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Overview
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AffiliationTelephone
Emeritus Professor in the Department of Engineering+44 (0) 191 33 42437

Biography

Alternative email address

alanpurvis@btinternet.com

I have a background in Signal Processing for Engineering. My early training at the Cavendish Laboratory was in Radio Astronomy, Aperture Synthesis and Interferometry. The search to link radio objects to optical galaxies led me to be part of the first teams buidling CCD cameras and the image processing technologies then enabled. Interests which followed include the correction of atmospheric seeing using liquid crystal phase modulating devices, the synthesis of optical elements and the use of fast processor technologies to perform high speed real time calculations. This work has involved considerable interaction with Industry. Working with the RDA One North East significant Technology Transfer Projects were initiated called ReCET, NeMEC and CENS deploying European funds to assist SMEs take advantage of University Research and generate more economic impact. These projects evolved into a National Faraday Centre and engaged high profile businesses as partners through follow on EPSRC awards such as Agilent, Sharp and Intel. With this substantial corporate experience now shared with the KTNs opportunities to exploit core EPSRC funded research in the manufacturing sector where there is considerable interest in novel techniques to enable electronic products to repair (heal) themselves. we are very excited at the prospect of extending this know how on self -fix strategies to encompass electro-mechanical goods with current Industrial sponsors. 

Research interests

  • digital signal processing
  • optics and image processing

Esteem Indicators

  • 2000: Professor in Engineering (Electronic Systems) having held many 4x 6 month sabbatical posts at leading International Universities, Stanford, Technion, Cambridge, EPFL.: Fulbright Senior Scholar, Leland Stanford Junior University, CA.Royal Society Visiting Professor, Technion.Visiting Professor at the Ecole Polytechnic Federal Lausanne.Founding Research Director of the EPPIC Faraday (now KTN) partnership for Electronics and Photonics.Director of 3 University Spin out companies.

Publications

Chapter in book

Conference Paper

Journal Article

Patent