Three members of the research staff of the University of Cyprus secured funding from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidation Grants 2022), which will be used for the further development of their research programs. These are:
- Associate Professor Iosif Kovras, Department of Social and Political Sciences for his project Disappearing Act (DISACT): Around 1,000 people ‘disappear’ every day in deeply divided societies and conflict areas. However, our knowledge of the historical origins of the crime or the motivations that drive paramilitary groups or oppressive regimes to adopt enforced disappearances is limited. For example, when was the crime of disappearances invented and how did it spread internationally? Why do only some violent actors systematically use disappearances, while others avoid them? Answering the specific questions, the research program will combine ethnographic, forensic, legal and archival data, thus deepening our knowledge of one of the most complex crimes of our time.
- Assistant Professor Stelios Timotheou, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for the project URANUS: The “Real-Time Urban Mobility Management via Intelligent UAV-based Sensing” project (URANUS), proposes real-time, dynamic, and intelligent sensing of vehicular and pedestrian traffic via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the use of the collected information for urban mobility management. In this context, a holistic framework for real-time urban mobility monitoring and control, as well as UAV operational planning, is proposed. The solutions and tools to be developed can lead to step-change improvements in urban mobility with prominent environmental and socioeconomic benefits. URANUS is expected to transform our understanding of joint optimization of sensing, monitoring, and control not only in intelligent transportation systems but also in other UAV-centric fields.
- Assistant Professor Margarita Chli, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for the project SkEyes: Over the past two decades, we witnessed impressive advancements in automating the navigation of small drones. Despite dramatic progress, however, we still lack the technology to assist us in dire search-and-rescue situations such as disasters and wildfires. SkEyes promises to push the state of the art with the outlook of enabling robust, collaborative perception for a small swarm of drones, engaging them as eyes in the sky, for intelligent navigation and collaboration in real, challenging conditions.
For further information check the University of Cyprus website and contact the Research and Innovation Support Service, University of Cyprus, https://ucyweb.ucy.ac.cy/rss/el/, email address: rss@ucy.ac.cy
