 'Smart House'
- Social activities e.g. ten pin bowling and a quiz night
Departmental staff are available to offer advice on degree courses, university application procedures and career opportunities. The course also includes tours of the university campus and facilities. Student helpers are on hand to assist with project work.
For more information and for booking on one of the Headstart courses, visit www.headstart.org.uk.
Provisional Programme
| Day 1 |
|---|
| Arrival: Introduction and Welcome |
| Course Project Introduction |
| Computer Science Department and Campus Tour |
| Continued Project Work |
| Student Life: Why I choose Computer Science at York - York Life: The Social Scene |
| Grapevine |
| Quiz Night |
| Day 2 |
|---|
| Daily Briefing |
| Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity (ALICE) |
| Security Lecture |
| Cryptography Exercise |
| Continued Project Work |
| Ten Pin Bowling |
| Day 3 |
|---|
| Daily Briefing |
| Artificial Intelligence |
| Jet Engine |
| Continued Project Work |
| Careers Following Computer Science |
| Finalise Project & Presentations |
| Day 4 |
|---|
| Daily Briefing |
| Jet Engine |
| Entry and acceptance into Department of Computer Science |
| The structure of the degree courses |
| Farewell: Headstart Certificates |
Course Project
The project is designed give the students an insight into the issues involved in mapping the solution to a sorting problem, the Dutch National Flag problem, onto a real system. Prior to the sort, a one-dimensional array of coloured elements, each element being one of three colours, are arranged randomly in the array. Following the sort, the elements are grouped and ordered by colour. The real system is an array of racks, divided into input racks at one end of the array and output racks the other. Each input rack has a coloured pallet that can be moved to an unoccupied output rack by a LEGO forklift robot. Control programs for the robot are constructed using the Mindstorms graphical programming language.
An introductory talk is used to describe the "quick sort" algorithm and demonstrate the programming language. Students then spend four two-hour practical sessions building and programming the forklift to move the pallets from a randomly arranged set on the input racks to a sorted and ordered set on the output. Prizes are given for the two best solutions judged on the accuracy of the sort, the precision of the pallet placement and the speed of the sort.
Smart House
During the Headstart course you will be given the opportunity to visit our "living home" laboratory. This Responsive Home contains demonstrations of various technologies and equipment for recording and analysing user behaviour in a domestic setting.
User Testing
The Responsive Home is used to test both assistive and wider consumer technologies in a domestic setting familiar to users. It includes a fully equipped kitchen, a fully furnished living room and dining room, and a bathroom with basic provision for disabled access. We are able to observe and record how people behave when using selected technologies.
Smart Fridge
This fridge anticipates tags being used to label individual
packages so that it would be possible to look up sell-by dates. An
animated avatar uses new natural language processing algorithms to
advise the owner of the fridge on what to throw away and recipes to use up ingredients close to their sell-by date. This sort of advice system would be invaluable to people who have
cognitive problems, or just anyone who wants to know what is in their
fridge from a distance.
Smart Sink
The Smart Sink can be raised and lowered for wheel chair users. This is an example of technology being used to assist people in daily activities, rather than being used to monitor or alert in emergencies.