Researching smart technology, sensors and systems
Winners of the IET Excellence in Creating a Smarter World International Innovation Award and the IET International Award for Outstanding Innovation in Digital Health and Social Care.
Overview
Our systems engineering research uses systemic thinking and intelligent systems engineering to assist organisations (mainly industry and business partners) in becoming more globally competitive.
We're researching smart mobility systems, intelligent assistive technology, automatic robotic systems, smart energy management, decision making systems and intelligent sensors. The application of our research and expertise has provided improvements and solutions to industrial and business problems in design, manufacture, engineering, management, computing, electronics and software.
Our activity
Our members' research activities include:
- Modular electro-mechanical systems and electronics
- Assistive technology
- Computer aided design systems
- Knowledge management systems and computing systems
- Automation, robotics and sensors
- Environmental systems
The Systems Engineering Research Group was established more than 30 years ago to enable businesses to take advantage of expertise in the University. Collaborations with businesses generally last from one to three years, although several have lasted considerably longer, some for more than twenty years.
Funding for collaboration with business is mainly provided by Innovate UK, research councils and charities.
AI powered wheelchair wins national award
Pioneering research from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to open up a new world of possibilities for children with disabilities has won two E&T Innovation Awards 2020.
Current projects
Intelligent decision making
Professor David Sanders, Dr Giles Tewkesbury
Making decisions about saving energy in compressed air systems using ambient intelligence and AI
COFUND, DTA3 Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship
Professor Victor Becerra, Professor David Sanders, Dr Giles Tewkesbury, Dr Nils Bausch
Intelligent sensors
Knowledge Transfer Partnership with TGA Industries and Gem Sensors and Controls
Professor David Sanders, Dr Giles Tewkesbury, Dr Rinat Khusainov
Using artificial intelligence to share control of a powered-wheelchair between a wheelchair user and an intelligent sensor system
Professor David Sanders, Dr Alexander Gegov, Dr Malik Haddad, Dr Martin Langner
Building energy management systems
Knowledge Transfer Partnership with InTandem Systems Ltd
Professor David Sanders, Dr Giles Tewkesbury, Dr Jovana Radulovic, Dr Mohamed Hassan Sayed
Vehicle driving
Professor David Sanders, Dr Giles Tewkesbury, Dr John Chiverton, Dr Branislav Vuksanovic
Funding and awards
Our research has achieved national and international recognition, for example, we were recently shortlisted for international innovation awards and Young Engineer of the Year awards.
Professor David Sanders and Dr Giles Tewkesbury have been made Members of the Order of the British Empire ( MBE ) for outstanding achievement and service to the community.
The group have published more than 400 papers and generated income of than £5,000,000, including nine SERC/EPSRC grants, fourteen KTP/TCS programmes and seven European grants.
New systems
- IET Excellence in Creating a Smarter World International Innovation Award
- IET International Innovation Award for Outstanding Innovation in Digital Health and Social Care
- Biometric and signature capture devices (two patents still in use in the UK and USA, for example in Nationwide Building Society)
- Powered wheelchair systems and devices (used by 2,000 people since 2008 in six special educational needs schools and institutions including RNIB and NHS and many private homes, they are reducing the need for carers and changing professional services)
- Modular design for manufacture and assembly (currently in use by BlueMT)
- Music teaching systems (currently in use in six schools and colleges)
- Systems for teaching over the Web (currently in use in eleven schools and colleges)
- Tele-operation systems (was used for controlling robots, especially in the energy supply industries)
- Energy saving systems (currently used in many buildings, most recently in Chichester Festival Theatre)
- Large scale high-recirculation airlift reactors (used by EffTech ltd, Zeneca Bio-products and Anglian Water)
- Intelligent monitoring and disaster prevention systems (these have only just been created and are being assessed in the petroleum industry)
- Intelligent sensors (these have only just been created and are being assessed by TGA Industries Ltd)
Examples of research work taken up by other Universities
- Design systems (especially mechanical and civil engineering and design for assembly): Waterloo (Canada), Chalmers (Sweden), Edith Cowan (Australia), Girona and Politecn Catalunya (Spain)
- Virtual reality in engineering (especially powered wheelchair and tele-operator training): Laval (Canada), Chester (UK), and Pittsburgh (USA)
- Modelling fluid flows: MIT (USA), Ben Gurion (Israel) and National Chung Cheng (Taiwan)
- Internet use in engineering (especially browser-based systems): N Florida (USA), Georgia (Greece), Hong Kong Poly (China), and Madrid & Autonoma (Spain)
Prizes
- Twice awarded Highly Merited by the IET
- Twice awarded 2nd place at the IET International Innovation Awards
- Awarded the UK Engineering Tutor Prize for Best Engineering Project by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineering
- Outstanding Paper Award at the 2012 Emerald Journals Literati Network Awards
- Several Best Paper and Best Session Paper awards in journals and at conferences
- Education award from the Department for Education
- The group have supervised 20 Masters and 70 PhDs to completion
Research students
- Favour Ikwan
- Peter Omoarebun
- Oluwafemi Fasunlade
- Tom Barker
- Jake Pinar
- Yuting Hu
Industrial researchers
- Dr Andy Paining
- Dr Ian Rogers
- Dr Ian Stott
Explore our Mechanical & Design Engineering research groups
Learn more about other research groups in our Mechanical and Design Engineering research area
Materials Design and Characterisation Research Group
Research and analysis of the mechanical and physical properties of alloys and other advanced materials used in critical applications.
Advanced Polymers and Composites Research Group
Our activities include research and development into design, creation and testing of polymers and composite materials, and analysing their effectiveness. We also investigate modelling, 3-D printing and structural integrity of sustainable biocomposites.
Biomedical Engineering Research Group
We're researching how to better understand the body through biomechanics, x-ray imaging, in-situ mechanical testing, and high-performance computing.
The Correlative and Multimodal (CoMic) Microscopy Network
An open network bringing together correlative microscopy experts and researchers, characterising materials and processes across scientific disciplines
