think Archives – Page 7 of 18

The world has globalised. People and cargo need to get about in cheaper, faster ways that use better transport technologies. Magnetic levitation is one way to achieve higher speeds at a cheaper fuel cost whilst offering a smoother ride. There is less friction since the vehicle floats on electromagnetic waves that make this transport method very efficient.Continue reading

Do you recognise me?

By Julia Farrugia

Automatic facial recognition could change the world of law enforcement. Profile photos of suspects are rarely available, so investigators still rely on face sketches based on eyewitness descriptions. Julia Farrugia (supervised by Dr Ing. Reuben Farrugia) implemented an automatic face recogniser that is able to retrieve a photo based on a sketch. This narrows down the number of potential criminals before trails start to go cold.Continue reading

#research 2015 automatic facial recognition chinese university of hong kong computer computer engineering face ict julia farrugia lbp local binary pattern malta photo reuben farrugia sketch think Think Magazine UM University university of malta

Sound, reading and a fishing line

Words by Giuliana Barbaro-SantContinue reading

2015 arts electronic artiste electronic manipulation Future Everything Festival giuliana fenech malta open works lab performance quintessence renzo spiteri Royal Conservatoire of Music of The Hague spazju kreattiv The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester think Think Magazine Think Website UM University university of malta valletta

Time to evolve

Urban areas suffer from crippling traffic issues and gross water wastage. The University of Malta could become a living experiment to test innovative solutions to these problems. Words by Natasha Padfield.

2015 built environment special focus carpooling chemistry energy-saving Environment flooding green travel plan groundwater kevin gatt low-flow tap malta master plan msida valley natasha padfield odette lewis parking public transport reverse osmosis society tech technology think Think Magazine Think Website traffic UM university of malta water

New designs for better streets

By Dr Antoine Zammit

Urban development in Malta has undergone an exponential growth in the past decades. This is a growth that has often been imposed indiscriminately within long-established and tightly knit streets, and worsened by a lack of urban design approaches by investors and politicians alike. The Maltese planning system has only reacted to economic and market conditions instead of trying to foresee them, and consecutive governments have simply sought to stimulate the construction industry further. In addition, none of the policies produced by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) have to date been urban design-oriented. The planning system has been overloaded with a plethora of policies that however fail to consider the street—arguably the most important spatial scale within the Maltese urban environment.Continue reading