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Lens on Research and Innovation (LoRI)
Welcome to LoRI
EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training across a broad remit, covering fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. EPSRC Lens on Research and Innovation (LoRI) is an interactive graphic that allows you to explore this portfolio through either a sector or lifestyle lens. By scrolling over the graphic and selecting sectors or areas of interest to you, key facts and figures, case studies and short videos will appear that demonstrate the breadth and impact of the investments we have made in this area.
Different case studies and videos are highlighted within the sector and lifestyle views, and content is regularly up-dated, providing a rich source of information on EPSRC's portfolio.
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EPSRC invests over £3.2 billion in research and training relevant to industrial sectors, collaborating with over 3,800 organisations.
Explore LoRI by sector to discover how EPSRC investments reach across all sectors - from Manufacturing through to Arts, Entertainment and Recreation.
EPSRC invests in the fundamental research that underpins the technology behind many of the products and services that we take for granted today and expect tomorrow.
Explore LoRI by lifestyle view to discover how EPSRC investments reach across all areas of our lives from our health to our education.
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Defence / Security
Health and Social Work
Energy supply
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Infrastructure / Transport
The whole energy system faces massive changes to deliver against all aspects of the 'trilemma' — cost, security and decarbonisation. Under a smart, flexible system, external estimates suggest that overall system costs could be reduced in the order of tens of billions (£) in the period to 2050. In addition, the development of novel smart water management solutions will underpin the future successes of the global smart water market, a sector expected to be worth over US$22 billion by 2020.
EPSRC's research approach to the utilities sector aims to develop cohesion and understanding particularly when considering the whole UK energy system where its priorities are to address the complexities, interactions and interdependencies within the energy landscape and its connections with other systems. Design and optimisation of technologies relating to water resource management, treatment and distribution systems is the focus for EPSRC water engineering research with an Engineering Grand Challenge around Sustainable Engineering Solutions to Provide Clean Water for All.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Water Engineering and Whole Systems research areas.
Smart technologies for the future UK power network
Professors Goran Strbac and Tim Green, from Imperial College London, are rewriting the rule book on the way we use electricity, and are playing a crucial role in the development of smart technologies for the UK power network..
Informed the National Grid's £3 billion investment in electricity lines, gas pipelines and other network assets
Provided modelling tools to develop the first offshore network design standards, saving £500 million by 2013 and an estimated £1-2 billion by 2020
Demonstrated how the UK can invest more in sustainable energy while generating savings
Inspired the creation of student-led charity developing off-grid energy kiosks for use in the developing world
Supported by EPSRC, the Imperial team are working with government and business to help them invest more in sustainable use of energy while generating savings in expenditure.
Their solutions and projections include smarter ways to deal with peak-time and off-peak demand by harnessing the so-called 'Internet of Energy'; accelerating the drive for better storage technologies; and connecting the UK's power network to those of its European neighbours.
The UK Government is taking the research very seriously, and chose Professor Strbac to produce the 2016 Smart Power report for the National Infrastructure Commission, set up to help with long-term decision making regarding the UK's infrastructure. The report estimates that by 2030, by investing in smart infrastructure, the UK could save up to £8 billion a year, as well as meet its 2050 carbon targets and secure its energy supply.
In order to meet the Government's medium and longer-term carbon emission reduction targets cost effectively, it was recognised that a fundamental review of the Grid's network operation and design was needed to enable intensive expansion of low carbon electricity generation and demand technologies. This review, undertaken by Imperial College London, used analysis and modelling to demonstrate that the current approach, designed in the 1950s, should adopt an innovative smart grid approach to enhance the use of existing network assets while enabling renewable energy generation and maximising benefits to network customers.
Since 2008, the Imperial team's work has informed the National Grid's investments in £3 billion worth of network assets such as power lines, underground cabling, high-pressure gas pipes and above-ground gas installations.
Their research has also led to the development of design standards for offshore networks, saving an estimated £500 million by 2013 and leading to a projected overall saving of £1-2 billion by 2020.
Energy infrastructure specialist, UK Power Networks, estimates that using solutions devised by the Imperial team could reap major benefits. Barry Hatton, the company's Director of Asset Management, says: "Using the innovative Imperial model, we have estimated that more than £130 million could be saved, and we have used this in our business plan."
Informing policy
Evidence and recommendations by the Imperial research team have informed UK Government policy in a number of areas, including its Industrial Strategy. Their proposals include: creating new IT infrastructure; financial incentives for consumers to shift their electricity consumption to off-peak times; new commercial and business models; and investments in new 'enabling' technologies that can drive radical changes in the way we produce and consume electricity.
Most recently, this research fed into the Faraday Battery Challenge, a £246 million programme to develop cost-effective, high-performance recyclable batteries. This initiative, launched in March 2018, is being delivered by EPSRC and Innovate UK as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and was created to help the UK make the most of the growing batteries market – estimated to be worth £50 billion across Europe by 2025.
In 2016, Professor Strbac was lead author of an influential report, for the National Infrastructure Commission, a body that provides the government with impartial, expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges.
EPSRC support, obtained through the Whole Systems Energy Modelling Consortium, Energy Storage for Low Carbon Grids, UK-China, UKERC, HubNet, Digital City Exchange, Transition Pathways, Autonomic Power Systems projects, enabled the fundamental research to be carried out that led to evidence in the report regarding the challenges and opportunities for delivering future-proof energy infrastructure.
In 2016, an Imperial College team led by Professor Strbac, working with all UK distribution network operators, carried out a fundamental review of network design standards. This demonstrated the need for a fundamental change to how security of supply in distribution networks – from redundancy in network assets to intelligent grid control – is delivered. Furthermore, novel methodology was developed to establish a level playing field between traditional network reinforcement and the application of non-network solutions, such as demand side response, energy storage and distributed generation. The UK is the first country to move towards implementation of these standards.
In November 2016, a report by the Carbon Trust and Imperial College, commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, used dedicated modelling of the UK's electricity system by Professor Strbac and his team, made possible through EPSRC support, to provide An analysis of electricity system flexibility for Great Britain.
The report is helping the government to formulate its plan to remove barriers, improve price signals, catalyse innovation, and shape roles and responsibilities in the shift to a smart, more flexible energy system which meets the needs of consumers and businesses now and in the future.
Further afield, the research has informed an influential report for the Carbon Trust as well as a report for the Committee for Climate Change.
The Imperial team have developed far-reaching and influential research into how the existing power infrastructure can be used more intensively.
Their conclusions focus on a whole systems approach to future infrastructure development, with the UK moving from the currently fragmented approach, where each sector is planned on an individual basis, to orchestrated planning activities at different system levels, resulting in a holistic programme including energy delivery, emissions and losses, linked to the needs of ancillary services and security of supply.
Among their solutions, they have shown that 'smart' appliances such as internet-linked washing machines and fridges could 'talk' to the electricity grid, and draw power from it during off-peak periods, when electricity is both plentiful and cheaper; or when it is readily available from renewable sources, such as when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.
They have also provided models based on the UK pooling its power resources with other European countries, smoothing out supply and demand and providing access to cheap, green power supplies.
A third approach is the development of new energy storage technologies – which the UK is well-placed to deliver through world-leading research programmes.
Solutions such as these would not only help pave the way towards a more sustainable future, they would also work out much cheaper than building infrastructure from scratch.
Professor Strbac says: "The transition to the smart grid era presents economic opportunities for the UK at the international level, in addition to facilitating cost-effective decarbonisation of our electricity system.
"Provided that we keep developing our knowledge base, the UK can lead the world in the smart power revolution, helping to bring jobs and investment into the country, at the same time as cutting energy bills for consumers."
BBOXX
BBOXX, a company formed by students at Imperial College London to tackle the challenges and opportunities arising from unreliable electrical supplies within the developing world, drew its technical inspiration from EPSRC-funded research at Imperial involving Professors Tim Green and Goran Strbac. Their expertise in photovoltaic integration and techno-economic analysis helped pave the way for the development of off-grid energy kiosks for electrification in rural Africa, first set up by e.quinox, a student-run charity at Imperial.
BBOXX took the concept further. Since its formation in 2010, BBOXX has expanded rapidly from three founders to a global staff of 140. BBOXX products have already saved over US$2 million worth of energy and offset over 40,000 tonnes of CO2.
Pipework monitor spin-out sold for over £30 million
Permasense Ltd, a company formed in 2009 to commercialise industrial process monitoring technology for use in harsh conditions, pioneered by Dr Frederic Cegla while an EPSRC-supported doctoral student at Imperial College London, has been sold to Fortune 500 company Emerson for over £30 million.
Over 18,000 corrosion sensors sold globally; enhancing safety and increasing profitability
Key clients include Shell, BP and Total
Technology employed in over 30 countries, and in 180 plants worldwide
Company named in Sunday Times 'One to Watch' Tech Track Top 10
With a roster of multinational customers such as Shell, Total and BP (which supported the underpinning research), the company pioneered technology capable of monitoring industrial systems operating under extremely harsh conditions, without the need for costly closures and inspections.
Permasense's proprietary sensor technology continuously monitors metal loss from corrosion or erosion, and transmits the data it acquires wirelessly – providing high integrity information, particularly in difficult environments at high temperatures.
Many industrial processes, such as power generation and crude oil refining, operate at very high temperatures – exceeding several hundred degrees Celsius. These harsh environments cause corrosion and erosion of components and pipework, which need to be routinely inspected to avoid potentially fatal failures. Usually this means plants have to be shut down during the inspection period, which can cost millions of pounds per day as the plant cannot produce products when it is not operating.
The components that need monitoring are often difficult to access. Preparation work – such as building scaffolding and removing insulation – is required before inspections are carried out.
To address this challenge, the Permasense team developed a sensor system which uses permanently installed wireless ultrasonic sensors that can withstand high temperatures. They have been engineered to work in temperatures of up to 600 degrees Celsius. By contrast, conventional sensors can only withstand temperatures of around 100 degrees Celsius.
The system only needs to be installed once, incurring a one-off cost. It can then monitor components continuously, without the need for costly routine inspections.
Permasense was formed in 2009 by Dr Frederic Cegla, Dr Jon Allin and Professor Peter Cawley from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, with the help of Imperial Innovations. Since coming to market, the company has achieved global success, and its technology has become the market leader and a global standard. In 2015, Permasense featured as one of the 10 'Ones to Watch' in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 list.
Permasense systems are now used in over 180 plants worldwide, and more than 18,000 sensors have been sold, with more than 20 million measurements taken. The company's main customers are from the oil and gas industry, but it has also sold to power generation companies and materials processing companies.
Dr Cegla describes balancing his role as both academic and entrepreneur as both challenging and rewarding. He says: "I have learned an awful lot. Such as how businesses operate; how we can create technology that delivers value to industry; how to sell stuff; how to manufacture and produce products; how to create reliability in engineering processes, and the importance of academic findings for industry.
"In hindsight, the constant learning process was one of the best things about being involved in the company."
Read the full Case Study
World's first flying drone for plugging pipeline leaks
Worldwide, 25 per cent of drinking water is lost through leaking water pipelines. To tackle this problem, Talib Alhinai, a research postgraduate at Imperial College London's Aerial Robotics Laboratory, and his colleagues created the world's first flying drone able to plug pipeline leaks.
Award-winning technology is the world's first autonomous flying vehicle able to plug pipeline leaks
The technology has multiple applications, such as in the oil and gas industry
The system could increase time and cost savings while improving safety
Part of wider research into autonomous drones capable of printing structures in 3D while in flight
Talib's devices are equipped with a stabilisation system that allows the drones to approach objects and deposit material in mid-air, making them more stable, robust and precise than conventional drones.
The aircraft have a payload of lightweight builders' foam, carried in liquid form. Once the drone is in position, the foam is released, expanding to 25 times its original size – quickly plugging leaks without need for hands-on human intervention. The technology has multiple applications, such as in the oil and gas industry.
Talib's work was supervised by his PhD adviser and director of the Aerial Robotics Lab, Dr Mirko Kovac, whose leadership has been pivotal in the development of versatile autonomous flying robots capable of printing structures in 3D while in flight. EPSRC has invested over £5 million in Dr Kovac's research for the aerial manufacturing project, which is also supported by industrial partners.
Compared to current methods requiring humans to maintain pipelines, the team's approach offers major time and cost savings while simultaneously reducing risks to engineers when doing inspection and repair tasks, especially of chemical leaks from pipeline networks.
Talib was part of the Builddrone team together with Pisak Chermprayong, Rob Siddall and Mirko Kovac, who won first prize, and a cheque for one million dihrams (around £200,000), at the 2016 UAE Drones for Good competition. In September 2017 the MIT Technology Review featured Talib Alhinai on its list of 35 Innovators Under 35, selected from more than 1,100 applicants. He was also named as one of Forbes business magazine's 30 under 30 list of young European leaders, inventors and entrepreneurs who are transforming society. He later won a Future Star award from Arabian Business magazine.
Good transport infrastructure does not just reduce delays, it can raise productivity by enabling towns and cities to achieve agglomeration effects, and so support the rebalancing of the UK economy. In recent years, the UK's performance has been rated poorly compared with other developed countries and business highlights it as a key issue.
EPSRC's research portfolio in this sector recognises that future sustainability and resilience relies on a whole-system approach to transport, transport systems and supporting infrastructure. Research priorities include improving the performance, capacity and connectivity of transport networks and taking a holistic view of cities and their systems, including dependencies between them and critical infrastructure.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Infrastructure and urban systems research area.
Paving the way for driverless vehicles
EPSRC-supported researchers have developed driverless car technology that can enable any machine to operate autonomously.
The system learns from 3D models it generates of its surroundings and could be used in any 'driverless' vehicle – from combine harvesters to military vehicles
Spin-out company Oxbotica's navigation software has been licenced for use on ESA's ExoMars project
In 2016, a futuristic driverless car, developed by Oxbotica, was the first to be trialled on UK public roads
Cutting harmful diesel engine nitrogen oxide emissions
EPSRC-supported researchers at Loughborough University have developed an industry-first technology with the potential to significantly cut nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in diesel engines.
Use of the NOx reduction system could significantly reduce tailpipe emissions
SCR system, while tailored for HGVs, is scalable for use in all diesel vehicles
Diesel engine emissions have led to over 50,000 additional deaths in the UK
The Government estimates that exposure to NOx and particulate matter emissions from diesel engines has led to over 50,000 additional deaths in the UK. Currently almost all new diesel vehicles are fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to try and remove NOx produced by combustion. This system uses a product known as AdBlue™ to safely provide the ammonia required to reduce NOx into harmless nitrogen and water.
The drawback is that AdBlue™ only functions well at high exhaust temperatures, typically in excess of 250ºC. Therefore, the SCR does not necessarily operate at all engine conditions, for example, during short, stop-start commutes, particularly in urban areas or on construction sites.
Use of AdBlue™ at these problematic lower temperatures can also result in severe exhaust blockages and subsequent engine damage.
Now, Professor Graham Hargrave and Research Associate Jonathan Wilson have developed an AdBlue™ conversion technology that uses waste energy to modify it to work effectively at these lower exhaust temperatures. By greatly extending the temperature range at which SCR systems can operate the new Ammonia Creation and Conversion Technology (ACCT) significantly, enhances existing NOx reduction systems.
No viable alternative to the diesel engine currently exists for the heavy duty market and diesel is going to be in use for many more years. The technology, while tailored for HGVs, is scalable for use in all diesel vehicles.
Research Associate, Jonathan Wilson, says: "Our system enables the SCR systems to work at temperatures as low as 60oC. This means that the NOx reduction system remains active through the whole real-world driving cycle, leading to significant reductions in tailpipe emissions."
ACCT has won The Engineer 2017 Collaborate to Innovate Transportation Award and the Times Higher Education 2017 Technology Innovation of the Year Award.
Enhancing SCR operation to reduce NOx - video 1
Driving down freight emissions
Researchers at the EPSRC Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) at the University of Cambridge, working with leading supermarket chain, Waitrose, have developed a more aerodynamic trailer design for articulated vehicles – cutting fuel consumption and pollution by around seven per cent.
New freight trailer design results in 14 per cent reduction in aerodynamic drag and three to six per cent reduction in rolling resistance
Modified vehicles consume seven per cent less fuel, resulting in lower CO2 emissions
Waitrose has already added 36 of the modified trucks to its fleet
To accurately gauge how the truck moves through the air, the SRF team used a novel water tank test facility. The team created a short video to show this research in action.
