Events in March 2008

IET London, Kingston Section

4th March 2008 - Recent advances in speech technology

Lecture by - Gordon J Hunter MA, MSc, PhD, CMath MIMA, MIET, AMIOA

Recent advances in speech technology have meant that much more is now possible than just dictation of text documents. Progress in automated speech recognition and understanding mean that the control of devices through spoken commands is now feasible. Combining speech recognition/understanding with a “dialogue management system” and the production of synthetic spoken output have resulted in other more sophisticated ways of communicating with machines, such as spoken language dialogue systems, entering common usage in paying bills, booking theatre, cinema or travel tickets, and for obtaining travel information. This modern spoken language technology also offers numerous opportunities to people with various physical disabilities who can communicate via speech but may be impaired in other ways. Furthermore, recent legislation in the U.K., the European Union and many other countries now oblige employers and places of education to provide suitable facilities to enable disabled people to participate fully in the same activities, including those requiring use of I.T., as people without such disabilities. However, in order for the benefits of this technology to be genuinely realized, it will need to be both reliable and easy to use. This talk will review both the historical background of the area and recent developments in the field, across a variety of applications.

Dr Hunter is the Senior Lecturer and Schools & Colleges Liaison Officer at Kingston University's Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics. He obtained his BA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 1987 and, after a number of years teaching at St. Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, he completed an MSc in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science and a PhD in Speech Technology, both from University College London, in 1999 and 2004 respectively. He is currently Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Computing at Kingston University. His research interests include all aspects of Speech Technology, Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Sport and applications of Statistical Machine Learning techniques to a wide variety of problems. He is a member of the IET, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Acoustics.

Please make sure you get to "The Swan" to enjoy an interesting evening and to give the speaker lots of support.

Lecture: Recent advances in speech technology
Date & Time: 4th March 2008, 7:30pm
Cost: Free
Venue: The Lion, 27 Wick Road, Teddington, TW11 9DN

For more infomation about lectures at Kingston go to the Kingston Homepage

Top of the page

IET London & IET Kent, Bromley Section

5th March 2008 - 'The Future of Television Broadcasting’ “What will we be viewing next year – and in future?”

Lecture By Peter Weitzel - Principal Technology Manager at Siemens.

70 years after the formation of the BBC Television Department it has been disbanded – is this the way for other broadcasters across the world? HD and Digital Switch Over are the more visible – but where and what are the others and what will it mean for us viewers?

Lecture:'The Future of Television Broadcasting’“What will we be viewing next year – and in future?”
Date & Time: 5th March 2008, 10:00am for 10:30am Talk Please note this is the second Wednesday
Cost: Free
Venue: The Large Hall, Bromley Central Library, Kent.
The Library is adjacent to The Churchill Theatre in Bromley High Street and a short walk from Bromley South Station. Access to the Hall is via a lift or stairs to the 4th floor in the Library entrance

Registration: Further details from Ron Holmes, Email: rfholmes@theiet.org , Tel: 01689 832323

For more infomation about lectures at Bromley go to the Bromley Homepage
Top of the page

IET London, Savoy Place Section

12th March 2008 - Nobody's Fuel - Energy supply is more important than climate change.

Lecture by H. Douglas Lightfoot.

Although energy is vitally important to human welfare, from a practical scientific perspective there are currently no viable substitutes for fossil fuel on the scale required by society. Energy efficiency and conservation will not limit atmospheric carbon dioxide. Renewable energy (e.g., wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal power) is woefully inadequate to meet our current and future energy needs.

Nobody's Fuel recommends where action and research initiatives must focus in order to develop a viable carbon-free form of energy. It is clear that solutions must not only mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide but secure a predictable and affordable fuel supply. The speaker shows that nuclear fission is the only real solution to this crisis. He explains that, although there are no perfect substitutes for fossil fuels, only nuclear fission has the potential to: 

• Support 3 times current world energy use in 2100.
• Continue protection of the environment.
• Sharply reduce carbon emissions.
• Provide long-term supply of high quality energy.
• Supply transportation energy.

