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Dr Nick Emerson

Contact

Department: School of Product Design

Email: nick.emerson@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3691317

Office:

Language: English

About
Research / Creative works
Supervision
Networks
Projects
Methods & Equipment

Fields of Research

  • Digital Design and Digital Design Education
  • Sports Engineering: Design and analysis of sports equipment
  • Pedagogy: Equitable practice in online and mixed-mode education
  • Mechanical Design: Design of rehabilitative and assistive technologies

Researcher Summary

I am a senior lecturer in the School of Product Design, teaching Engineering Design and Analysis skills for Industrial Product Design students. I have a passion for teaching and am inspired by the creativity and flexibility of product design students. I am interested in the integration of engineering science, digital design, analysis, and manufacturing in the product design curriculum and considering how these techniques impact on productivity and project outcomes.

My background is in engineering design and applied simulation methods. Having worked as a Mechanical Design Engineer for consultants Ove Arup and Partners, I returned to the University of Sheffield to undertake a PhD in 2009. My work used simulation methods and physical testing to aid in the diagnosis of the causes of suspected non-accidental injury in children. Since then I have held largely teaching-centric roles, augmented with industrial projects and consultancy work, undertaking design, testing, and analysis of orthopaedic devices, as well as structures for the oil and gas and automotive industries.

My ongoing research interests include the design and analysis of sports and rehabilitative equipment, and the integration of digital design and analysis tools in the product design process. I am also interested in the use of materials in product design, in particular engaging lower impact and waste materials within design. My teaching and service roles have driven an interest in pedagogical research, including the integration of digital design and engineering science in industrial product design, as well as the structuring and delivery of programs and courses for engineering and industrial product design.

Subject Area: Disciplines

  • Design: Design
  • Engineering and Technology: Mechanical
  • Science & Technology: Science & Technology

Prizes and Awards

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy ( 2014 - present )

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

Journal Articles
  • Thundathil M., Nazmi AR., Shahri B., Emerson N., Mussig J. and Huber T. (2023) Designing with biobased composites: understanding digital material perception through semiotic attributes. Design Science 9(6) http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2023.5.
  • Thundathil M., Nazmi AR., Shahri B., Emerson N., Müssig J. and Huber T. (2023) Visual-Tactile Perception of Biobased Composites.. Materials (Basel) 16(5) http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma16051844.
  • Manu T., Nazmi AR., Shahri B., Emerson N. and Huber T. (2022) Biocomposites: A review of materials and perception. Materials Today Communications 31 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2022.103308.
  • Emerson NJ. and Hall W. (2021) Design for ergonomics in the bicycle industry: An engineering design concept. International Journal of Product Development 25(1): 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJPD.2021.115699.
  • Hall W., Palmer S., Howell S., Javanbakht Z. and Emerson N. (2020) An Evaluation of an Experiential Learning Initiative in a First-Year Engineering Materials Course. Journal of Materials Education 42(5-6): 193-202.
  • Howell S., Hall W. and Emerson N. (2020) Implementing an Integrated First-Year Engineering Curriculum with Mixed Teaching Approaches. ASEAN Journal of Engineering Education 4(1): 1-10.
  • Thiel DV., Worsey MTO., Klodzinski F., Emerson N. and Espinosa HG. (2020) A Penetrometer for Quantifying the Surface Stiffness of Sport Sand Surfaces. The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020049064.
  • Emerson NJ., Morris T. and Potts JR. (2018) A Novel Putter Design to Minimise Range Variability in Golf Putts. The 12th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2060242.
  • Covill D., Allard P., Drouet JM. and Emerson N. (2016) An Assessment of Bicycle Frame Behaviour under Various Load Conditions Using Numerical Simulations. Procedia Engineering 147: 665-670. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.269.
  • Emerson NJ., Carré MJ., Reilly GC. and Offiah AC. (2013) Simulation based upon medical data offers a fast and robust method for the prediction of fracture risk. Procedia Engineering 60: 459-466. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2013.07.051.
  • Emerson NJ., Offiah AC., Reilly GC. and Carré MJ. (2013) Patient-specific finite element modelling and validation of porcine femora in torsion. Strain 49(3): 212-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/str.12029.
  • Emerson NJ., Carré MJ., Reilly GC. and Offiah AC. (2011) Geometrically accurate 3D FE models from medical scans created to analyse the causes of sports injuries. Procedia Engineering 13: 422-427. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.05.108.
Conference Contributions - Other
  • Emerson N. and Coutts E. (2022) The Future of Design? Burgeoning Designers’ Experience of ‘Advanced’ Digital Design Tools.. Auckland: Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship in NZ (MaDE 2021), 23-26 Jan 2022.
  • Coutts E. and Emerson N. (2020) The experience of prototyping for design students in a distributed world. Auckland, NZ: MADE 2020, 7-8 Dec 2020.
  • Emerson N., Huber T. and Nazmi A. (2020) Effect of CNC machining on sensory properties of native and non-native timbers. Auckland, NZ: MADE 2020, 7-8 Dec 2020.
  • Emerson N., Tansley G., Hall W. and Emerson L-M. (2020) From Blended to Distance Learning: Tracking Student Engagement with Online Content in the Wake of COVID-19. Virtual: Australasian Association for Engineering Education, 6-9 Dec 2020.
  • Emerson N., Javanbakht Z. and Tansley G. (2019) Blended learning in engineering design: Using YouTube analytics to track student engagement with online content. Brisbane, Australia: 30th Annual Conference for the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2019): Educators Becoming Agents of Change: Innovate, Integrate, Motivate.
Additional Publications
  • Manu T., Nazmi AR., Shahri B., Emerson N., Müssig J. and Huber T. (2022) A Preliminary Study to Understand the Effect of Natural Fibers on the Desirability and Distinguishability of Biocomposites. In Fiber Society 2022 Spring Conference - Fibers for a Greener Society: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications: 39.