A vital feature of the SRF's work is its close links with the freight industry, which has invested £1.4 million in an industrial consortium comprising freight operators such as DHL, John Lewis Partnership, Tesco and Wincanton, as well as vehicle industry partners including Firestone, Goodyear, Haldex and Volvo. These companies help set the research agenda as well as the pace in the adoption of results.
With fuel representing, on average, 45 per cent of operating costs, and with aggressive emission-reduction targets set by government, the road freight industry has substantial incentives to minimise its use of energy.
David Cebon, Director of the EPSRC Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, says: "The research not only demonstrates a successful collaboration between academia and industry; it is also important evidence for government which, under the 2008 Climate Change Act, has committed the UK to reducing its emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050."
Manufacturing contributes £6.7 trillion to the global economy, with the UK currently the world's ninth largest industrial nation. Manufacturing makes up 10 per cent of GVA and 45 per cent of UK exports, and directly employs 2.7 million people. The UK enjoys world leadership in established manufacturing industries such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, electronics design and photonic technologies.
EPSRC plays a pivotal role in supporting these industries; enabling cutting-edge research and development of highly-skilled people needed to support UK manufacturing innovation and underpin continued and sustainable growth. The underpinning science and technology made possible by EPSRC investment covers the entire manufacturing spectrum, including simulation, design, production, fabrication, systems and services leading to successful processes and products.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Manufacturing the future page.
References: The Manufacturer
Hi-tech superalloys for greener jet engines
The jet engine is a tough engineering environment. The temperature in the hot gas stream can exceed 1,800 degrees centigrade, and the forces on the rotating turbine blades are equivalent to hanging 15 hatchback cars from each one. Researchers are developing new materials to withstand even higher temperatures and stresses – helping to make the engines greener and more efficient.
Atomic-level engineering is at the forefront of modern, greener jet engine design
Researchers are pioneering superalloy technologies vital for more efficient jet engines
Research focuses on understanding how the mixtures and arrangements of atoms in alloys can be controlled to create new alloys with radically enhanced performance
Atomic-level engineering is at the forefront of modern, greener jet engine design, and EPSRC-supported researchers at the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) at the University of Cambridge are designing new metal alloys able to withstand the extreme conditions inside a new generation of gas turbine engines designed to burn hotter than ever before.
The team are studying how atomic arrangements in metals influence their properties and performance. By engineering the arrangement and type of atoms in metal alloys, it can radically change their capabilities. This knowledge is enabling the design of new materials for a new generation of super alloys that exhibit exceptional high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance, making them the material of choice for the hottest sections of jet engines.
Software helps car manufacturers produce higher quality products
EPSRC-funded research at the University of Leeds has resulted in a software product that helps car manufacturers improve the quality of their products.
Researchers used 3D modelling to replicate the effects of manufacturing variation – developing a product that has saved car makers £25 million
Spin-out company Icona Solutions formed to maximise potential of research, creating Aesthetica software
Aesthetica is now licenced to over 20 companies in 10 countries
Researchers from the University of Leeds have developed 3D modelling techniques and virtual visualisation software to help car-makers address potential imperfections, such as gaps between panels and misalignments that arise during vehicle assembly, even when all part dimensions are manufactured to within their tolerance range.
In 2003 the researchers formed Icona Solutions to develop and exploit this intellectual property. This led to the creation of Aesthetica software, a product that enables manufacturers to simulate tolerance conditions, which enables manufacturers to master the exact assembly of their product, before going into production – reducing assembly time and reject rates.
The software has contributed to improvements in the design and manufacture of around 70 different vehicle lines, reaching over 40 million consumers, and saving car makers approximately £25 million in efficiency and cost savings (including reduced scrap and rectification costs).
Radical sound-absorbing technology reuses 95% of production waste
EPSRC-funded research has enabled manufacturing company Armacell to reuse up to 95% of its production waste.
Researchers' sound absorbing technology licensed to Armacell has been exploited globally with an average market value of £10 million
Research led to the development of ArmaSound, a high-performance sound absorbing product
Over 500 tonnes of plastic waste is reused each year, preventing it from being sent to landfill
Research funded by EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board (now Innovate UK) carried out by Kirill Horoshenkov at the University of Bradford – now a professor at the University of Sheffield – has enabled Armacell, a world leader in insulation foams for a wide range of industries, to reuse the majority of its production waste.
Armacell produces high-performance acoustic material technology products that offer up to 50 per cent better sound absorption than competitors' products of a similar size. The product, Armasound, is used across several industries including petrochemical (industrial piping), domestic appliances (boilers) and air handling (ventilation ducts) and in heavy automotive (tractors and excavators). By reusing industrial polymeric waste, Amarcell is able to prevent more than 500 tonnes of spent plastic from going into landfill every year.
The underpinning research behind ArmaSound has relied on advanced analytical, computational and experimental methods to examine and optimise the acoustic and mechanical properties of porous elastomeric coatings. This research has led to new sound absorbing materials that could be produced from waste industrial plastics and rubbers. Researchers were able to enhance the acoustic absorption and vibration damping performance of these products while maintaining quality and enabling the scale-up for manufacturing worldwide.
The global construction market is forecast to grow over 70 per cent by 2025 with the UK exporting over £6 billion of construction products and materials and almost £3 billion of construction services. The UK has world-class expertise in architecture, design and engineering, and British companies are leading the way in sustainable construction solutions.
EPSRC research into advanced, sustainable materials and innovative construction design plays a key role in the reputation of the UK's construction sector on the world stage. Research investments into the use of ICT in construction, building performance and public health are important aspects of the EPSRC portfolio that will help ensure the continued success of the UK as world-leader in innovative construction.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Engineering theme page.
Self-healing concrete could lead to huge savings in maintenance costs
EPSRC-supported researchers are taking inspiration from the human body and using bacteria to build self-healing construction materials that repair themselves when they are damaged.
Researchers are developing smart construction materials which can sense when they are damaged
The UK's first trials have taken place using the materials, that can heal themselves once damage is identified
The project has the potential to deliver huge savings in maintenance costs for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and tunnels and greatly increase their lifespan
Every year, an estimated £40 billion is spent on repairing and maintaining structures such as tunnels, bridges, buildings and roads, most of which are made from concrete.
However, through the multidisciplinary Resilient Materials 4 Life project (RM4L), researchers from the Universities of Bath, Bradford and Cambridge and led by Cardiff University are working with industry partners to develop smart, self-healing materials that could dramatically reduce this bill.
EPSRC announced £4.7 million of funding to support RM4L, which was described by Science Minister Jo Johnson as 'a great example of research being used to find solutions and improve ways of working'.
RM4L is building on the successes of the Materials 4 Life project, which culminated in the UK's first self-healing concrete trials in 2015. The trials were facilitated by lead industry partner Costain and saw five walls built and damaged to test the effectiveness of different self-healing systems.
The self-healing techniques developed include the use of tiny microcapsules containing a variety of both natural and manufactured healing agents, which are added to the concrete mix and are released when the capsules are ruptured by damage to the concrete.
Among the healing agents used are bacteria which, if supplied with appropriate nutrients or 'food' when the concrete is damaged, will produce calcium carbonate that can heal the cracks.
Another approach uses materials known as shape-memory polymers that can 'memorise' their original form. When used as tendons within a structural element they can be activated using a small electric current to "squeeze" the concrete, thereby preventing cracks from occurring or closing those that have already formed.
The final technique sees organic and inorganic, mineral-based healing agents pumped into concrete structures through a vascular network of tiny tunnels to repair any damage that occurs.
RM4L now aims to address the challenges of scaling up these self-healing systems and ensuring they can react to a variety of different damage scenarios, such as chemical and cumulative damage over a long period of time.
It is anticipated that the project, which has 22 partners including Highways England, the Welsh Government and a range of small and medium-sized enterprises, could also have an impact in areas such as bioscience, materials science and engineering, and advanced manufacturing.
Professor Bob Lark, Professor of Civil Engineering at Cardiff University and Principal Investigator for the project, said: "We are confident that our research will have a significant impact on the sustainability of our infrastructure and we are very grateful to EPSRC for their vote of confidence in what we are endeavouring to achieve."
Project aims to improve housing for refugees across the globe
EPSRC-supported researchers are leading an international project to improve the living conditions of millions of refugees by designing better shelters.
Interdisciplinary project is creating low-cost housing that is easy to construct in refugee camps
New shelters are being designed to moderate extreme temperatures
Shelters will also improve privacy and security, allowing residents to live in dignity
The temperatures endured by refugees living in camps in Jordan and many other countries can range from extreme heat to freezing cold.
This can lead to health issues for many refugees, while their wellbeing is also adversely affected by the fact that current shelters fail to meet basic privacy and security needs.
As part of the Healthy Housing For The Displaced project, researchers at the University of Bath are working alongside colleagues from the Princess Sumaya University for Technology and German Jordanian University in Jordan, and Turkey's Mersin University to develop housing that will address these challenges.
Researchers interviewed Syrian refugees living in Jordanian camps to identify their needs, which range from the provision of proper toilet and kitchen facilities to ensuring there is proper insulation to protect against both heat and cold.
Following this feedback, they are using new combinations of conventional and non-conventional materials including recycled plastic, bamboo, mud and straw to design shelters that can provide warmth in winter and cool conditions during the summer.
Twenty possible designs are being constructed which will be thermally tested at the university's Building Research Park in Swindon. The most successful designs will then be transported to Jordan to be tested in local conditions.
The project has been funded through EPSRC's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) allocation. The UK research councils are key delivery partners in the £1.5 billion GCRF initiative, which forms part of the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.
Sensor tech raises safety standards, cuts costs and delays
Fibre optic sensing methods developed by researchers at the EPSRC-supported Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) are being used on a major London Underground line extension project, improving safety levels and reducing costs.
Distributed fibre optic sensing technology used to test the integrity of construction piles and walls both during and after construction
Cementation Skanska's adoption of the system wins industry award, with safety benefits cited
Approach can improve quality, reduce overall costs and benefit structures throughout their lifespan
The system, which is being used by specialist piling and ground engineering subcontractor, Cementation Skanska, to extend the London Underground's Northern Line from Kennington to Battersea Power Station, evolved from a project that began at CSIC in 2014.
Low-cost fibre optic cables are installed in diaphragm walls or piles to record temperature and/or strain distribution, and help to assess the integrity of structures.
The fibre itself acts as the sensor, allowing measurements to be taken at close spatial and time intervals along the length of the pile or wall. With this system the structure is monitored remotely, improving safety by removing the need for workers to manually check sensors.
In addition to the safety benefits it offers, the approach reduces costs by improving productivity on site, reducing material quantities and allowing for the early identification of anomalies so they can be effectively managed.
In some cases, the longevity of the sensors also means they can be used to monitor the structures over their entire lifetime, through to decommissioning. The system has multiple applications across a variety of different structures, such as bridges, concrete elements and retaining walls, and has already been applied in other projects.
As part of the collaboration between CSIC and Cementation Skanska, training was provided and software developed which has allowed the company to reach commercial readiness with a new specialist service, CemOptics, that is now being employed at other sites across its portfolio.
Cementation Skanska's use of the technology led to the company winning the Editor's Award at the 2016 Ground Engineering Awards, with the judges particularly impressed by the safety benefits delivered through the use of CemOptics.
The UK is one of the world's largest information communications technology (ICT) markets with an industry worth £58 billion annually. The UK's mobile market alone is the largest in Europe with a value of £14 billion annually and the UK cloud computing market is predicted to be around £6.1 billion.
EPSRC research and training in ICT contributes significantly to this sector, providing technologies vital to the prosperity of the UK, as well as the safety and wellbeing of its people. Covering a wide range of areas from photonics, to computer science, to electronics and communications technologies, EPSRC research in this area proposes new ways to transmit, present, manage, analyse, process, generate or understand information.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the ICT theme page.
LiFi – using light energy for wireless communication
By the year 2020 it is estimated that over 20 billion devices will be connected to the internet. There is a very real danger that the spectrum utilised for radio frequencies will become 'saturated'. Professor Harald Haas has devised a solution to this growing challenge: LiFi.
Anywhere there is an LED bulb, the light it produces can be used for wireless communication
LiFi enables ultra-secure wireless communications within a physical space
The technology provides high speed reliable networks for smart buildings, transport, cities, and nations
LiFi is unique in that exactly the same light energy used by LEDs for illumination is also be used for communication. Hence, anywhere there is an LED light there can be data – from the lights that illuminate our offices and homes to cars and street lights. This includes signalling lights such as status lights of home appliances and TV screens.
Indeed, it is likely that LiFi, invented by Professor Harald Haas through his EPSRC-supported research at the University of Edinburgh, will extend the capabilities of wireless communications to places beyond our current conception.
As the name suggests, LiFi uses light waves, not radio waves to transmit information, and is able to utilise spectrum more than 1,000 times greater than that utilised for radio frequencies, unlocking unprecedented bandwidth and enabling more data per square metre. This is an important factor to future-proof wireless communications since mobile data traffic has been increasing steadily by 60 per cent annually for the last 10 years. This trend is likely to continue with the advent of machine-type communication enabled by the Internet of Things and data hungry applications such as High Definition TV, virtual reality and augmented reality. This means that the radio frequency spectrum will not be sufficient to cover this demand. LiFi will provide wireless connectivity by using safe, secure and unregulated electromagnetic spectrum in the visible and infrared range.
Today there are real-life applications and benefits for implementing LiFi.
These include secure wireless communications in closed spaces; connectivity in environments hostile to radio frequencies, such as petrochemical plants and hospitals; and underwater. As the world becomes ever-more connected, LiFi also provides high speed, dense and reliable networks that will enable smart buildings, transport, cities, and nations.
Professor Haas says: "We are not only powering the innovation and adoption of LiFi technology, we are enabling ubiquitous, high-speed, secure data networks wherever there is illumination. I see LiFi as the nervous system of future autonomous systems and a necessary component of the fourth industrial revolution."
LiFi a form of optical wireless communications. The term LiFi was coined by Professor Harald Haas at a TedGlobal Talk back in 2011 where he demonstrated the technology for the first time.
The way LiFi works is simple but powerful. When a constant current is applied to an LED light bulb, a constant stream of photons is emitted from the bulb which is seen as illumination. Because LED bulbs are semiconductor devices, the electric current, and therefore the illumination, can be modulated at extremely high speeds which can be detected by the photo-detector. Using this technique allows for high-speed information to be transmitted from an LED light bulb. The light signal is then demodulated into electronic form. This modulation is performed in such a way that it is not perceptible to the human eye.
In 2012 Professor Haas formed a spin-out company, pure LiFi, to bring his research to market. The company retains strong links with the University of Edinburgh and has assumed a leadership position in developing and delivering LiFi solutions.
The wizard of wireless
Every time you make or receive a mobile phone call, or send a picture from your phone, you have Professor Joe McGeehan to thank for developing the technology that made it possible.
Professor McGeehan's first EPSRC grant, for £9,600, enabled many of the achievements that followed – from 3G networks to wireless LAN
Nokia's first mass-market mobile phone was based on a design by Professor McGeehan
EPSRC-supported research led to the formation of a world-leading communications research facility, employing around 150 researchers
But Professor McGeehan's genius doesn't end with mobile phone calls. His research also led to the development of wireless routers, and many more devices besides. In the global history of technology, he is that important.
In the mid-1970s, fundamental research by Joe McGeehan, today Emeritus Professor of Communications Engineering at the University of Bristol, laid the foundations for modern mobile telephony. His work directly led to the ability to send pictures and video over mobile networks, as well as the development of 3G networks, wireless LANs, smart antennas, high efficiency ultralinear RF power amplifiers and software-defined radio (SDR).
Among his achievements, his designs formed the basis of Nokia's first mass-market mobile phone, the Mobira MC25. A later collaboration with Lucent Bell Telephone Research Laboratories, HP Labs and Bradford University led to the development of the world 3G cellular standard.
In 1987, Professor McGeehan (pictured) was instrumental in forming the University of Bristol's Centre for Communications Research, which, supported by key investments from EPSRC, has become one of the world's leading communications research facilities. With a staff complement of around 150 researchers at its peak, the centre's key research areas include wireless communications; electromagnetics; signal processing; networks and protocols; and photonics and quantum technologies.
The Bristol group's recent achievements and collaborations include telemetry systems for Formula 1 teams; the development of record-breaking technology with the potential to significantly boost available data rates in future 5G mobile networks; and the formation of a number of successful spin-out companies.
The team have also made pivotal advances in multidisciplinary research related to a new generation of connected technologies linked to the Internet of Things, including home networks, smart grids, intelligent transport systems, healthcare sensing and wearable technologies.
