Research Assistant in Digital Twin

Located in a modern £370M campus in the heart of Birmingham, the College of Built Environment at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment is a thriving, vibrant, and inspiring learning community committed to excellence in research, high-quality teaching and industrial engagement. The College of Built Environment has a growing research team in Digital Built Environment, artificial intelligence in construction, Digital Twinning, digital transformation, data science, and data engineering working on visionary, multi-disciplinary, collaborative and impactful research.

In this role, you will be leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to develop a digital twin for One Eastside, Birmingham’s tallest building. This initiative, a collaboration between Birmingham City University (BCU) and Court Collaboration, aims to enhance the building’s operational efficiency and sustainability.

As a Research Assistant for Digital Twin Development, you will lead the creation of the digital twin model. You will be responsible for the installation and configuration of IoT sensors throughout the building, ensuring optimal placement to capture key parameters such as temperature, air quality, occupant behaviour, humidity, lighting, smoke, and gas leakage.

You will collaborate closely with academic supervisors at BCU and industry partners to integrate advanced machine learning algorithms and data analytics into the digital twin platform. This includes developing the software infrastructure needed to receive, visualise, and analyse datasets from the sensors. Additionally, you will implement and deploy AI algorithms within the digital twin platform to enable the prediction and management of indoor conditions.

Funded through a strategic partnership, you will work with experts from BCU’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, alongside senior colleagues from Court Collaboration. This project offers an excellent opportunity for professional growth and development within an academic and industry setting.

Responsibilities: 

• Install and configure IoT sensors throughout a tower to capture essential parameters, ensuring optimal sensor placement and network efficiency.
• Develop, implement, and deploy the software infrastructure required to receive, visualise, and analyse datasets from the installed sensors.
• Develop, implement, and deploy AI algorithms within the digital twin platform to enable the prediction of indoor conditions. 
• Develop a management dashboard to receive and analyse the received data from sensors.  
• Integrate real-time data from IoT sensors with a 3D Building Information Model (BIM), and conduct preliminary data analysis using intelligent data analytics techniques to identify patterns and insights.

Person specifications: 

• A degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science or a related field, with a preference for candidates holding an Upper Second or First Class degree. A Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field is desirable 
• Candidates with degrees in construction-related courses that emphasise digital skills, such as Architectural Engineering and Digital Construction, are encouraged to apply. A Master’s degree or PhD in these areas is desirable.
• Strong proficiency in Python and familiarity with popular machine learning libraries.

Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Tuesday 03 September 2024

Interview Date: Monday 16 September 2024