Student Supervision

Displaying all items.
    Current
  • PhD - Thundathil M: Design of bio-composites
  • Masters - Philps C: Woven Harakeke composites
  • Completed
  • PhD - Javanbakht Z: Computational Modelling of Fibre-Reinforced Composites and Nanocomposites (2020)
  • Honours - Llambias A: Co-design of a mobile eye-tracking device to better understand non-verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Review and Refereeing

Displaying all items.
    Journal reviewing / refereeing
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine ( 2013 - 2023)
  • Sports Engineering ( 2014 - 2023)
  • Conference reviewing / refereeing
  • The Engineering of Sport 10 ( 2014 )
  • The Impact of Technology on Sport 5 ( 2013 )
  • The Impact of Technology on Sport 6 ( 2015 )

Affiliations

  • Engineers Australia (Professional Organisation): CPEng, Engineers Australia, QLD
  • Higher Education Academy (Teaching/Research Organisation): Fellow, HEA
  • Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) (Professional Organisation): CEng, IMechE, UK

Research Projects

  • Using technology enhanced pedagogy to provide accessible, flexible, and future-focused learning for larger cohort degrees.
  • Development and testing of a novel neural restoration technology for people with spinal cord injury
  • Co-design of a mobile eye-tracking device to better understand non-verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • Student Engagement in Mixed-Mode Education

Future Research

  • Design of High-Value Biocomposites by Modifying Material Perception
  • 4D printing for Rehabilitation
  • Setting strategic design priorities for green bio-based flame-retardant materials
  • Designing natural fibre reinforced composites for optimised for radio transparency, durability and eco-friendliness.
  • Woven Harakeke composites
  • Aotearoa Tamariki Wellbeing Project
  • BioSpine: the Personalised Digital Twin for Thought-driven Electromechanical Assistive Neurorehabilitation Devices program.
  • Integrating mass customisation in mid-to-large volume manufacturing
  • Investigation of natural suspended media in pneumatic sealants
  • The design and optimization of mobile eye tracking technology for autism spectrum disorder children.

Key Methodologies

  • Computer Aided Engineering (Solidworks, Fusion 360)
  • Structural Analysis (Ansys, Solidworks)
  • Shape Optimisation and Generative Design (Fusion 360)
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