Professor McGeehan says: "My first grant from the Science Research Council (SERC, EPSRC's forerunner) laid the foundations for so much that followed – from accurate coverage prediction and data transmission to the design and engineering underpinning the first mobile phone. I'd like to think that's £9,600 well spent."
Optoelectronics Research Centre – a world leader in photonics for over 40 years
The EPSRC-supported Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton is acknowledged as a world leader in photonics, optical telecommunication, optical materials and high-power lasers, and is testament to the value of long-term investment in blue-skies and application-driven research. In 2017 the University was awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of the many decades of inspired innovation in photonics and optical technology.
The ORC entrepreneurial researchers have founded 11 companies, generating revenue in excess of £200M and creating over 600 jobs. EPSRC has supported the Centre through a series of long-term investments dating back four decades, totalling over £20 million; this has been complemented by major investments from industrial partners such as Microsoft, Pirelli, Rockley Photonics and SPI Lasers.
Ideas generated at the ORC, the largest photonics group in the UK, have been fundamental to powering the global internet. More than one billion internet users now exchange over 2,000 petabytes of data every month. Most of this travels through optical amplifiers invented at the ORC.
With a remit spanning global photonics, the ORC has developed a suite of technologies at the cutting edge of global manufacturing, healthcare and commerce. Its fibre lasers are in use world-wide, cutting inch-thick steel, welding cars in state-of-the art factories, performing delicate eye surgery, and even marking the date on the fruit we buy in the supermarket.
The centre, which has licensed over 30 key patents and files 10 patents a year, also has a commitment to developing the photonics leaders of tomorrow. Over 800 of its alumni are in key positions in academia and industry all over the world. A dual-site research partner in NTU, Singapore jointly managed by the ORC has a US$150 million research portfolio
In 2013, the University of Southampton launched the Zepler Institute, the UK's largest photonics and electronics institute. It has over 350 staff and PhD students and is led by Professor Sir David Payne, the ORC's founder and director.
Professor Sir David Payne, the ORC's founder and director, says: "Thanks to long-term backing from EPSRC, the University of Southampton has been a world leader in photonics research for 40 years. EPSRC investment in basic research is now bringing widespread commercial success and keeping the UK at the forefront of innovation."
The UK defence industry has a unique value to the country, both vital to national security and a major contributor to UK economic prosperity, with defence companies recording overall turnover of more than £23 billion in 2016. With our lives being ever more dependent on online technology, cybersecurity has become an increasingly important global industry with the UK market predicted to be worth over £3.4 billion in 2017.
EPSRC works closely with key partners in this sector to ensure that leading-edge research and innovation plays its part in keeping the nation secure. Leading on the cybersecurity strand of the UK Research and Innovation Global Uncertainties programme, EPSRC's research addresses the challenges posed by security risks, especially criminal interventions.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Global Uncertainties theme page.
Printed UAV helps Royal Navy navigate through the Antarctic
A tiny pilotless aircraft, built by EPSRC-supported researchers at the University of Southampton, has been deployed by the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Protector to assist with navigating through the Antarctic.
World's-first 3D-printed aircraft successfully completed Antarctic trials
Aircraft provides real-time, high quality navigation information from unique aerial perspective
Low-cost plane cruises at 60mph, is almost noiseless, completely watertight and buoyant
The 3D-printed aircraft, along with a quadcopter, scouted the way for the survey ship so she could find her way through the thick ice of frozen seas.
It's the first time the Royal Navy has used unmanned aerial vehicles in this part of the world, and provided the icebreaker with real-time high-quality information courtesy of a detailed picture of the surrounding environment from a perspective that is only available from the air.
The laser-sintered aircraft, the world's first 'printed' aeroplane, is controlled from a laptop on board the ship, cruises at nearly 60mph and is all but noiseless thanks to its tiny engine. Its low cost means it is cheaper than one hour's flying time by a Fleet Air Arm helicopter. The aircraft, known as SULSA (Southampton University Laser Printed Aircraft), is also completely watertight, and can be retrieved from the water and reused should it run out of power mid-flight.
The SULSA can be printed and built for a few thousand pounds then fitted with electronics. This makes it almost disposable. An added advantage is that it can be printed on-board ship, to meet demand as and when needed. It could also be customised for specific missions.
But the Southampton team, led by Professor Jim Scanlan with Professor Andy Keane, aren't resting on their laurels, and are developing ways to make manufacture of the aircraft faster and cheaper. They are also working to overcome the challenge of creating a stabilising platform vital to successfully print on-board ship, which is theoretically possible but as yet unproven. Professor Scanlan says: "Our vision is that we 3D-print all the wiring into the structure at the same time and that will be a huge step forward."
Captain Rory Bryan, Protector's commanding officer, says: "This is an important first step in establishing the utility of unmanned aerial vehicles in this region. It has demonstrated to me that this is a capability that I can use to great effect."
Among other EPSRC-supported projects at Southampton, Professor Scanlan is leading on the development of low-cost, biodegradable micro air vehicles, a fleet of which can be launched from a high altitude balloon to gather data on the block of atmosphere beneath as they descend. Such data is essential for building better models of our weather and climate.
Drone tracking system enables early detection of unmanned aircraft
'Drone tracking' system enables early detection of unmanned aerial vehicles
Grand Prize winner at major European satellite navigation competition
The system could be used for airfield surveillance and to monitor drone use at public events or for e-commerce
A team of EPSRC-supported researchers from the University Defence Research Collaboration in Signal Processing at the University of Strathclyde have developed an award-winning 'silent lookout' Passive Bistatic Radar (PBR) system that uses low-cost sensors and satellite navigation technology for the early detection and tracking of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The system can monitor sensitive areas such as restricted air spaces around airfields or prisons and works by exploiting sources of electromagnetic energy to accomplish radar tasks such as target detection, parameter estimation and recognition.
The team won the UK and Overall awards at the 2016 European Satellite Navigation Competition, the world's leading innovation platform for forward-thinking applications in its field.
In addition to its potential deployment at major public events, the system could also be used to support drone deliveries for e-commerce.
The team's cutting-edge civilian UAV tracking system addresses growing concerns over public safety, security and privacy. With more and more civilian and commercial UAVs, such as quadcopter drones, taking to the skies, authorities are concerned they pose a significant risk to safety and security.
While collision and crash avoidance is of paramount concern, the 'silent lookout' system could also play an important role at public events, such as football matches or concert venues, with the system deployed as a perimeter around the stadium, allowing the sensors to create a 'detection arc' at a distance that would allow authorities enough time to take appropriate action.
Dr Carmine Clemente, who led the research, Domenico Gaglione and Christos Ilioudis from the Sensor Signal Processing and Security Labs at the Centre for Signal and Image processing, developed the idea with support from the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications. The team intend to form a spin-out company to commercialise the idea.
Along with their €10,000 prize, they are set to receive an extensive package including cash, marketing support and consulting services, technical support and more to accelerate their idea further towards commercialisation.
Dr Clemente acknowledges the value of innovation platforms such as the European Satellite Navigation Competition. He says: "It is incredible to have won first place, especially seeing the calibre of entries. The competition was an exciting opportunity for us to accelerate our idea to a market-ready application."
Research into blast behaviour that could save British troops
Research reveals how the blast produced by a landmine or IED would impact armoured vehicles
Addresses a vital gap in our knowledge of how buried IEDs interact with their environment
Will help to inform future designs of armoured vehicles
Aids risk assessment and route planning for operations in combat zones
Research by EPSRC-supported scientists at the University of Sheffield has shed unprecedented light on the behaviour of blasts produced by landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and could aid the development of enhanced protection for UK soldiers on military, peace-keeping and humanitarian missions.
By focusing on explosives hidden in clay soils, the project addressed a vital gap in knowledge about how buried explosives interact with their surrounding environment. This is a key factor in determining the pattern and extent of the pressure produced by an explosion.
The project is part of a wider ongoing initiative – the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's (Dstl's) programme to understand the effects of IEDs and land mines on armoured vehicles.
As well as helping to inform future designs of armoured vehicles, the data produced by the project will aid risk assessment and route planning for operations in current and future combat zones.
Using the University of Sheffield's unique Explosives Arena, the team, led by Dr Sam Clarke, carried out around 250 test explosions using different soil samples and made 17 different pressure measurements during each test. The results were backed up and verified by numerical modelling developed and applied as part of an EPSRC CASE (Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering) Studentship.
The research has revealed how the blast produced by a landmine or IED would interact, for instance, with anti-mine body armour or an armoured plate fixed underneath a troop transport vehicle.
Hundreds of UK service personnel have been killed or injured by IEDs in recent years, while landmines in former warzones worldwide continue to cause thousands of deaths every year. In the face of dangers like these, there is a constant drive to keep improving the capabilities of vehicle armour, personal armour and protective footwear, and this can be aided by a clearer understanding about how explosions actually behave.
Dr Sam Clarke says: "Detonations of explosives in shallow soils are extremely complex events that involve the interaction of the shock waves with the surrounding soil, air and water.
"The understanding we've generated about how clay soils affect the process is a key piece in the jigsaw, as it complements the extensive knowledge that's already been built up about explosions in sandy and gravelly soils, which are much less cohesive than clay soils."
Life sciences are a major component of the current economic base of the UK with the sector generating £64 billion of turnover and employing more than 233,000 scientists and staff. The enormous gains in health outcomes and life expectancy achieved over the last 30 years can continue but it is likely that this will depend on both existing innovation platforms for drug and device discovery, and also a host of new scientific platforms for improving health.
EPSRC recognises the value and importance of partnership and multidisciplinary research to address the future challenges of this sector and works closely with other funders to ensure the UK stays at the forefront of healthcare innovation. EPSRC's healthcare technologies programme aims to accelerate the translation of research to healthcare applications across four challenges: Developing future therapies; Frontiers of physical intervention; Optimising treatment; and Transforming community health and care.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Healthcare Technologies theme page.
Healthy nation
Innovative engineering and physical sciences research plays a fundamental role in improving people's lives through better mental and physical health. Whether through earlier diagnosis and identification of disease or more effective treatments, engineering and physical sciences research is leading the way.
In this film Professor Eleanor Stride from Oxford University explains how we can improve the targeting of drug delivery to provide much more efficient and effective treatments by focusing on the diseased cells.
Professor Alan Jackson from the University of Manchester highlights how the development of new imaging techniques can help improve outcomes in cancers, recognising that just as cancers vary within different patients so too do patients responses to treatments.
Professor Rachel McKendry from the London Centre for Nanotechnology considers how symptoms logged through our mobile phones can help identify outbreaks of serious infectious diseases, creating advanced data modelling systems to identify disease hotspots across the world.
And finally, Professor Pete Sawyer from Lancaster University looks at how the tracking of eye movements could help pick up early signs of dementia, enabling earlier stage diagnosis.
All these projects demonstrate why fundamental research is needed to feed the pipeline of innovative healthcare technologies that have global reach and impact.
Touchscreen tech helps people with dementia feel like their old selves
In 2005, some years before the development of the tablet computer, an EPSRC-supported team from the universities of Dundee and St Andrews, led by Dr Norman Alm, developed a simple touchscreen aid to help people with dementia recall their memories.
Touchscreen technology helps people with dementia recall their memories
A spin-out company, Circa Connect, formed to bring research to market
People with dementia using the touchscreen system felt more like their old selves
The aid was simple to use and stimulated more enjoyable, rewarding conversation between people with dementia and those who care for them. During development, the CIRCA (Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid) system was tested with 40 people with dementia in day care, nursing home and family situations, with many carers reporting that the person seemed like their old selves again.
CIRCA exploits the fact that, while people with dementia find it hard to recall recent events, longer-term memory is less affected by their condition.
The team secured further EPSRC funding from the EPSRC-led UK Research and Innovation Digital Economy Programme to develop an interactive multimedia activity system that people with dementia could enjoy using on their own.
The research led to the formation of Circa Connect Ltd, a spin out company, which brought together expertise in the fields of design, psychology and computer science, to commercialise the work.
The BBC subsequently launched an online system, called RemArc, based on the CIRCA research, which uses as its content the extensive BBC archive of film clips, photos, music and the spoken word.
CIRCA team member Dr Arlene Astell, who was at University of St Andrews School of Psychology during the project, says: "The declining ability of people with dementia to hold conversations causes a lot of stress and frustration. Helping them access their memories makes living with dementia more bearable and less distressing for the person and their carers."
New scan to predict stroke risk
Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a new type of MRI scan to predict the risk of having a stroke.
Strokes are the third biggest killer in the UK and a leading cause of disability
Almost 25,000 strokes in the UK are caused by carotid arteries
Researchers developed a non-invasive technique which can detect stroke-causing plaque (fatty deposits) in carotid arteries
The technique can differentiate between risky plaques containing large amounts of cholesterol and more stable ones
The new MRI technique, developed through research co-funded by EPSRC, can differentiate between risky plaques containing large amounts of cholesterol and more stable ones.
The technique can help medical staff to identify those patients requiring early treatment while enabling others to be spared surgery altogether.
The research team demonstrated the effectiveness of the technology by scanning the carotid plaques (fatty deposits) of 26 patients scheduled for surgery. After the plaques were surgically removed, the team found that actual cholesterol content in each plaque was consistent with that detected in the scans. The researchers later confirmed and extended their findings in another study on 50 people.
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study, says: "When someone suffers a mini-stroke, they often go on to suffer a more serious, or even deadly, stroke in the hours, days or weeks that follow. This exciting research opens up the possibility that in the future we may be able to more accurately identify people with carotid plaques that are likely to rupture and cause a stroke."
Further research is now necessary before this advance can come into routine clinical practice. However, if successful the technique has the promise to save lives.
The project was conducted by the researchers in collaboration with surgeons at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and was funded by EPSRC, the Medical Research Council (MRC), the British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust, Stroke Association and the Dunhill Medical Trust.
The creative industries sector, just one element of the arts, entertainment and recreation market, is forecast for the UK to be £128.4 billion by 2025. With an increasing appetite from the public for culture and a need to find recreation time in ever busier lives, this sector is 'one of the best investments we can make as a nation.'
EPSRC is probably least known for its research in this sector but actually has a significant portfolio that contributes to the gaming and film industries, sports technology innovations and heritage restoration among other areas. With underpinning research in human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, graphics and visualisation, advanced materials and 3D printing EPSRC's research provides the high-tech and innovative advances that ensure a thriving creative industries and culture in the UK.
For further information on EPSRC's investments in this area please visit the Digital Economy theme page.
Carolan guitar
The thing that tells its own story
Guitar's internet-linked decorative patterns act like QR codes
Scanning the patterns reveals guitar's history, videos of its performances and user guide
Technology enables the guitar to share a growing 'digital footprint' throughout its lifetime
Every guitar tells a story, from the tonewoods that form it, to the craft of its making, to the players that own it, to the places it visits, and to the many songs that it sings.
A team from the Horizon Digital Economy Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Nottingham, led by Professor Steve Benford, have developed an extraordinary guitar, created with the express purpose of capturing and telling its own life history through the use of unique technology that brings the guitar's story to life.
Professor Benford, whose work was funded in part by an EPSRC DREAM Fellowship, says: "Our guitar is called Carolan in honour of the legendary composer Turlough O'Carolan, the last of the great blind Irish harpers, and an itinerant musician who roamed Ireland at the turn of the 18th century, composing and playing beautiful Celtic tunes.
"Like its namesake, Carolan is a roving bard; a performer who passes from place to place, learning tunes, songs and stories as it goes and sharing them with the people it encounters along the way.
"The team have brought this storytelling to life through the use of remarkable technology that hides digital codes within the decorative patterns adorning the instrument.
"The codes act somewhat like QR codes in that you can point a phone or tablet at them in order to read the digital information they contain. In turn, the guitar accesses information on the Internet.
"Unlike QR codes, however, they are aesthetically beautiful and form a natural part of the instrument's decoration."
Scanning the different patterns on the Carolan guitar takes you to different information such as the history of how it was made, details of who has played it, videos of their performances and also the instrument's user guide and full technical specification. As a result, this unusual and new technology enables the guitar to share a growing 'digital footprint' throughout its lifetime, but in a way that resonates with both the aesthetic of an acoustic guitar and the craft of traditional guitar making.
To make such a guitar is a challenging project, and called for the collective abilities of a uniquely-skilled team including a luthier, graphic designer, and computer scientists. The result is an instrument which has a host of stories to tell, the product of a long series of curated ownership from some of the UK's finest musicians.
The Carolan Guitar website features a wealth of stories and live performances about the guitar, its provenance and its performances.
Movie music magic
An EPSRC-supported doctoral student has developed pioneering technology to enhance mood music in film. The research is focused on enriching the musical experience of film audiences and might also help the hard of hearing.
