Train a Custom Computer Vision Model using Detectron2
July 16, 2021
Training a custom computer vision model to work on your research dataset may be daunting due to the imagined complexities and effort involved. However, some very powerful open-source frameworks, such as Detectron2, have recently been made available to simplify the process. Detectron2 is an open-source framework that implements state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms. Detectron2 comes with …
Better OCR of Research Papers and Newspaper Articles
July 7, 2021
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) describes a technique whereby computers can read printed text. OCR of newspapers, magazines and research papers has always been challenging due to the unconventional and unusual formatting of the material. Text boxes, images and tables are often overlaid and are difficult (for a computer) to distinguish. Conventional, out-of-the-box OCR software is …
CITRUS – Smarter Power
March 22, 2021
Changing Times How we are using energy is changing. Not only how the energy is generated, but where and when it is used. These changes mean that we are now pushing the limits of how we expected to use our traditional gas-fired power stations, both in terms of the longevity of these sites, the operation …
Conducting research interviews securely online
February 25, 2021
Interviewing online has several advantages. These include the ability to conduct interviews from anywhere, easily link to automated transcription, and take advantage of document sharing. In this blog, we offer guidance for ensuring compliance with ethical and research-data-management obligations when interviewing online. Microsoft Teams – simple and secure Staff and students at the University have …
Seal Failure Database
February 1, 2021
Seals for Aerospace Applications Project Title: Improving Aero-engine Sealing Technologies by Increasing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Intervals Seal Failure in Aerospace Applications – Creating a Global Open Source Database for Failed Seals Incident Repots Seals are important in aerospace applications because they restrict leakage of oil and prevent debris from entering systems. The failure of such components …
Robinhood and the revenge of the reviewer
Last week saw the share price of the US retailer GameStop rise from US$65 to US$325. This extraordinary jump was fuelled by private investors who have rallied behind the shorted stock, thus pitching themselves against corporate hedge funds. The narrative of the ‘little man’ battling Wall Street financiers chimed nicely with the name of the …
Response to the Government’s National Data Strategy consultation
December 16, 2020
The UK Government recently invited contributions to its National Data Strategy consultation. Respondents were asked to address nineteen questions about the value of data to the UK economy and society, free access to data, data standards, security protocols, the sharing of data with international partners, and more. As the Government states on its website: The …
Launch of the University of Nottingham Automated Transcription Service
December 2, 2020
Are you a University of Nottingham researcher who records speech as part of your research? Do you transcribe this yourself or pass on the audio for others to transcribe? Digital Research and Information Services are pleased to announce the launch of the University of Nottingham Automated Transcription Service, a new capability built with funding from …
Making a podcast
October 13, 2020
Podcasts are a great way to engage a large and diverse audience. In this blog, we discuss what you need to plan, record, edit, and publish a podcast. STEP ONE: Planning Before you do anything, you’ll want to think about the following elements. They will help you manage your podcast and shape it into …
Learn how to train a Simpsons character classifier at home using Ludwig
September 25, 2020
Researchers may be wondering what tools are available for them to work on their datasets from home. In this blog, we highlight an open-source toolkit that allows researchers to implement machine learning architectures and deep learning models on their home computers with little to no coding. In this blog post you will learn about the …
