1. Connaught Automotive
Research (CAR) Group
www.car.nuigalway.ie
Dr. Martin Glavin
Connaught Automotive Research Group
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
National University of Ireland, Galway
30 August 2011

2. Some background
 Connaught Automotive Research (CAR) Group
formally established in 2005
 Directors: Dr. M. Glavin & Dr. E. Jones
 Located in newly-completed Engineering
Building at NUI Galway

3. New Engineering Building
 Opened in July 2011
 14,000 m2, costing €40m approx.
 Offices, labs, lectures, meetings, canteen
 Largest Engineering School in Ireland

4. Brief Resumé: Dr. Martin Glavin
 BE in Electronic Engineering, NUI Galway
 PhD in Electronic Engineering, NUI Galway
 Advanced Equalisation Techniques for High-Speed
Datacommunications
 Lecturer in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, NUI
Galway
 Research Interests
 Image Processing for automotive applications
 Biomedical Signal Processing
 Embedded Systems Applications

5. Brief Resumé: Dr. Edward Jones
 Current Position: Lecturer in Electronic Engineering,
and Vice-Dean, College of Engineering & Informatics
 Industry Experience
 R&D Lead for DSL Technology, Toucan Technology Ltd.
 Leader, DSP Development, PMC-Sierra Inc.
 Senior DSP Architect, Innovada Ltd.,
 Wireless DSP Consultant, Duolog Technologies Ltd.
 Research Interests
 Image Processing
 Speech and Audio Processing
 Biomedical Signal Processing

6. Key Applications (“Functionality”)
 Image “Producers”:
 Lens calibration and correction
 Image/video quality
 Shadow Removal
 Communications
 Image “Consumers”:
 Object detection (vehicles and pedestrians)
 Situational awareness
 Related work in Automotive Audio Quality

7. Key Expertise (“Technology”)
 DSP Algorithm Development
 Implementation of DSP Algorithms
 Programmable Microprocessors/DSPs
 Field Programmable Gate Arrays
 Communications Systems (with L. Kilmartin)
 Transfer algorithms in high-level languages to
laboratory prototypes
 OpenCV: “Open-source Computer Vision”

8. Current Status
 6 current PhD researchers
 5 co-funded by Valeo (IRCSET-EPS & direct)
 1 co-funded by Intel (IRCSET-EPS)
 Projects in:
 Real-time pedestrian and
vehicle detection
 Distance determination
 Automotive Ethernet
 Automotive image/video quality assessment

9. Formula for Success
 CAR Group fills a need
 Training of Researchers
 Industry collaboration in projects – relevance
 Employment for PhD/MEngSc graduates in
Valeo
 Well-defined and Agreed Deliverables
 Trust
 It takes time to build …

10. Future Directions/Opportunities
 Will continue to work with Valeo (key partner)
 Open to other complementary partnerships
 Future funding opportunities
 National and European
 Support from automotive OEMs

11. Contact Details
 Dr. Martin Glavin
 T: +353 91 492035
 E: martin.glavin@nuigalway.ie
 W: http://www.eee.nuigalway.ie/Staff/mglavin.html
 Dr. Edward Jones
 T: +353 91 492720
 E: edward.jones@nuigalway.ie
 W: http://www.eee.nuigalway.ie/Staff/ejones.html