Mood Glove, a haptic wearable prototype, harnesses the wearer's sense of touch to provide them with information; this adds another layer of expression to the film experience
This system suggests simple emotions to intensify moods in film music that tie in with action
Mood Glove was showcased at high profile international events and featured in national UK press
For the hearing impaired, watching a movie like the 1993 classic The Piano can be very frustrating. Subtitles make it easy enough to follow the dialogue and plot, but the inability to experience the music – often so important to a film – means much of the emotional content is inevitably lost. Antonella Mazzoni, a student at the EPSRC/AHRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Media and Arts Technology, believes that her approach could have positive effects on the hard of hearing, too.
Her research looked at how music is used in movies to enhance both mood and emotions, and how enriching the musical experience of audiences through haptic sensations might also have implications for hearing impaired people, providing them with a new, enhanced emotional experience while watching a film.
Antonella's aim was to find a solution that was not only affordable but also allowed users a degree of freedom of movement and avoided the need to confine themselves to a particular chair. The result was a ground-breaking piece of wearable digital technology – a glove inducing simple emotions, such as calmness, happiness, sadness and alarm – that tie in with the action unfolding on the screen.
The glove, named Mood Glove, utilises so-called 'haptic' feedback. This means the sense of touch is harnessed to provide information to the wearer.
Antonella argues that the design of haptic sensations for media enhancement should be an artistic process, rather than an effect linked to automatically extracted features. She envisions haptic compositions to be created for a movie just as a composer scores the music for it. In her last study Antonella designed haptic sensations and used Mood Glove to target the build-up of tension on screen. As well as providing a much more immersive experience for anyone watching a movie, it can add a layer of experience previously inaccessible to people with hearing impairments.
Antonella Mazzoni has showcased Mood Glove at the 2015 International Culture Makers' Joint Design Exhibition 'Utopia of Culture Makers' in Milan; the 2015 London Wearable Tech Show; Digital Shoreditch 2015; the Wearable Technology Festival at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester 2016; the 2016 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems; and Inter/Sections 2016. Her work was subsequently covered in the Daily Mail and exhibited at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford as part of the 'Supersenses' exhibition in 2017.
'Harp monitor' provides bridge engineers with structural fatigue data
One of the UK's most famous bridges, Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, has been turned into a musical instrument, capable of playing music composed from its own structural data.
Sensors provide unique insight into how bridge moves – changes in movement can indicate possible ageing or fatigue
Musicians and sound artists created an installation to musically represent this structural data
Software sends data to bridge management personnel in real time, anywhere in the world
A specially-made double-strung harp will give a unique insight into how the Clifton Suspension Bridge moves and will help to demonstrate the impact of vehicles, pedestrians and the weather.
The data is being used by engineers at the university to improve structural models of the bridge and to design a system to classify vehicle traffic.
The EPSRC-supported project, developed by the Jean Golding Institute at the University of Bristol, sees the harp being played with two robotic arms, each strumming the strings on different sides to represent data collected on the north and south sides of the bridge.
Six streams of data were collected from sensors installed on the bridge for a month, allowing engineering academics to understand how it moves, with any changes in the movement profile indicating possible ageing or fatigue.
Software allows the data to be displayed to structural engineers or bridge management personnel in real time, anywhere in the world.
Bristol-based musicians and sound artists, Yas Clarke and Lorenzo Prati, then created an installation to musically represent this structural data.
The harp was designed and built by Bristol-based luthier and guitar maker, Sean Clark. It has 82 strings and is tuned in relation to the bridge's natural frequency of 12.9Hz.
While six sensors were needed to monitor the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the technology can be scaled-up to measure vibrations and displacements on far larger bridges.
The dashboard has since been used to monitor the Clifton Suspension Bridge for a second time and the learning gathered from this project is already being used by PhD students at the University of Bristol to design a structural health monitoring system to go on a new fibreglass bridge being built in North Bristol.
The data-gathering and dashboard project was funded by the university's EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account.
The harp project was developed by the Jean Golding Institute at the University of Bristol, which supports interdisciplinary research in data science.
Sam Gunner, an Engineering Mathematics PhD student who has led the project, says: "To see our research represented in this way is really remarkable. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a much-loved sight and now people can both see and hear it in a new light.
"Aside from the harp offering a visual and audio experience, it embodies important research which allows us to better understand how the bridge moves and the impact of vehicles, pedestrians and the weather."
Agri-tech is a well-established and important UK sector contributing an estimated £96 billion to UK GVA. It is also a sector that is enjoying a technology revolution with breakthroughs in nutrition, genetics, informatics, satellite imaging, remote sensing, meteorology, precision farming and low impact agriculture.
EPSRC's portfolio in this area stretches across its Engineering, Energy and Physical Sciences programmes, investing in the fundamental and applied research and training that drives advances in technology.
Reducing global crop losses, saving lives
FungiAlert, a company set up by two EPSRC-supported PhD students has developed a unique device for the early detection of plant disease.
The award-winning device is the brainchild of Kerry O'Donnelly and Angela de Manzanos, former students at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Biology at Imperial College London.
Award-winning device can detect soil and water-borne pathogens weeks before symptoms are visible, and before infection occurs
Two EPSRC-supported doctoral students co-founded a spin-out company to bring the device to market
FungiAlert has potential to increase crop yields dramatically
The low-cost disposable device can detect the presence of soil- and water-borne plant pathogens, including the highly destructive Phytophthora, estimated to account for up to US$7 billion of worldwide crop failure annually, before infection occurs. It is the only in-field device capable of doing so.
By contrast, current detection methods for pathogens such as Phytophthora are slow and expensive, usually confirming the presence of the disease in the field after infection of the plant, when it is too late for treatment.
By alerting farmers to the presence of plant disease in the soil before infection occurs, FungiAlert, which is based around a simple colour-change detector, has the potential to increase crop yields by dramatically reducing crop loss, and will guide spraying practices to help reduce pesticide applications.
Kerry says: "If global crop losses were reduced by just one per cent, 24 million people would get to eat. You can look at FungiAlert as a smoke alarm for farmers. It alerts you to the problem before it destroys everything – and does so weeks before symptoms are visible.
FungiAlert is now under final testing at Rothamsted Research Centre in Harpenden, the world's longest-running agricultural research centre, where the company is based. Field trials are being carried out with a range of large producers and a leading agronomy company within the UK.
FungiAlert has multiple applications for soft fruit crops, horticultural vegetables and ornamental plants and trees, amongst many others. The company is developing a suite of in-situ early detection devices, which range from simple colour-change detectors range to remote sensors; and also offers in-house microbial identification services that are quicker and cheaper than those of its competitors.
Based on patented technology, the devices have the potential to become leading early diagnostics sensors for disease in agriculture, guiding precision farming applications, and helping devise more sustainable disease management practices.
Kerry and Angela founded FungiAlert in 2015 while completing their PhDs at Imperial, during which they won three entrepreneurial competitions, including a Dragon's Den-style event that saw them awarded a prize of £20,000 as well as entrepreneurial training and support from Imperial Innovations, an organisation which creates, builds and invests in pioneering technologies developed from academic research. This provided them with the funding they needed for the initial development of the technology and supported their first patent application.
Angela says: "FungiAlert's vision is to contribute to a more sustainable mode of farming, by limiting spraying routines to ensure that fungicides are only applied when they are required.
"Some preventative chemicals can contribute to soil degradation, which in the long term would reduce the availability of arable land for food production. In addition, preventative spraying is a major contributor to the development of resistance from the disease to the pesticide.
"The development of FungiAlert has been an intense and steep learning curve, but this has only added to the enjoyment of running the company. We have truly loved being able to drive our project from idea and product development to now having the opportunity to commercialise our invention."
In 2016, Kerry O'Donnelly was named by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) as one of its 175 Faces of Chemistry, an initiative launched to mark the RSC's 175th anniversary celebrations.
Kerry shared top billing with luminaries such as Kevlar inventor Stephanie Kwolek; green chemistry pioneer Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff; Marie Curie, who was the first person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in two different disciplines; and Alfred Nobel himself.
Turning industrial waste into livestock fodder
Around 80 billion litres of the fuel bioethanol are produced annually from fermented cereals. The yeast used in the process is discarded. Now, an academic/industry partnership led by Dr Emily Burton, from Nottingham Trent University, has led to a process that can retrieve proteins from what would otherwise have been discarded as cereal 'waste' which can then be used in chicken feed and commercial fish feed.
New process extracts valuable proteins from discarded yeast used in bioethanol production and repurposes it for use in poultry and fish feed
Patented process already adopted by bioethanol industry in the US
Could lead to global production of three million tonnes of protein derived from 'waste' matter
EPSRC Industrial CASE partnership funded the PhD student who made the breakthrough
The underpinning research was supported by EPSRC and AB Agri, the agricultural division of Associated British Foods, resulting in a breakthrough by Dawn Scholey, a PhD student at Nottingham.
Thanks to Dawn's work, the team came up with a way to separate the protein from the waste yeast and showed that it contained nutrients that are easily digestible by chickens. This patented process could provide a cost-competitive alternative to soya-based protein and other feeds given to chickens bred for meat production.
The process has already been taken up by industry in the US, which is using it to produce high quality protein for poultry feed alongside bioethanol production.
If adopted worldwide, the process could lead to global production of three million tonnes of high-grade protein chicken from discarded bioethanol bi-products.
The research project was borne out of the vision of biofuels pioneer Dr Pete Williams of AB Agri, which, with EPSRC, jointly funded Dawn Scholey via an Industrial CASE studentship awarded to Emily Burton.
Dr Burton says: "I've always had a close relationship with industry. This allows me and my team to really understand the problems and challenges companies face, so we try to direct research projects to focus on problem-solving.
"The EPSRC CASE studentship allowed us to build a small, simple poultry research facility. It got us going, and now we have a huge programme that was built out of that."
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Plymouth University subsequently enabled Dr Williams to demonstrate that the protein could be fed to fish such as farmed salmon.
Pete Williams acknowledges the importance of academic/industry partnerships. He says: "We couldn't have got this development started without the EPSRC CASE studentship, which allowed us to establish the proof of concept."
The project led to Dr Williams' Knowledge Transfer Partnership funding and a grant from the Technology Strategy Board (now Innovate UK).
In parallel with the EPSRC funding, the Nottingham researchers were granted a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industrial CASE studentship, which enabled PhD student, Harriet Lea, to work with animal health company Alltech UK3 to establish the mode of action of a prebiotic chicken food supplement.
The combined support of BBSRC and EPSRC not only helped Emily Burton to establish a new poultry research unit with researchers at Nottingham Trent University, it provided a springboard for recruitment and training of researchers to meet a critical poultry industry skills need. Dr Dawn Scholey is now a full-time member of the team.
The research has been so successful that the liquid protein extracted during the process essentially becomes the most valuable component, more so than the bioethanol. Pete Williams says: "Our story is similar to that of the soya bean, which was originally processed to produce oil but is now grown for the meal. The key is that our bioprocessed meal will be produced from a non-GM English wheat crop and will replace imported soya bean meal."
Supercomputer aids Bengali people and farmland
Researchers have used ARCHER, a state-of-the-art supercomputer, to create a model of the river channels in the Bengal delta – the largest river delta in the world – which will allow them to predict changes in tidal water level and salinity in the Bangladesh delta region, and to advise on irrigation and crop choice.
River delta is estimated to support livelihoods of 300 million people
ARCHER supercomputer was used to identify safe areas of drinking water and determine what crops to grow
The supercomputer helps policymakers make decisions on managing the environment, such as where to take irrigation water and what crops to grow
Future scenarios forecast by the model show the tidal range increasing by up to half a metre in places, which could see a large area of the delta flooded during high tide; affecting farmland, as well as the Sundarbans mangrove forests – a UNESCO world heritage site.
The model is the first ever to link the open ocean with the limit of tidal interaction in Bangladesh, and is being used to make decisions about how to manage the physical environment, such as where to take irrigation water from and what crops to grow, and thus preserve farmland and identify safe areas of drinking water.
The research is led by Dr Lucy Bricheno, from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). She says: "This region is home to large numbers of people whose wellbeing is critically dependant on the land, and so are vulnerable to changes in the physical environment. By providing high quality evidence and forecasts, the outputs of the model could really help policymakers to make more informed decisions about how to best manage that environment."
The project harnessed huge amounts of information, including data drawn from other models such as river discharge, ocean tides, water temperature and salinity. Such was the complexity and volume of this source material that only a supercomputer such as ARCHER could be used to make sense of it within realistic timeframes.
ARCHER, which can make one million billion calculations a second, is the UK's primary academic research supercomputer, enabling UK researchers from industry and academia to run simulations and calculations involving massive data sets, such as those used to simulate the airflow around cars and aircraft, and in the design of new materials.
Based around a Cray XC30 supercomputer, the ARCHER service is provided by its partners: EPSRC, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Edinburgh Parallel Computer Centre (EPCC), Cray Inc and The University of Edinburgh. EPSRC has invested over £40 million in the ARCHER system.
Dr Bricheno's use of ARCHER resulted in a series of high-resolution 3D maps of the Bangladesh delta, its rivers, and the Indian Ocean. The maps enabled the simulation of various properties under a range of possible future climates, including projections on agricultural crops, drinking water salinity, poverty and human wellbeing.
The model also showed that in general the west of the delta and the Sundarbans mangrove forest got saltier, particularly during the dry season, which has important implications for the health of the forest and any crops planted there. The western part of the delta is also home to some of the poorest farmers in Bangladesh and is the habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Dr Bricheno says: "What is interesting about the tidal change evident in the model is that it has a complex spatial pattern – not just rising everywhere. This is important because it wouldn't be captured in a coarse ocean model – we need to simulate the whole delta."
The research is both timely and necessary. There is a lack of observed data regarding water levels and river salinity in the region, making computer simulations all the more valuable. In total, the delta is estimated to support the livelihoods of around 300 million people, and is one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, with around 400 people per square kilometre.
The research also has benefits beyond the Ganges delta, helping to model other areas of the world that are heavily affected by changing water conditions.
Dr Judith Wolf, who leads the NOC's contribution to this project, says: "This international collaborative research is pushing oceanography into new areas, working further inland than ever (to reach the limit of tidal penetration), and leading us to collaborations with human geographers and social scientists."
The Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model employed in this study has been used across the UK and Bangladesh, contributing further to understanding these changes, which will enable more accurate predictions of water changes in future. External partners have been trained to use the technology, further adding to its worldwide effectiveness.
Dr Bricheno's research is part of the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) Deltas programme, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and NERC.
The UK's whole energy system faces massive changes to deliver against all aspects of the 'trilemma' — cost, security and decarbonisation. Under a smart, flexible system, external estimates suggest that overall system costs could be reduced in the order of tens of billions (£) in the period to 2050.
EPSRC has a substantial energy portfolio that aims to position the UK to meet its energy and environmental targets and policy goals through world-class research and training. EPSRC leads the cross-research council energy programme, investing in research and training to secure a low-carbon future, through the creation of reliable, economically viable energy systems while protecting the natural environment, resources and quality of life.
Radically extending the lifetime of multi-cell batteries
Brill Power, a spin-out company from the University of Oxford, has developed award-winning technology that increases the lifetime and reliability of multi-cell battery packs. The company's intelligent control system can extend the lifetime of multi-cell batteries by up to 60 per cent while maintaining high performance and avoiding over-engineering.
Extends battery lifetime by up to 60 per cent
Makes savings in material costs and lost energy costs
Improves monitoring, is safer to operate, generates less waste, and has lower maintenance costs than conventional technologies
Could help save up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2020
Formed to bring to market EPSRC-supported research led by Professor David Howey, Brill Power is tackling a major failing in conventional lithium-ion batteries – limited lifetime and diminishing storage capacity.
The company's CEO, Christoph Birkl, who co-founded Brill Power after finishing his PhD in Professor Howey's group at Oxford, says: "Batteries are generally perceived as a green way to store and transport energy. But there is also the important fact that producing batteries takes a lot of thermal energy and lots of materials, some of which are nasty chemicals.
"Most of my co-founders studied in the same research group at Oxford. We've got a great range of complementary skill sets, including power electronics, battery modelling and mathematical-based simulations. In our research we discovered that a lot of battery storage capability is wasted through standard battery design. These insights gave us the idea to improve this technology and make it greener."
Current lithium batteries are usually limited by their weakest cells. Over time, some cells retain their charge while others start to lose it. The team set about resolving this challenge.