H. Douglas Lightfoot graduated from the University of British Columbia in Applied Science in 1952, and received an MBA from Concordia University in 1976. He spent eighteen years with Domtar Inc., Quebec, working on research, engineering and economic studies of alternate energies as well as a wide variety of projects for the pulp and paper, chemicals and construction materials businesses. Prior to that, he spent five years designing, building and starting up chemical plants at Dupont of Canada, and 12 years of project engineering at Standard Chemical Limited.

He is a retired member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec and the Professional Engineers of Ontario, and a Life Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He continues to have an active interest in energy and energy-related subjects and is a member of the Global Environmental and Climate Change Centre at McGill University.

This event is sponsored by the IEEE United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland Section, Power Engineering Chapter.

Following the presentations a wine reception will be held at the Kelvin Lounge for informal discussion and a Networking opportunity. The bar will remain open until 21:30.

Lecture:Nobody's Fuel
Date & Time: 12th March 2008
Networking and refreshments 17:30 - 18:30.
Lecture: 18:30 - 20:00
Networking and Wine reception 20:00 - 22:00
Cost: Free
Venue: The IET, Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL
Registration is free and open to members and non-members but a requirement for logistical and security purposes. Register (Opens in a new window)


For more infomation about lectures at Savoy Place go to the Savoy Place Homepage

Top of the page

IET London, Hammersmith Section

18th March 2008 - Architecture of Place

Talk by Chris Wilderspin

Engineers and Architects both engage in design but how do their approaches differ? These two important disciplines have had to work together more and more closely throughout the last century, but how often do we really understand one another? What are our Key Principles and where is the common ground, if any? The work of the award-winning architects van Heyningen and Haward is based around '10 thoughts' which inform the design of all our buildings, including 'Sustainability' and 'Materiality'. This doesn't mean we have a house style, far from it, merely that all our buildings aspire to some key principles. Indeed the practice's buildings are very much influenced by site context and programme which gives rise to diversity and delight. The talk will offer an insight into the thinking behind the 10 thoughts, illustrated by past and ongoing work.

Chris studied at Plymouth School of Architecture, where his interest in the wider landscape became increasingly influential on his philosophy that architecture should not be constrained by a site's physical boundaries. His final year dissertation was on Spirit of Place, and focused on how we can continue to retain the character of a place in an increasingly globalised and homogeneous world. After a spell working in small practices in rural Devon, Chris spent several years in the commercial world working for Broadway Malyan and Reid Architecture. He joined van Heyningen and Haward in 1997, and was appointed as a Director in 1999. In 2006 he became a Partner to coincide with practice s formation as an LLP. He was appointed as a CABE Enabler in 2005. Chris's interest continues to be influenced by the desire that buildings are a reflection of their location and brief, and to aim for the highest possible sustainability targets.

Lecture: Architecture of Place
Date & Time: 18th March 2008, Doors open 7:30pm for 8pm talk
Cost: Free
Venue: 'Novotel', One Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DR
Registration: For us to plan numbers, please register click on the link: Register (Opens in a new window)

For more infomation about lectures at Hammersmith and direction to the new venue go to the Hammersmith Homepage

Top of the page

IET London, Savoy Place Lunch Event

28th March 2008- Musical Event

EASTER FEAST & music

Lunch Musical Event
Date & Time: 28th March 2008, 12:30 for lunch, lecture starts at 1:45 pm
Time: Lunch at 12.30pm followed by the lecture at approximately 1.45pm.
Venue: The IET, Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL.
Lunch at a cost of £11.50 each, payable to staff at Savoy Place on the day by cash or credit card, to be booked at least a week in advance with Arnold Pitcher, email: arnold.pitcher@ntlworld.com Tel: 01708 788005.
The lecture is free.

Lunches at Savoy Place are held on the last Friday of each month except July and August ( Bank Holidays etc. permitting).

For more infomation about lectures at Savoy Place go to the Savoy Place Homepage

Top of the page