Undergraduate Prospectus

Research & Enterprise
5
Enterprise
n Our Innovation Centre provides
practical support and expertise
to local technology enterprises
and to staff and students who
wish to launch new businesses
n In 2008/09 we made over £1.4
million from the provision of
academic consultancy and
licensing of technologies
n Bath Ventures identifies and
develops the University’s
commercial prospects and
generates income from
consultancy, licensing, and
through equity realisation from
new spin-out businesses
Bath researcher helps reduce the injuries of army recruits
by more than 50%
Dr James Bilzon’s collaboration with Wiltshire’s Army Recruiting and
Training Division has helped reduce the injuries of army recruits by more
than 50 per cent.
His research found that women recruits had around nine times greater risk of
severe musculoskeletal injury than men. By introducing single sex platoons and
improving training techniques the rate of injury in female recruits was reduced by
three quarters. Adapting the training programme of army recruits helped reduce
the injury rates by more than 50 per cent.
Dr Bilzon explained: “Previously there were only a few women training in a
platoon with around 40-50 men and the intensity of the training put unnecessary
amounts of physical and physiological strain on them.
“By introducing the female-only platoons, the training could be made more
progressive for longer term adaptations. The lower intensity training brought
female trainees up to the same operational fitness standard as their male
counterparts, but reduced the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries.”
Our entrepreneurial students enjoy business success
Examples include Chris Hannaway and Will Hammersley
(pictured right) of Arctic Farm frozen yoghurt, and Dominic
Povey and Jason Malone of Bath Soup Company.
www.arcticfarm.co.uk
www.bathsoupcompany.co.uk
Students to build humanpowered
flying machine
Final year aerospace engineering
students at the University of Bath are
following in the footsteps of Leonardo
da Vinci, designing and building a
human-powered aircraft as part of
their degree.
The project was started by Gareth Evans
from Airbus, who designed the frame for
a human-powered plane but was unable
to finish it due to lack of resources and
space. He donated it to the University
so that engineering students could
complete it.
Last year, final year aerospace
engineering students Dan Scarfe and
Jon Cherry took on the challenge and
designed and built wings for the plane
using their knowledge of previous
human aviation.
John Cherry and Dan Scarfe work
on the framework of the aircraft
This year, a new group of students will build on this design to complete the plane
and test it out to see if it flies.
Jon Cherry said: “I found the project really stimulating because it brought
together a lot of the theoretical content of the aerospace course and applied it
to an intriguing practical problem.”
Dan Scarfe added: “The project was hugely rewarding. The knowledge that
our work will also inspire further years and help them develop their degrees is
highly satisfying.”
Dr James Cunningham, Reader in Mechanical Engineering and supervisor of
the project said: “This project represents a real challenge for our students, as it
combines their knowledge of structures and aerodynamics to design and build
a pedal powered lightweight aircraft.”