Cells degrade at different rates. Large packs have cells connected in series, which means the battery is as weak as its weakest cell. The basic idea behind the company's technology is that it connects the cells individually to the battery's brain – essentially making regular lithium-ion batteries smarter.
Christoph says: "We devised an intelligent control system that can extend the lifetime of multi-cell batteries by up to 60 per cent while maintaining high performance. We do that by individually managing every cell in a battery pack.
"Our initial idea was to repurpose cells from waste, for use in the developing world, but this proved uneconomic, so we pivoted our business plan to focus on the development of new cells, which would have an extended lifetime and lower overall lifetime cost than conventional batteries. This is targeted at the European market, which has fewer challenges than setting up in developing markets.
"We still rely on the same core technology, but we're using it for a different application. It's estimated that the technology could help save up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2020 if it was deployed in a single electric vehicle manufacturing line."
The company has won a host of awards for its ground-breaking technology. Its founders were finalists at the 2015 ClimateLaunchpad, the world's largest green business ideas competition, which helped kick-start the business. Brill Power subsequently won the top prize at the Shell New Energy Challenge 2017, which included a €100,000 convertible loan and business advice, and was named as a Shell Springboard regional finalist, which led to £40,000 of equity-free funding.
Brill was also selected as one of the EU-top 50 seed-stage start-ups to showcase its technology at the European Parliament in Brussels during the European Innovation Summit in November 2017. In the same month, Brill Power won a competitive selection process to lead a consortium to develop batteries for the electrification of vehicles. The project is one of 27 projects involving 66 organisations which have received around £40 million in funding from Innovate UK as part of the £246 million Faraday Battery Challenge, under the government's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
To develop a new generation of batteries for electric vehicles, Brill Power has joined forces with E-Car, the UK's leading low-emission car club. The two companies are exploring how Brill Power's battery management control system can be used to enhance the battery manufacture and performance of electric vehicles.
Christoph says: "We have to improve batteries, we have to make sure we can get more energy into every battery, we have to make sure we can get them to be as efficient as possible, get every joule of energy out of those batteries to make them live as long as the cars live."
The team's initial idea was to repurpose used lithium-ion batteries, and created a device called ionQube, which was targeted for use in developing countries. However, they came to realise that this approach was not commercially viable.
Christoph says: "We launched a pilot project to test ionQube in the field in two Kenyan villages. But the pilot helped us to realise that the required product development, manufacturing costs and supply chain made it very difficult to create an economically viable product in that market.
"However, we also realised that the same technology that allowed us to use second-life cells also allows us to extend the lifetime of new cells of new batteries. So we refocused our business idea."
Battery Management Systems (BMS) exist in all batteries and are used to ensure the safe charging and discharging of a battery pack. Brill Power has discovered a revolutionary way to design a BMS and battery architecture, so that each cell is managed individually. This means that each individual cell can be utilised to its full capacity, that battery packs can be combined (modular), and that used cells can be repurposed to be useful again, no matter what the original chemistry of the cell.
Brill Power website
Buildings as power stations
Every day the sun provides enough energy to power our planet for 27 years. So why not capture that energy with everyday buildings – using coatings that generate, store and release it?
This is the challenge being addressed by SPECIFIC, an EPSRC-supported Innovation and Knowledge Centre driven by a singular vision – that buildings could be their own power stations.
Unique centre is developing technology to enable buildings to function as their own power stations
Focus is on scaling-up manufacture of low carbon and carbon negative electricity and heat systems
Success stories include a spin-out company and off-grid office and classroom demonstrators that generate more energy than they consume
Inspired £7 million investment into solar energy generation and building technologies in five Indian villages
This unique approach to the capture and consumption of solar energy is part of an integrated programme to develop low carbon and carbon-negative electricity and heat systems.
Supported by an initial £20 million investment from EPSRC, Innovate UK and the Welsh Government, together with investment from Swansea University and industry, SPECIFIC brings together a wide range of academic and industry partners to share expertise in 'functional coatings', such as photovoltaic materials built into a building's cladding; energy storage; technology scale-up; manufacture at scale; business development and commercial know-how.
The centre's approach is multifaceted. Dedicated research teams are working on the next generation of solar technologies and their manufacture; a building-integration team is creating full-scale demonstrators to prove and test the technology; and a comprehensive training programme is helping to create the next generation of scientists and engineers, from basic level short courses to doctorates.
Led by Swansea University, with Strategic Partners Akzo Nobel, NSG Pilkington, Tata Steel and Cardiff University, and a wide range of business and academic partners, SPECIFIC is now in its second phase, which has seen it attract over £40 million of funding from its original investors and partner organisations.
SPECIFIC now has four key sites in Swansea Bay, which include brand new, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, pilot production lines which can demonstrate and improve full-scale manufacturing processes, and full-scale building demonstration.
More than 100 people work on a range of projects that contribute either directly or indirectly to the buildings as power stations vision. They include university researchers, senior industrial scientists, product developers, business development specialists and an architect. This unique mix makes for a vibrant base from which ideas are shared, tested and developed into new products.
The concept of a building as a power station has already been proven to work, with the opening of an energy-positive classroom on the Swansea University Bay campus which provides teaching space and a laboratory for students, as well as a building-scale development facility for SPECIFIC and its industry partners.
The award-winning classroom can run off grid, with electricity generated by a steel roof with integrated solar cells supplied by SPECIFIC spin-out company BIPVco.
The building uses Tata Steel's perforated steel cladding for generation of solar heat energy. It also features an electrically-heated floor coating developed by SPECIFIC researchers and is connected to two saltwater batteries, which are being used in the UK for the first time and are capable of storing enough energy to power the building for two days. Since launch, the classroom has generated more energy than it has consumed.
Following the success of the Active Classroom, Innovate UK supported the construction of the UK's first energy positive Active Office, capable of generating more energy than it uses.
Built using cutting-edge off-site manufacturing techniques and incorporating innovative energy harvest, storage and release technologies, the building was opened in April 2018 and immediately occupied by around 40 members of staff. It can also share solar energy with the Active Classroom.
Such has been the success of the buildings as power stations concept, Swansea University is leading a £7 million consortium of 12 UK and Indian universities which have joined forces on Project SUNRISE, which is integrating solar energy and building technologies into buildings in five villages in India, allowing them to harness solar power to provide their own energy and run off grid.
The project has been funded by the UK government's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), which supports cutting-edge research that addresses the global issues faced by developing countries. The plan is that it will encourage local industries in India to manufacture similar affordable prefabricated buildings, adapted for their environment.
Professor Dave Worsley of Swansea University, head of research at the SPECIFIC project, and leader of the SUNRISE team, says: "The energy-positive classroom shows that this technology works. Our hope is that if we can show this works on five villages in India, then it could be rolled out to other buildings in India and around the world.
"In the longer term, our vision is for a new £1 billion industry with thousands of jobs and enhanced value in the construction supply chain – a market-driven approach that addresses one of society's biggest challenges and provides secure, affordable, sustainable energy."
Career profile: Dr Conaill Soraghan
Dr Conaill Soraghan, who leads the Operations & Maintenance Data Systems team at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, describes his career trajectory.
'Graduate' of UK research and innovation ecosystem, and former EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training student
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training provides world-class training, facilities and network of academic experts
Progressed to team leadership at innovation-focused Catapult Centre
Has a particular interest in the digital transformation and the application of information systems and data science techniques to enhance wind farm operation and maintenance
Following an undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of St Andrews and a Masters in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, I studied for a PhD at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Wind Energy Systems at the University of Strathclyde.
The first year of the course, a taught Masters in Renewable Energy Systems, was ideal for someone like me with a background outside engineering. It gave me a detailed introduction to all aspects of wind energy systems, from electricity generation and wind turbine technology to the politics and economics of renewable energy systems.
EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) have a strong focus on nurturing well-rounded and professional scientists and engineers. In addition to providing me with technical know-how and the confidence to apply it, the CDT enabled me to work collaboratively in world-class research facilities and develop a network of experts in the field. It gave me the confidence to engage with a wide range of stakeholders from the renewable sector, as well as develop transferable skills which have helped me become a key facilitator and influencer in priority projects.
As part of my research into aerodynamics and control of innovative wind turbines, I developed software to predict the performance of novel wind energy systems. Keen to further my work in this field, after completing my PhD I successfully applied for the post of Renewable Technology Engineer at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, which is funded by Innovate UK, the government's business investment arm.
The ORE Catapult is an innovation centre – we are tasked with creating and appraising new ideas and methods with a focus on real-world commercial impact. I now lead the ORE Catapult's Operations and Maintenance Data Systems team and am technical lead for the world's first offshore wind benchmarking platform, SPARTA.
SPARTA focuses on the application of information systems and data science techniques and has created a database and web system for collecting and benchmarking performance of operational offshore wind farms.
Over 75 per cent of the installed capacity of offshore wind farms in UK waters is already providing data into SPARTA, which will improve wind turbine operational performance by increasing safety, reliability and availability, thereby cutting the cost of electricity generated from offshore wind.
I'm also involved in the design and delivery of an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) business intelligence tool for the tidal sector, and publishing O&M best practice case studies based on interviews with the Catapult's industry partners.
After three years in the engineering directorate at the ORE Catapult I was promoted to Team Leader for O&M Data Systems. Our team goal is to support the renewables industry, realise a successful digital transformation and extract the full potential from digital technology, data and information. Our work involves the application of cutting-edge digital approaches including machine learning, process mining and modern architectures to operational data from the offshore renewables industry.
In addition to managing and developing a team of data specialists and engineers, I have a multifaceted role. This includes project creation; technical engineering support; due diligence of technology innovation concepts; and business development.
I am proud to be part of a connected UK research and innovation ecosystem, which has provided me with a career path leading from a maths degree and Masters through to an engineering PhD and a rewarding career as a leader in the dynamic renewables industry I am passionate about.
The UK is renowned for its heritage with palaces, houses, castles, abbeys and cathedrals spanning centuries and unlocking the history of our nation and the people who have lived in it. Conserving that heritage is critical to ensuring future generations understand what has gone before and learn from the past.
EPSRC's portfolio includes research and training that is instrumental to the analysis, restoration and preservation of materials, buildings and artefacts.
Hi-tech easel reveals secrets of the old masters
Easel moves in minute steps, enabling capture of high resolution images
Technology helps reveal age of paintings and techniques used to make them
Builds on enduring partnership between EPSRC and the National Gallery
An enduring partnership between EPSRC and the National Gallery has led to the development of a new state-of-the-art 'easel' that makes it possible to examine great works of art in unprecedented detail.
The computer-controlled easel is capable of safely holding a very large painting and moving it in minute steps to make the most of the latest digital technology.
Researchers at the National Gallery have used digital images taken with the aid of the easel to build up a high resolution image of paintings to learn about their structure, the way they are made and what needs to be done for their preservation. The easel makes it possible to identify the materials used as pigments, helping to determine the age of a picture and the painting techniques used.
Ashok Roy, Director of Collections at the National Gallery, says: "We expect we will be able to acquire very high resolution images in various parts of the spectrum that would be unobtainable without this technology, so it is a real advance in our imaging capabilities."
The easel, the development of which was funded by EPSRC, builds on EPSRC's investment in a state-of-the-art gas-chromatography-mass-spectrometer (GC-MS) at the National Gallery, which helped specialists study the organic chemistry of old master paintings to understand how paintings were made and how they have changed over time.
In painstaking investigations, the scientists used GC-MS to study the characterisation and composition of paint binding media, additions to paint media such as resins, and the composition of old varnishes.
The easel helped inspire a section of the National Gallery's 2014 Making Colour exhibition, through which visitors were able to get involved in an interactive experiment that will feed into future research on human colour perception.
Conserving waterlogged wooden artefacts
An EPSRC-supported research team have developed a safer, greener method for conserving waterlogged wooden artefacts, such as those recovered from Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose.
New natural polymer material protects against the primary causes of waterlogged wood degradation
Formation of harmful corrosive acid is prevented by 'trapping' ions from iron fastenings and bolts
System enhances structural integrity and protects against biological damage
The team, led by Professor Oren A Scherman, from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Mary Rose Trust, developed a natural polymer-based system that appears to protect against all three primary causes of degradation in waterlogged wood, the first time this has been possible in a single treatment.
Initial tests of the material, carried out on wooden artefacts recovered from Henry VIII's warship, the Mary Rose, have shown that it effectively protects waterlogged wood against the main causes of collapse, and is a safer, greener alternative to current methods.
A number of factors can contribute to the degradation of wooden artefacts once they are removed from the sea. Warping or cracking as the wood dries out, damage from bacteria, and the build-up of acid formed by the corrosion of iron fastenings and bolts can all cause cellulose and hemi-cellulose – significant components of the wood cell wall – to break down.
The protective material created by the team uses two naturally-sourced polymers to build a molecular cage around the iron ions, preventing them from acting as a catalyst and generating acid in the timber. This not only traps iron ions, it helps to enhance structural stability. In addition, the material has antibacterial properties which protect against biological damage. Even if there is no iron in the wood, the treatment still works. The team are now conducting tests on larger wooden artefacts.
Dr Zarah Walsh, a postdoctoral researcher on the team, says: "The polymer gets stronger relative to the amount of iron that's there – in that way it's quite responsive to its environment."
Dr Walsh performed the research while a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry's Melville Laboratory of Polymer Synthesis, which is led by Professor Oren A Scherman, an EPSRC RISE Rising Star.
The research was funded by EPSRC, the European Research Council, the Walters-Kundert Charitable Trust, the Mary Rose Trust, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Forest Service and Forest Products Laboratory.
Image credit: Geoff Hunt, PPRSMA
Saving historic buildings from erosion
Scientists and preservation experts joined forces to help save historic York Minster Cathedral from decay and erosion.
Advanced X-ray techniques determine condition of limestone and historic mortars
To fight decay, the team developed a single-layer water-resistant coating that also enables the stone to 'breathe'
International collaboration supported by EPSRC, AHRC and US National Science Foundation
Findings could help conserve other historic limestone buildings around the world
An international research project co-funded by EPSRC has led to the development of a new way to protect limestone buildings and statues from the effects of atmospheric pollution.
The team was led by Dr (now Professor) Karen Wilson, from York University (now at RMIT University in Melbourne), and Professor Adam Lee from Cardiff University (now at RMIT University in Melbourne). They used advanced X-ray techniques to investigate the composition of the limestone and historic mortars used to build York Minster cathedral, an 800-year-old gothic masterpiece, and the ways in which these have decayed as a result of weathering and pollution over time.
Working with the Diamond Light Source synchotron, a facility run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) that enables scientists to study samples in incredible detail, the researchers gained an acute molecular understanding of the cathedral's iconic magnesian limestone surface.
Armed with this knowledge, and with support from colleagues from the University of Iowa, the team were able to show how the limestone had been degraded through decades of exposure to acid rain, sulphur dioxide and other pollutants. This enabled them to advise conservation experts on how best to treat the stone to prevent further decay and on what materials to use in the restoration of the Minster's East Front.
The team later developed a new treatment, utilising water-repellant surface coating, which protects limestone from erosion by acid rain and atmospheric pollutants, while allowing the stone to 'breathe'.
The research, co-funded by EPSRC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under the £8 million Science and Heritage Programme, was also supported by the US National Science Foundation. The project's findings could now be used to help conserve other historic limestone buildings around the world.
Reliable transport together with a connected infrastructure not only ensures that we get to where we need to be on time but increasingly they impact on the environment and the way we live. From the materials and fuel we use to build and run our vehicles, through to the development of our cities and urban spaces, the engineering and physical sciences are contributing to this constantly changing landscape.
EPSRC's research portfolio in this area recognises that future sustainability and resilience relies on a whole-system approach to transport, transport systems and supporting infrastructure.
The next generation of electric vehicles
With the growing acceptance that electric vehicles will be the future of our transport system research is continuing to find efficiencies that will provide consumers with a longer range for their vehicles.
By looking at the entire system from the batteries, to the power electronics and through to the torque transmission, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Jaguar Land Rover are hoping to bring innovative technology together with underpinning science to really understand where efficiencies can be made.
In this film Professor Barbara Shollock from WMG and Mark Ellis from JLR explain how their EPSRC Prosperity Partnership can achieve a world leading electric vehicle.
Fewer traffic jams, cutting costs
Research by the Transportation Research Group (TRG) at the University of Southampton has contributed to the development of sustainable road transport networks both in the UK and other leading cities worldwide.
Economic benefits valued by Transport for London at over £29 million per year
Research has informed new software design, now in place in 200 cities across the world
The new algorithms were first implemented in 2009 across London's bus network
The system is now operational in over 200 cities worldwide
Supported by funding from EPSRC and other contributors, TRG has been able to test and develop novel traffic management solutions to help combat traffic jams on UK roads, cutting costs and benefitting society as a whole.
Further studies by TRG led to the design of new bus priority systems at traffic signals in London. These were implemented first in 2009 through London's iBus system – a satellite-based Automatic Vehicle Location system installed on all buses across the network. TRG's research has enabled priority to be given to 8,000 buses at 2,000 traffic signals controlled by the world-leading SCOOT Urban Traffic Control system in London.
Economic benefits from these new algorithms have been valued by Transport for London at £29 million per year from bus passenger delay savings alone. Other positive impacts include a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions from buses, as well as ways to encourage people to change from private low-occupancy vehicles to more efficient high-occupancy public transport.
Enhancing rail reliability, maintenance and capacity
Award-winning technology uses safety concepts derived from the aerospace and nuclear industries
New track layout, combined with 'redundant actuation', improves reliability and reduces maintenance costs while enhancing network capacity
The system is being developed to be compatible with London Underground and Network Rail systems
EPSRC-supported researchers at Loughborough University have developed a new fault-tolerant points mechanism that could revolutionise the global rail industry.
Developed by the university's Control Systems Group and supported by the UK Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), the team's ingenious Repoint system uses safety concepts derived from the aerospace and nuclear industries in a robust and reliable locking mechanism that overrides track switch failures.
In the event of a single failure, the system enables rail traffic to continue to pass along the track while remedial maintenance is scheduled. Immediate disruption to services is avoided. This ultimately improves safety and maintenance costs while enhancing network capacity.
The technology was conceived in fundamental research funded by EPSRC/RSSB and has since progressed through key commercial milestones with support from the university's EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account, the Higher Education Innovation Fund and RSSB.
Repoint's innovative solution is globally significant. The UK alone has over 20,000 switch and crossing units and, despite representing only five per cent of network mileage, they account for over 15 per cent of the track maintenance budget. The Loughborough team's longer-term aim is to work with partners around the world to develop and manufacture Repoint technology appropriate to local needs and regulation.
Project leader, Loughborough University's Professor Roger Dixon, says: "Repoint is a robust alternative to conventional switches that breaks with 200 years of tradition to offer a change in design that is inherently fault tolerant and fit for a 21st century rail network.
"With RSSB's continued support and with industry partners including Transport for London (TfL), we aim to deliver real, tangible benefits to the rail industry."
Grants on the Web
Repoint – technical explanation of track switching technology
Repoint - boosting railway safety and capacity
Health has always been an important issue but with life expectancy increasing there is also an ageing population to consider. Advances in healthcare technologies are already supporting the elderly to be cared for within their own homes and improving remote diagnosis and monitoring of health conditions but with ongoing pressures on our health services, continuing to invest in technologies for the future will remain a priority.
EPSRC's healthcare technologies programme aims to accelerate the translation of research to healthcare applications across four challenges: Developing future therapies; Frontiers of physical intervention; Optimising treatment; and Transforming community health and care.
Portable medical scanner – quantum physics meets medical diagnosis
In 2016, 1.3 million people were admitted to UK hospitals with chest pain, each of whom spent several hours in A&E before a diagnosis could be made. Of these, 63 per cent had no cardiac-related condition. Faster diagnosis could save many lives, as well as reduce patient anxiety, pressures on staff and NHS costs. Vitalscan, an award-winning portable medical scanner developed with EPSRC funding by Professor Ben Varcoe, Chair of the Quantum Information Group at the University of Leeds, is set to do just that.
Portable scanner could save the NHS £200 million per year
Scans are non-invasive and can be done at the patient's bedside
A full scan takes less than five minutes
The device is being commercialised by University of Leeds spin-out company, Creavo
The battery-powered device uses advanced quantum principles to measure, display and store electromagnetic fluctuations caused by heart activity, translating them into a 2D visual magnetic field map of the heart. It is being brought to market by University of Leeds spin-out company, Creavo Medical Technologies (formerly Quantum Imaging Ltd), and is being trialled at four of the UK's largest hospital emergency departments.
The device works by conducting a non-invasive three-to-five-minute scan at a patient's bedside to rule out significant cardiac conditions such as heart attacks. Unlike current systems the quantum sensor-based technology can be used in a routine clinical area and is designed to be used by existing emergency room staff needing little additional training to that needed to perform a routine electrocardiogram (ECG).
Early clinical trials have indicated that the device can help to accurately and quickly rule out significant ischaemic heart disease with near 100 per cent accuracy with just one scan.
Conservative estimates indicate that Vitalscan could save the NHS £200 million a year, the equivalent of £3.85 million a week, and ease pressure on bed space in A&E departments by preventing patients who aren't suffering from a cardiac-related condition from having to go through lengthy and costly chest pain triage processes, which can take from four to 24 hours.
The scanner incorporates a magnetometer (an instrument that measures magnetic fields) to detect heart fluctuations, but unlike large-scale magnetometers currently on the market it is relatively low cost and doesn't rely on specialist skills to operate it – something that has effectively prohibited their use in many healthcare settings.
The underlying research which led to the development of this technology was funded by EPSRC, which has supported Professor Varcoe's research for over 15 years. He says: "Magnetometry has been used by clinicians to generate diagnostic images of the heart for many years, but its clinical application, particularly in an emergency department, has been restricted because of the need for complex and expensive liquid helium cooling systems, highly controlled environments and specialist staff.
"We are developing a fully portable device capable of imaging the magnetic field of the heart in a routine clinical environment. The aim is to take the magnetometer to a patient in a hospital bed, where they are comfortable."
While the current focus of the development is the emergency room, there are a number of other aspects of cardiology that may also be addressed by this device, such as predicting the success of implantable devices. There are also other applications beyond heart scans including imaging the brain.
Proof of concept investment aimed at accelerating the fundamental research through to commercial reality was provided through the Medical Technologies Innovation and Knowledge Centre, based at the University of Leeds and supported by EPSRC, BBSRC and Innovate UK.
Creavo won the Emerging Technology Design and Healthcare Technologies award at the 2017 Institution of Engineering and Technology awards.
Professor Varcoe says: "The real breakthrough was bringing in a PhD student, Melody Blackman, who came in with a medical physics background and so was able to take what we were doing as an atomic physics experiment and create a vision for a real medical device.
"The truly novel aspect is the interdisciplinary nature of what we are doing. We're putting quantum technology and medical physics together to create a device that could help the lives of millions of people."
The Vitalscan device is the product of two areas of research led by Professor Varcoe: experiments in quantum information science and fundamental measurements of relativity. The development was in response to a comment from a clinician who noted that the long waiting times experienced by people with chest pain can be attributed to the fact that there are no devices that will rule out heart disease. Having been on the receiving end of a long waiting list, Professor Varcoe set out to solve this problem.
The device that was needed, a cardiac magnetic imaging device called a magnetocardiogram (MCG), already existed but it was too large and unwieldy to be used in routine investigations. The problem is that the magnetic field of the heart is millions of times smaller than the naturally occurring background field and therefore requires a highly sensitive detector as well as specialist signal processing. Therefore the MCG has traditionally relied on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs).
A major weakness of a SQUID, however, is that it can be used only in a specalist environment. The solution was to create a new type of sensor array that is more closely related to antenna arrays used in astrophysics, but used in reverse. Instead of detecting distant objects and eliminating local signals, Vitalscan eliminates the distant background and detects local signals.
Professor Varcoe says: "The imaging head doesn't need to be in contact with the patient, and it is field free and emisson free. The imaging head is placed several millimetres away from the chest outside a layer of clothing. The image is captured using a coil structure that eliminates unwanted environmental noise while detecting the natural magnetic field produced by the patient's heart."
Clinical trials at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; North Bristol NHS Trust; St. George's University Hospitals NHS Trust and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust mark the largest-ever multicentre clinical trial of a magnetocardiography device. These trials will be followed by a second stage in the United States – at centres including the Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota, in Cincinnati and in Baylor Texas.
Spin-out's sale could help transform diabetes treatment
The recent acquisition of Ziylo, a University of Bristol spin-out company rooted in leading-edge EPSRC-funded chemistry research, could mark a major turning-point in the drive to develop safer, more effective treatment of diabetes. In August 2018, Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk bought the company in a deal potentially worth up to US$800 million and the company now aims to incorporate a ground-breaking glucose-binding molecule developed by Ziylo into a radical new type of insulin.
World's first-ever glucose-responsive insulin now potentially within reach
Could be available to the global healthcare sector within 10 years
Could benefit many millions of people living with diabetes around the world
Novo Nordisk's goal is to develop an innovative insulin that, by reacting and adapting to glucose levels in the blood (i.e. blood sugar levels), makes it easier for diabetics to manage their condition and minimises the risk of 'hypos' – episodes of hypoglycemia, when blood sugar levels fall dangerously low. Hypos are the most common side effect of taking insulin to manage diabetes; they can lead to seizures and, in some cases, can even prove fatal.
Ziylo's molecule could be a key component in such an insulin thanks to its ability not only to 'seek out' glucose in the blood but also to bind to it with unprecedented strength and selectivity. Originally inspired by the carbohydrate-binding molecules found in nature, its discovery followed years of pioneering supramolecular chemistry research by Professor Tony Davis's research group at the University of Bristol.
"This extraordinary new molecule appears to be the perfect glucose sensor and could help change the lives of millions of people for the better," says Professor Davis, who has been at the forefront of research into synthetic sugar receptors for 20 years; his work in this field has been supported by two EPSRC postdoctoral grants and two EPSRC Impact Acceleration Awards. To help translate their academic thinking application, the Ziylo team also received funding of £500,000 through ICURe, an Innovate UK programme which helps university researchers to explore the commercial potential of their work.
Professor Davis says: "Collectively, this funding added real momentum to the process of developing and commercialising our breakthrough. After I had produced initial designs of the new molecule on computer, there were still a lot of challenges that needed to be tackled in terms of actually making it and then securing a patent."
A crucial role was played by Robert Tromans, a PhD student at Bristol's EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Synthesis where Professor Davis is a supervisor, who joined the Davis Research Group as a direct result of that link.
"My project focused on the synthesis of new types of receptors for carbohydrates," says Dr Tromans, who finished his PhD and joined Ziylo earlier this year. "One of these receptors formed the basis for the new glucose-binding molecule and I discovered its remarkable binding selectivity for glucose before going on to realise its full potential throughout the rest of my PhD. I worked closely with Ziylo, which enabled the company to further develop the molecule."
Alongside PhD student Harry Destecroix and Tom Smart, Tony Davis founded Ziylo in 2014. With Ziylo now absorbed into Novo Nordisk following the acquisition deal, vital work to optimise the molecule for use in the new insulin will be undertaken by Carbometrics, a brand new spin-out company co-founded by Professor Davis, Tom Smart, Keith MacDonald and Dr Andy Chapman.
Led by co-founder and CEO, Dr Harry Destecroix, who was also Ziylo's CEO, Carbometrics is also targeting a highly robust and accurate glucose sensing platform that can be used to create a market-leading Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) solution. The company's 11-strong team includes former PhD students and post-docs from the Davis Group.
The Ziylo deal could be worth US$800 million depending on the achievement of development, regulatory and sales milestones. The next phase of research will be followed by clinical trials which, it is hoped, will pave the way for the new insulin to become available within around a decade. Novo Nordisk's investment in UK expertise provides clear evidence of the UK's international standing in cutting-edge chemistry research and its ability to generate discoveries with huge commercial potential.
Professor Davis concludes: "The key to the breakthrough was perseverance and determination to produce the perfect molecule for this specific application. Our focus was never simply on making an advance that was interesting purely in academic terms – we were intent on reaching an outcome with genuine potential to deliver major real-world benefits and we've succeeded in achieving that."
Robotic surgery breakthrough
Professor Sanja Dogramadzi, from Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), University of the West of England, has led the development of a ground-breaking robotic system that enables surgeons to put joint fractures back together using a minimally invasive approach. Supported by an underpinning EPSRC investment, it is the first robot-assisted system designed to deal with this problem.
Ground-breaking robotic system enables surgeons to put joint fractures back together using a minimally invasive approach
Technology combines state-of-the-art 3D imaging, pattern recognition and robotic surgery
Will ultimately lead to less onerous surgery; perfect fragment re-alignment; improved patient outcomes; and significantly reduced NHS costs
Working alongside Professor Roger Atkins, an orthopaedic surgeon at University Hospital Bristol, and MATOrtho®, a UK leading medical device company, Professor Dogramadzi received funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to refine the system.
Broken bones that involve joints cause considerable disability and substantial NHS costs. To work properly and avoid painful arthritis, the pieces of the joint must be put back together perfectly. Surgeons do this by making a large incision to open up the area around the joint and see the broken bits. These wounds cause pain, scarring and infection risk and long hospital stays.
The Bristol team's surgical system combines state-of-the-art 3D imaging, pattern recognition and robotics. It begins with CT scans of healthy and fractured joints. These are 'interpreted' by a mathematical algorithm which works out the exact displacement and rotation needed for each fragment to be put back together in exactly the right place. The solution to this 3D puzzle is the starting point for the minimally invasive surgical robotic system that repositions the fragments under the surgeon's supervision.
Professor Dogramadzi says: "This collaboration is all about taking the latest advances in technology and using them in a real application which will have direct benefits to patients.
"By working closely with surgeons we have been able to design a workable system which will function within the constraints of real surgery and meet the needs of patients. The robots we are developing will enhance the work of surgeons by carrying out complex tasks suited to robots, while the surgeon stays in control and makes the decisions essential to the success of the surgery.
"Ultimately the system allows for earlier and less onerous surgery; reliable, perfect fragment re-alignment; improved patient outcomes; faster rehabilitation; reduced hospital stays; earlier return to work; fewer complications; arthritis avoidance; and significantly reduced NHS costs.
Bristol Robotics Laboratory is a collaborative partnership between the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol.
The underpinning research and creation of the prototype system was funded by EPSRC and developed in collaboration with Simpleware Ltd, a pioneer of 3D computer modelling software formed in 2003 to bring to market EPSRC-funded research by Professor Philippe Young at the University of Exeter.
Food is clearly something that we all have an interest in but we may not have stopped to consider the engineering and physical sciences relating to it, whether that is the packaging it comes in or the technologies used to produce it and transport it. In an ever more connected world, driven by consumer demand, we expect to access food from across the globe at any time of year and advances in technologies are enabling this to happen.
EPSRC has a diverse portfolio of research and training related to food ranging across manufacturing, chemistry, physics and engineering.
TastyFloats: A Contactless Food Delivery System
Floating food could be the next culinary craze thanks to a new invention that levitates, transports and delivers food and drink directly onto your tongue.
Invention could help gaming companies integrate taste, touch and smell into our VR and gaming experiences
Floating food yields more intense flavours
Ultrasound technology creates invisible shapes that trap the object in place in mid-air
Scientists at the University of Sussex, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, have created a contactless food-delivery system that uses ultrasound to float taste sensations from the kitchen to the mouth.
The TastyFloats system promises 'new culinary experiences' as well as potential applications in gaming, virtual reality and cinema, according to the research team.
Early findings show that levitated food delivers more intense flavours for the tastes that have been experimented with so far – including sweet, bitter and umami (savoury quality).
The technology uses low-cost ultrasonic transducers to form a standing wave of ultrasound. The waves are manipulated in such a way that they act as 'acoustic holograms', creating invisible shapes that trap the object in place in mid-air. By changing these patterns, the food can be carried along on the wave and delivered to a precise location.
The research team conducted an experiment using bitter, sweet and umami flavours and delivered them in three different volumes to the user's tongue. Their preliminary findings suggest that even with the smallest quantity, bitter becomes less unpleasant despite its adverse qualities.
Lead researcher Dr Chi Thanh Vi, from the University of Sussex, says: "Some top chefs are already presenting dishes with levitation but this tends to use magnetic force, meaning that the plate rather than the food is floating. Our study is the first to show that it is possible to levitate the food and drink morsels themselves, opening up a whole new design space."
While the current proof-of-concept device can only levitate tiny food morsels, the researchers plan to work with bigger and multiple items, which can allow more complex combinations of food items (almost like a meal).
The invention is likely to excite not just chefs but technology and gaming companies which are already exploring ways of integrating taste, touch and smell into our entertainment experiences.
The technology can be fine-tuned to such a degree that it can even deliver food in a certain order, such as cheese followed by wine, or together, such as espresso with milk.
Growing plants in underground tunnels
An innovative and award-winning urban farming facility is creating energy-efficient growing conditions in tunnels 120 feet below the busy streets of Clapham in London. Micro greens and salad leaves are thriving with the help of a smart monitoring programme that records temperature, humidity and CO2 levels.
Previously dormant tunnels, 120 feet below the streets of London, create energy-efficient growing conditions to sustainably produce the pesticide-free crop
Wireless sensors and web cams monitor temperature, humidity, CO2, air velocity and light
While the focus is on urban farming the team are looking to repurpose spaces rather than use new buildings
Growing Underground, an award-winning urban farming facility, is working with researchers from the EPSRC-supported Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) to grow micro greens and salad leaves in former WW2 air-raid shelters 120 feet below the streets of London.
The two tunnels, which are on different levels and have a total area of 65,000 square feet, are leased from Transport for London having laid dormant for 60 years. Fed by hydroponic systems, they create energy-efficient growing conditions to sustainably produce the pesticide-free crop. The plants are thriving with the help of a smart monitoring programme developed by the CSIC team that records temperature, humidity and CO2 levels.
The team, led by CSIC Co-Investigator, Dr Ruchi Choudhary, installed wireless sensors and web cams that monitor temperature, humidity, CO2, air velocity and light in a section of the tunnel used for growing crops. More sensors were added in the summer to help to maintain a constant tunnel temperature of between 20-25 degrees Centigrade. Most sensors need cables, but the CSIC team's sensors are wireless and are designed to cope with the humidity underground.
The aim of Growing Underground is to bring edible crop production to the heart of the city while minimising the carbon impact of food transportation. The verdant trays of fennel, garlic chives, pea shoots and coriander, among others, can be picked and on a plate in a restaurant within hours. The forward-thinking company, which sells its greens through Ocado and Marks & Spencer and aims to be carbon neutral, has just been awarded the BBC Future Food Award.
While the team's focus is on urban farming they are looking to repurpose spaces rather than use new buildings; these could be tunnels or rooftops that are not currently being used.
Ventilation is the chief energy consumer at the Growing Underground project and real-time monitoring data has enabled adjustments that have cut consumption for ventilation without affecting yield.
The partially crowd-funded company is able to access the data 24/7, creating a 'lifetime performance passport' which provides the asset owners, present and future, with a rich source of information.
Richard Ballard, co-founder of Growing Underground, who discovered the tunnels when he was a film student scouting for locations, says: "We have been very lucky to partner with the University of Cambridge. Ruchi and her team have really helped us monitor and develop the space, which will enable us to eventually get the optimum growing environment.
"They have provided us with monthly reports which have allowed us to make adjustments to improve temperature, humidity and air velocity, and now we are working together to improve CO2 levels through enrichment."
Photography: Christopher Rudquist
Slow-melt ice cream could lead to lower-calorie foods
University of Edinburgh scientists have unlocked the secret of slower-melting ice cream, thanks to a new food ingredient.
Newly discovered protein is more resistant to melting
The discovery could also lead to lower calorie foods
The protein has potential for use in home and personal based products
Professor Cait MacPhee CBE, from the University of Edinburgh, working with colleagues from the University of Dundee, has discovered a naturally occurring protein, known as BslA, that can be used to create ice cream that is more resistant to melting than conventional products. The protein binds together the air, fat and water in ice cream, creating a super-smooth consistency.
The new ingredient could enable ice creams to keep frozen for longer in hot weather. It could also prevent gritty ice crystals from forming, ensuring a fine, smooth texture like those of luxury ice creams.
The development could allow products to be manufactured with lower levels of saturated fat – and fewer calories – than at present.
The team have developed a method of producing BslA, which occurs naturally in some foods, in friendly bacteria. They estimate that ice cream made with the ingredient could be available within five years. The protein could soon be used not just in ice cream but for home and personal based products.
Professor MacPhee says: "The ice-cream breakthrough is a consequence of my research into protein self-assembly. The self-assembly of proteins underpins the texture of foodstuffs including egg, meat and milk products. My research seeks to understand this process of self-assembly – both to prevent or reverse disease, and to drive the development of new materials and foodstuffs."
Home may be where the heart is but it is also full of engineering and physical sciences research from smart meters to lighting through to the many appliances we now consider to be essential items, and our entertainment systems. Technology has not only improved the efficiency of our heating, lighting and appliances but it has also connected them through the Internet of Things - we can now control everything within our homes remotely.
EPSRC's portfolio of research and training related to the home stretches across all disciplines but is particularly associated with the digital economy programme.
Self-cleaning surfaces for windows, cars, clothes...
An international research team led by UCL (University College London) have developed technology that enables surfaces such as windows, steel worktops and even clothes to essentially clean themselves.
Researchers created a new paint, made from coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles, that has self-cleaning properties
Adhesives were added to the paint creating a resilient surface that is resistant to everyday wear and tear
These smart materials have a wide range of applications including self-cleaning glass, paints and fabrics
Using cutting-edge chemistry and inspired by natural processes, the team devised a new kind of paint that takes its cue from the water repelling properties of plants such as the lotus whose leaves have stubbled surfaces that cause rainwater to ball into tight droplets. When these balls roll along the surface of the leaf, they pick up dirt, viruses and bacteria, cleaning it but not making it wet. In this way, a rain shower could clean a car instead of making it dirty.
Working at the nanoscale, the team developed a paint that, just like the lotus leaf, has a rough surface. They achieved this using two different sizes of titanium dioxide nanoparticle – creating a kind of stubble that makes the paint 'superhydrophobic' (highly afraid of water). They added a hydrophobic chemical called fluorosilane, which makes the surface waxy. The effect is that water forms near-spherical droplets that pick up dirt as they roll off – acting like a miniature vacuum.
The breakthrough builds on long-term EPSRC support of research into surface sciences at UCL, led by Professors Ivan Parkin and Claire Carmalt.
While self-cleaning surfaces are not a new invention, most are short-lived after they have been applied. The UCL team came up with a simple yet ingenious solution to this problem.
Professor Carmalt says: "The biggest challenge for the widespread application of self-cleaning surfaces is finding a way to make them tough enough to withstand everyday damage. The surfaces tend to be mechanically weak and so rub off easily, but by pairing our paint with different adhesives, we've shown it is possible to make a robust self-cleaning surface that makes the paint effective even after being scratched, scuffed or exposed to oil.
"We used adhesives that are commercially available so our methods can be scaled-up for use in industry such as car manufacture. Potential applications include paint for cars and even for use in antimicrobial coatings to combat hospital infections."
The team, from UCL, Imperial College London and Dalian University of Technology (China),
used different coating methods, depending on the material, to create the water repellent surfaces. An artist's spray-gun was used to coat glass and steel, dip-coating for cotton wool and a syringe to apply the paint onto paper.
All the materials became waterproof and self-cleaning as water droplets of different sizes were seen bouncing instead of wetting the surface, removing the dirt applied by the researchers. This was maintained even after damage was inflicted on the surfaces.
Yao Lu, a key member of the UCL team, says: "Our paint worked extremely well for a variety of surfaces in tough conditions which were designed to simulate the wear and tear of materials in the real world. For example, car paint frequently gets scuffed and scratched and we wanted to make sure our paint would survive that."
The researchers are extending their research towards wider and multiple applications, including a new type of smart window that could cut window-cleaning costs in tall buildings and reduce heating bills.
Professor Carmalt currently leads an Innovate UK and EPSRC-funded project, with industrial partner AzkoNobel, to develop stain-resistant household paints from smart hydrophobic surfaces. She also leads a large EPSRC-funded project to develop a new generation of low cost, industrially-viable transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), which are ubiquitous in modern consumer electronics, such as smartphones, laptops and flat panel displays.
Improving home energy efficiency
EPSRC-supported researchers at the University of Southampton won the £30,000 first prize at the British Gas Connecting Homes Start up Competition for a system that aims to improve energy efficiency in the home.
The MyJoulo system, developed by Dr Reuben Wilcock and Professor Alex Rogers, led to the launch of a spin-out company, Joulo, which was later acquired by Quby, Europe's leading developer of smart thermostats and energy displays.
The secret behind Joulo is clever artificial intelligence software, built into the Joulo USB temperature logger, which resembles a conventional USB memory stick. Customers place the device on top of their central heating thermostat and leave it for a week to collect data while the heating is used as normal. They then upload data from the logger to a website to receive instant personalised advice on how to reduce their heating bill.
Joulo was just one of a host of successful projects arising from ORCHID, a major EPSRC-supported project that aims to reinvent our relationship with computers.
Robotic systems to help the elderly at home
Consequential Robotics, an award-winning University of Sheffield spin-out company, is developing companion and assistive robotic systems that will enhance quality of life as people age.
Robots designed to be the eyes, ears and hands of the intelligent house or the smart office
Robots behave in a lifelike way and use control systems modelled on the brain
Human-centred design focuses on understanding the practical needs of users as well as their emotional wants and dreams
Products include a 'pet' companion and a smartphone-linked bed-table that can move under its own power
The company, which has won numerous awards and accolades since its launch in 2015, is the brainchild of internationally-acclaimed product designer, Sebastian Conran, and EPSRC-supported researchers, who are building on 20 years' research at the university into developing robots that behave in a lifelike way and that use control systems modelled on the brain.
Conran, the University of Sheffield's Designer in Residence, who is supported by an EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account, says: "At the heart of our approach is human-centred design – understanding the practical needs of our users as well as their emotional wants and dreams."
MiRo (pictured), an emotionally engaging 'pet' robot companion, is already on the market as a developer version for researchers, and is designed to make decisions, display emotions and respond to others in a truly unique and autonomous way. MiRo's character and form have been carefully considered to be friendly and approachable, but not toy-like.
Prototypes under development include IntelliTable, an autonomous assistive over-bed table capable of moving under its own power and which can be voice-activated using a smartphone. The IntelliTable platform is being adapted for hospital rehabilitation therapies with partners including the Sheffield Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare.
Professor Tony Prescott, Director of the Sheffield Robotics research institute, who co-founded the company with Conran and Dr Ben Mitchinson, says: "I'm convinced of the value of including design at an early stage in the development of robotic projects.
"Our emphasis is on understanding how people will use robots in their lives at home, at work, and in shared spaces. Robots will be the eyes, ears and hands of the intelligent house or the smart office, designed to work quietly, safely and unobtrusively; complementing and assisting people, not replacing them."
Whether we are talking about primary, secondary, further or postgraduate education, we are all passionate about ensuring access to the best learning experience that is available. That might mean investing in environments that encourage learning, technologies that support teaching or research that impacts education policy. But it also means inspiring and motivating students at all stages of their education.
EPSRC's education portfolio spans all these areas, using ICT and digital technologies to enhance learning and working with public engagement partners to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Bloodhound SSC – inspiring millions of schoolchildren
EPSRC is a founding sponsor of BLOODHOUND SSC, a hugely ambitious UK engineering project to create a supersonic, rocket-powered car which aims to break the World Land Speed Record at Hakskeen Pan in South Africa.
In October 2017 the vehicle was transported to Cornwall to undergo its first public test runs and show off the car, with its fitted tail fin bearing the names of 1,000 individual sponsors, many of them children.
EPSRC has been involved in the BLOODHOUND project since its inception in 2008. It funded an aerodynamics team at Swansea University that has played a vital role in the project, carrying out the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research crucial to ensuring BLOODHOUND stays on the ground and can deal with the air flow.
Swansea's Dr Ben Evans says: "Wind tunnels have massive limitations. BLOODHOUND is a car, so it's rolling on the ground. There are no wind tunnels where you can simulate this with a car travelling faster than the speed of sound. Our job is to make sure the vehicle stays on the ground, and that the drag is as low as possible."
The current World Land Speed Record is held by RAF pilot Andy Green, driving Thrust SSC, which broke the sound barrier in 1997. EPSRC-supported academics Professors Nigel Weatherill, Ken Morgan and Dr Oubay Hassan at Swansea University played a pivotal role in the vehicle's computational modelling. They have also provided their expertise to the BLOODHOUND SSC project, which is led by Richard Noble, who also led the THRUST SSC project 20 years ago. Andy Green will reprise his role behind the wheel of BLOODHOUND.
In addition, EPSRC has supported the project's educational programme which has engaged with over 5,000 schools and over two million children have enjoyed BLOODHOUND activities.
Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC's chief executive, says: "BLOODHOUND has already introduced thousands of children to the exciting world of science, engineering and maths, building their own model rocket cars, learning about aerodynamics and generally having fun.
"It has also drawn together expertise from different industry sectors and attracted global interest and sponsorship. EPSRC is proud to have been with the project from the start and looks forward to seeing it break the world land speed record."
Facts about BLOODHOUND
BLOODHOUND is approximately 13.4 metres long and weighs 7.5 tonnes
At 3,000oC the temperature in the rocket is twice as hot as the inside of a volcano
BLOODHOUND will take just 3.6 seconds to do the flying mile
At 180 decibels, the vehicle's hybrid rocket could be louder than a 747 taking off
The car will accelerate from 0-1,000mph in 55 seconds and 500-1,000mph in 17 seconds
To learn more visit the BLOODHOUND website.
EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training – building skills for a prosperous nation
EPSRC is the largest investor in doctoral training in the UK, providing young engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle evolving issues and future challenges.
Around £500 million invested in 115 EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs)
Over £450 million matched funding from industry and other partners
CDTs span 49 UK universities involved in training over 7,000 students
Around 40 per cent of all EPSRC-funded students go on to work in business or public services
Since 2013, EPSRC has invested around £500 million in 115 EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs). This investment has been matched by more than £450 million from business, universities and other stakeholders, creating the UK's largest investment in postgraduate training in engineering and physical sciences.
Spanning over 40 UK universities and training over 7,000 students, CDTs bring together diverse areas of expertise to ensure advances in research in many areas of fundamental science and engineering, as well as providing future leaders in key areas for the UK economy including energy, data science, manufacturing, materials and healthcare technology.
Each centre trains doctoral students for four years. The programme includes technical and transferrable skills training, as well as a research element. They provide a supportive and exciting environment for students, creating new working cultures, building relationships between teams in universities and forging lasting links with industry.
The investments are crucial to avoid systemic skills shortages in the UK. Many of the centres involve research that connects to key industries and important technologies which aid innovation and growth. Over 1,000 industry and charity partners are involved in the centres, leveraging around £450 million worth of support.
As an example, the EPSRC CDT in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment at the University of Cambridge aims to develop world-class multidisciplinary engineers equipped to face current and future challenges related to infrastructure and the built environment. The centre's industrial partners work closely with it to shape its training programme and ensure this meets the UK's skills requirements. The centre is receiving EPSRC funding of £4.2 million and nearly £5 million in industrial support.
Tim Embley, Innovation Director at engineering multinational, Costain, says: "The teams emerging from this CDT will be the next-generation business leaders who will solve some of the most pressing challenges faced by the infrastructure sector. It's vitally important that industry has a pipeline of innovation emerging from research relationships with experienced people with the knowledge to implement solutions. The CDT is meeting this need."
Well-designed classrooms can boost learning
A University of Salford research project has found clear evidence that well-designed primary school classrooms boost children's learning progress in reading, writing and maths.
Classroom design can boost learning progress by up to 16 per cent a year
Light, temperature, air quality, level of stimulation and individualisation in the classroom design were among the biggest physical factors impacting on pupils' learning progress
Research led to quick and cost effective ways for teachers to improve their classrooms
The EPSRC-supported research team, with initial support from architectural firm, IBI Architects (previously Nightingale Associates), looked at 153 classrooms across 27 primary schools in Blackpool and other areas across the UK, collecting data on pupils' progress. Their findings showed that differences in the physical design of the classrooms explained 16 per cent of the variation in the annual learning progress of the 3,766 pupils involved.
The study considered a wide range of sensory factors and used multi-level statistical modelling techniques to isolate the effects of classroom design from the influences of other factors, such as the pupils themselves and their teachers. The results have generated a high level of interest amongst teachers, designers and policymakers, including the World Bank.
The team found that the biggest physical factors impacting on pupils' learning progress were in three areas, stimulation, individualisation and naturalness, or SIN for short. Their research identified many simple, quick and cost-effective ways for teachers to change their classrooms to make a real difference to a child's performance in reading, writing and maths.
The project was led by Professor Peter Barrett, from the University's School of the Built Environment. He says: "It has long been known that various aspects of the built environment impact on people in buildings, but this is the first time a holistic assessment has been made that successfully links the overall impact directly to learning rates in schools. The impact identified is in fact greater than we imagined.
"We're not talking about major investment on behalf of the school or local authority – quite the opposite. The focus is on simple choices about how classrooms are used and evidence-based decisions when schools are being built.
"I hope our 'Clever Classrooms' report will become a valuable asset for teachers and school designers across the UK, and beyond, and can make a real and lasting impact on children's learning progress at such an important stage in a child's development."
John Coe, Chair of the National Association for Primary Education, says: "The research offers sound sense; and teachers, putting children first as always, can improve their classrooms without spending a lot of money."
HEAD / Clever Classrooms Design
Whether we use traditional high street banks or prefer to manage our finances online, the security of our information and data is critical. Similarly, we all recognise the importance of insurance but we take for granted the complex algorithms and data crunching that go on in the background to define and price the policies we are issued.
EPSRC's portfolio around financial services relies heavily on the mathematical sciences as well as the ICT, digital economy and cybersecurity programmes.
Creating a Security Culture
From power stations to PC's we are increasingly dependent on the nations cybersecurity expertise to keep the nation running smoothly and that means keeping one step ahead of sophisticated hackers and criminals.
The world is connected more than ever, transforming lives and industry but with it comes danger. Infrastructure is the backbone of the UK from our power stations to our airports it keeps the country running but all this data, all this connectivity also makes us vulnerable to cyber attacks. And as more businesses use algorithms for the control systems so the threat grows.
EPSRC and supported researchers have contributed to a news-style broadcast programme produced by ITN Productions, which explores the issues around cybersecurity – a topic that is highly relevant to the financial services sector.
It highlights how EPSRC-supported research is ensuring that the UK has the skills and measures in place to address the cyber security threats the UK faces across all industries and sectors.
Quantum tech secures online data transmission with new microchips
EPSRC-supported researchers at the University of Bristol, with international partners, have harnessed the strange world of quantum mechanics to ensure that online data – from bank transactions and internet shopping to the data used in systems that maintain critical infrastructure – is safe at all times.
Quantum technologies create unbreakable encryption codes for online data transmission
Sectors that could immediately benefit from 'unlimited lifetime' security include telecommunications, finance, government and defence
The technology has been integrated into microchips within a single platform, paving the way for use in mobile devices
Award-winning spin-out company set up to bring 'single photon' technology to market
Complex cryptography protects our bank accounts and identities from fraud, as today's computers are too slow to juggle the billions of permutations needed to crack the virtual codes they employ. But the potential introduction of ultra-powerful quantum computers, which can crunch numbers at near-light speeds, renders our personal information vulnerable to direct attack from eavesdroppers equipped with this technology.
The Bristol team's quantum key distribution technology turns tables on the attackers through the development of devices that exploit quantum properties, such as absolute randomness, superposition, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, to create quantum secured communications systems.
Unlike conventional chips that convey data using electricity, the new chips use photons – single particles of light – in different quantum states to encode and exchange information, or in this case secure digital keys.
Thanks to the spooky nature of quantum mechanics the result is an unbreakable 'quantum encryption key' with an unlimited lifetime. Though mind-bogglingly complex, the security of the team's quantum key distribution technology is based on a simple principle: if any eavesdropper tries to access the key by measuring the photons that fly between legitimate users, they will necessarily disturb them, alerting the users to their presence. It seems that quantum mechanics gives us a nice, built-in eavesdropping detection mechanism. Since we are only transmitting the key (not message data) and waiting to verify it is secure before use, one's data is never at risk.
This work has been supported by the UK Quantum Communication Hub, part of a national network funded by EPSRC under the National Quantum Technologies Programme, and is being brought to market by KETS Quantum Security Ltd, an award-winning company formed by Dr Phil Sibson; Dr Chris Erven; Dr Jake Kennard, and Professor Mark Thompson.
Professor Thompson, the project's principal investigator, says: "If an eavesdropper hacks your transmission, the fragile quantum state will instantly collapse and the system will terminate the transmission, immediately alerting you of the eavesdropper's presence."
Smarter maths generates better value insurance products
Research into data mining and statistical analysis by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA), has created more competitive insurance products while pioneering key advances in computer science and statistics for industry.
Research led to key advances in computer science and statistics for industry
Helped generate more competitive quotes for Aviva's general insurance and pensions customers
Enabled savings of many millions as a result of changes in pricing for general insurance products
Saved £150,000 saved through an in-house risk costing project
In collaboration with UK insurance group, Aviva (formerly Norwich Union), the research has led to considerably improved Aviva products and more competitive quotations for customers while maintaining the company's profitability. It also helped pioneer data mining techniques today relied on by a host of industries and sectors, from banking to retail, security to social sciences.
The research is now led by Professor Elena Kulinskaya, Aviva Chair in Statistics at UEA, who has used it to tackle specific challenges relating to medical statistics and the insurance industry, such as customers' future longevity.
Professor Kulinskaya's work builds on EPSRC and Norwich Union-supported studies in the 1990s led by Professor Vic Rayward-Smith, a pioneer in the emerging discipline of data mining. Using advanced computer algorithms, data mining makes it possible to identify potentially useful patterns, such as customer preferences, from vast and complex data sets.
Professor Rayward-Smith and Dr Beatriz de la Iglesia, then a Postdoctoral Research Associate, were among the first to describe how data mining could be used in industrial applications. With the advent of the Big Data era, data mining and tools such as those developed by the UEA team are now essential to identify patterns and future trends across a wide range of sectors, from the insurance industry to healthcare; telecommunications to retail.
The managing director of Aviva Life's At Retirement division acknowledges the value of the UEA research. He says: "Insurance is a very competitive industry and correct pricing and marketing are core to our survival. It's difficult to quantify the exact savings that UEA's input has made to Aviva, but it would certainly run into many millions"
Sport is part of our national identity; it has positive impact on our physical and mental health; and it adds £38 billion to the UK economy each year. Whether we enjoy playing sport or watching it, and whatever other ways we chose to relax and unwind in our spare time, the engineering and physical sciences enhance our experience through the application of new technologies that improve equipment and performance.
EPSRC's research and training portfolio in this area is diverse, stretching across its engineering, ICT, Mathematical Sciences and Digital Economy programmes.
Optimising treatment and prevention of running injuries
Some three-quarters of runners get injured every year, mainly due to poor running style. Run3D, a company formed to bring EPSRC-supported research to market, is pioneering ways to analyse and help optimise the treatment and prevention of running injuries. Its clients include Olympian Jo Pavey.
Run3D's 3D analysis system can pinpoint the causes and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries
Suitable for athletes of all ages and all abilities
Clients include Olympic athletes
Run3D was set up by Jessica Bruce (nee Leitch), whose goal was to bring the type of technology she had used during her PhD at the University of Oxford to help athletes of all ages and all abilities to assess, prevent and treat musculoskeletal overuse injuries.
The company's roots stem from an EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Secondment in 2012, which enabled Jessica to set-up a private running biomechanics service at the Oxford Gait Laboratory at the University of Oxford, initially in collaboration with the University of Calgary.
The centre was the first in the UK to offer a highly specialised 3D motion analysis service, and today it franchises the technology to sports injury clinics and musculoskeletal specialists across the UK.
The centre's infrared cameras make it possible to measure the three-dimensional movement of an athlete's joints in real time at 200 times per second and within two degrees of accuracy. Using this information it is possible to identify and improve very subtle issues in a person's running gait that could be negatively affecting their performance and increasing their risk of injury. It is impossible to measure gait this accurately using traditional video-based systems.
Run3D's real-time analysis system can both pinpoint the causes and allow them to be corrected. This might be through exercise therapy, recommendations on footwear, physiotherapy or changing the way a person runs.
Physiotherapist, Andrea Bachand, the clinical lead at Run3D, says: "Because the technology works in real time we can check to see if the changes are working. We can also identify things that are impacting on someone's performance.
"One example might be a triathlete transitioning from the bike to running, and their pelvis is tilted forward. This is going to affect their running. Run3D can be used for gait retraining to correct this problem."
Run3D received £83,000 from Innovate UK to develop its prototype 3D gait analysis system. It also partnered with Dutch company Motekforce Link, integrating its pioneering, real-time technology into the Run3D system.
The company is building a franchised network around cutting-edge technology designed to help runners at all proficiency levels avoid injuries and improve their performance. There are now Run3D sports clinics in Oxford, London, Surrey, Essex, Hampshire, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Belfast, Dublin and Amsterdam.
Jo Pavey, a World, European and Commonwealth long-distance medallist and Olympian, says: "Run3D gave me the opportunity to address my injury problems and that's really exciting for me. It was perfect timing as I was just about to go into Olympic year and I didn't want to leave any stone unturned.
"I wanted to be able to train harder than ever before and really push the boundaries but I also wanted to know that I can do it safely without putting myself at risk of further injury. After receiving the results of my assessment I could see the areas of concern, enabling me to know exactly what I needed to do if a niggle developed."
More than four million amateur sports people are injured every year in the UK, usually through poor running style or posture or by over-ambitious training. It also costs the economy an estimated £61 million in lost productivity.
Run3D uses infrared cameras and computer modelling to accurately calculate the joint angles at the hips, knees and ankles in the three planes of human movement.
Run3D's extensive database can determine unusual patterns in a client's running style. This information is then used to identify the most likely cause of an injury, to recommend the best treatment and to prevent injury from recurring.
Small, reflective markers are placed on the runner's lower body. As the individual runs, three infrared cameras record the 3D positions of each marker 200 times a second. The marker positions are then used to create a lower-limb model, from which it is possible to calculate the joint angles of the lower-limbs.
Custom-built software identifies parameters that have been associated with running-related injuries and compares these variables to the company's database of uninjured runners. A full assessment is completed within 20-30 minutes. This type of assessment is the most advanced method of quantifying the way a person moves available at this time.
Skeleton athlete design wins triple Olympic gold
In February 2018, Lizzy Yarnold sped to gold medal success in the skeleton event at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics – repeating her triumph four years earlier at the Sochi games in Russia. But her double achievement was not just a reward for her dedication and athleticism, it was also a triumph for UK engineering design.
EPSRC-supported doctoral students designed triple-Olympic gold medal-winning sled
Research involved cutting-edge computer modelling and wind tunnel testing
After receiving their Engineering Doctorates both designers were employed by Formula 1 legend McLaren
Yarnold's victories were achieved on a skeleton sled co-designed by Rachel Blackburn and James Roche, former EPSRC doctoral students at the University of Southampton. In addition to designing Yarnold's double-gold-winning sled, nicknamed Mervyn, Blackburn and Roche were responsible for Amy Williams' gold medal-winning sled 'Arther' at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Although constantly updated with the latest technology, the core design for Mervyn has remained the same since it was built in 2009.
The design emerged after a four-year project at the university's Performance Sports Engineering Lab, which combined experimental work with the latest computational analysis techniques. The sled was tested in the university's R J Mitchell wind tunnel with the aim of improving understanding of skeleton performance.
In 2010 Rachel and James joined McLaren Applied Technologies, an offshoot of the Formula One company based in Woking, Surrey. This enabled them to bring further improvements to the design of the sled.
James has since joined INEOS TeamUK the British yacht racing team led by Sir Ben Ainslie, where he is Performance & Data Analysis Team Leader. In 2021 the team will be challenging to win the 36th America's Cup.
Rachel, who was design engineer for the British Skeleton in PyeongChang, says: "The skills we learned from the Engineering Doctorate programme at Southampton, coupled with the ideas and knowledge of the British Skeleton and UKSport support staff, gave us a good grounding for implementing engineering solutions. Working with the athletes themselves helped us put our ideas into practice.
"The project also allowed us to develop new skills – from track testing, data analysis and prototyping through to full roll-out production of the sled."
James says: "It was a fantastic honour to work with British Skeleton, supporting Amy, Lizzy and their fellow athletes in their respective successes.
"EPSRC funding was the catalyst that allowed Rachel and myself to pursue an academic and latterly engineering career in such a unique and challenging field."
Picture courtesy UK Sport.
Fast-track algorithms drive F1/Supercar success
A long-standing R&D collaboration between Professor Malcolm Smith, from the University of Cambridge, and legendary British supercar maker and Formula One giant, McLaren, has led to revolutionary suspension technology now employed in all Formula One cars, and which could have wider applications, such as in the railways of the future.
Applied fundamental science revolutionises suspension technology now used by all Formula 1 teams and in other motor sports
The technology has other potential applications, such as for use on railways
Further research led to acclaimed suspension system in latest McLaren 720S supercar
Demonstrates benefits of long-term academic/industry partnerships
Professor Smith's latest breakthrough is a semi-active suspension system for the McLaren 720S supercar, developed with PhD student Panos Brezas. In March 2018, Top Gear presenter and racing car driver, Chris Harris, described the system as "So good… It's like witchcraft."
The cornerstone of Professor Smith's research is a fusion of cutting-edge mathematical theory, physics and modelling, applied to solve real-world engineering problems.
The partnership between McLaren and Professor Smith dates back to the late 1990s, and grew out of research into mechanical networks and suspension systems forged from an earlier partnership with the Williams Formula 1 team. This collaboration led to the development of active race car suspension systems so successful that they were eventually banned by Formula One's governing body, which demanded a return to 'passive' suspension set-ups.
Following the 1994 ban, Professor Smith started looking at the fundamentals of passive suspension, and entered into a collaboration with McLaren.
Standard suspension systems are based around two components – springs and shock absorbers. Together, these components absorb and dissipate energy in order to improve a vehicle's ride and handling. Smith's solution was ingenious – a third component, coined the Inerter, which was used to control a car's oscillations, improve mechanical grip and cut lap times. It was developed by the McLaren team under an exclusive licensing agreement with the university, which filed a patent for it in 2001.
After extensive design studies, computer simulations, prototype development and track tests, McLaren first used the Inerter competitively in its MP4-20 car at the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix, which Kimi Raikkonen drove all the way to victory. This is hardly surprising, as the device was said to reduce lap times by up to four tenths of a second – a huge margin by Formula One standards. Raikkonen's victory was followed by McLaren triumphs in 10 of the remaining 15 races of the season.
The Inerter remained a closely guarded secret until confidentiality restrictions associated with the original licence were lifted in 2008, and the device was then licensed to Penske Racing Shocks to provide Inerters to other Formula 1 teams. Penske has since begun supplying Inerters to other motor sports, including IndyCar, which has used them since 2012.
Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer at Williams Martini Racing and former Executive Director (Technical) of the Mercedes Formula One team, is among many who acknowledge the scale of Malcolm Smith's achievements. He says: "The Inerter… (is) now of equal rank to the spring and the damper in our constant search for higher levels of grip and stability."
Professor Smith and his team continue to refine the technology, and have shown that inerters have great potential for railway suspension systems, where they would reduce wear on the tracks and wheels, lowering costs for the carriers and providing a more comfortable ride for the passengers. It could also be used in motorbikes to control steering oscillations and improve safety.
Professor Smith says: "New potential application areas are being thought of with some regularity – helicopters, motorcycles, machine tools… even tall buildings could benefit from the use of Inerters.
"What's really nice is that McLaren has recognised an academic contribution – companies don't always do that. Hopefully McLaren feel it is good to be associated with advanced academic work."
Fast-forward to 2017, and the launch of the latest McLaren supercar – the 720S – a commercially available road model that has been hailed as the next stage of supercar evolution.
Boasting a raft of technological breakthroughs, the 212mph 720S is fractionally slower than the £800,000 McLaren P1 hypercar, is easier to drive, yet, at £200,000, is a quarter of its price.
Crucial to the car's extraordinary performance is a 'semi-active' suspension system that permits optimal control at all times, no matter the road conditions. It was designed using a theory developed by Professor Smith with his former EPSRC-supported PhD student Dr Panos Brezas. Their work was complemented by a third member of the team, McLaren's Principal Chassis Research Engineer, Will Hoult, a former EPSRC-funded PhD student at Cambridge, who took charge of the algorithm development at McLaren.
The team's work helped the car's designers to achieve superior performance in ride comfort and handling simultaneously. Sensors relay the state of the road and an on-board computer analyses the information every millisecond to find the best possible setting for components – called semi-adjustable dampers.
The results are phenomenal. BBC Top Gear presenter and racing driver, Chris Harris, who tested the car in March 2018, has described the car's handling as "racing car like", resulting in "a brilliant British bargain".
Professor Smith modestly shrugs off his own contribution to the McLaren 720S supercar, saying: "I am a control systems specialist and theorist. It is just another example of a control system."
Help using LoRI
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The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK. By investing in research and postgraduate training, we are building the knowledge and skills base needed to address the scientific and technological challenges facing the nation.
EPSRC is part of UK Research and Innovation, a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. We aim to maximise the contribution of each of our component parts, working individually and collectively. We work with our many partners to benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas.
For more information visit UK Research and Innovation.
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