dft transport-technology innovation showcase 2019 · models which will underpin resultant transport...

DfT Transport-Technology Innovation

Showcase T-TRIG and ICF Innovation Projects 2016-2018 Moving Britain Ahead

This report contains details of innovative grants funded by the Department for Transport. The views expressed are those of the innovators and do not represent those of any government or organisation. Please do not hesitate to contact the Department or the

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Contents

Forward 1

Executive Summary 3

One-page Project Summaries

December 2017 T-TRIG Open Call

Adaptable Wind Barriers 4

Passive Radar Identification Tag 5

Flat Panel Antenna for Satellite Communication On-The-Move 6

Breathing Life into Transport Infrastructure 7

Enhancing Performance Analysis of Complex Transit Systems 8

A Free-Piston Engine Range Extender for EVs 9

Universal Train Access Ramp 10

Aircraft Range Extender Motorcycle 11

Booking Recharging Points for Electric Taxis 12

Vehicle to Grid Controller with Modular Communications 13

Dynamic Airspace Optimisation 14

Hyperloop Beta 15

Disruptly 16

Smart Charging Stations for Accurate and Reliable EV Battery Monitoring 17

Proof-of-Concept for an Innovative Dynamic Power Transfer Invention (Electric Road System) 18

December 2017 T-TRIG Big Data and Machine Learning Call

Network Resilience 19

The Traffic Signal Advisor Service Project 20

Prediction of Post-Accident Recovery Time 21

Cost effective emissions monitoring systems 22

December 2017 T-TRIG Maritime Call

Smart Navigation 23

SMART Wind Assisted Propulsion (SWAP) 24

TeamPorts 25

Duodrivetrain™ 26

November 2016 T-TRIG Open Call

Real-time UK Hydrogen Refuelling Station Availability Map 27

Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight UAV Air Traffic Control Operations 28

Benchmarking Total Transport 29

Podule and Application Development 30

Mobile Beacon Ticketing 31

On-Demand Bicycle Electrification 32

High Speed Communication for Passengers 33

Saving Lives by Managing Driver Fatigue 34

Platform-Train Interface Camera 35

Low-Cost Bike Share Docking Station 36

Turbo Range Extender 37

Feasibility Assessment of a Nitride Traction Inverter 38

Moulding of Thermoplastic Composites 39

Testing the Impact of a Cloud Based Logistics Network 40

Diesel Particulate Filtration 41

Remote Bridge Monitoring 42

Next-Generation ITS Sensing using Neural Networks 43

Other Projects Featured at the Transport-Technology Innovation Showcase

funded under earlier T-TRIG rounds or the 2016 ICF call

Vivacity Labs 43

Lightweight Folding E-bike 44

VR Drive 45

List of Showcasing Projects

The following projects presented at the January 2019 Transport-Technology Innovation Showcase

Flat Panel Antenna for Satellite Communication On-The-Move 6

A Free-Piston Engine Range Extender for EVs 9

Universal Train Access Ramp 10

Dynamic Airspace Optimisation 14

Proof-of-Concept for an Innovative Dynamic Power Transfer Invention (Electric Road System) 18

Prediction of Post-Accident Recovery Time 21

SMART Wind Assisted Propulsion (SWAP) 24

Duodrivetrain™ 26

Remote Bridge Monitoring 42

Next Generation Inteligent Transport System Sensing 43

Lightweight Folding E-bike 44

VR Drive 45

T-TRIG and ICF Innovation Projects 2016-2018

1

Foreword

As Chief Scientific Adviser it is my role to ensure the Department of Transport is aware of new science, technology and engineering and the potential role it could play in transforming and delivering transport systems and services in the future, while at the same time ensuring that existing science and technology evidence underpins our decision making, and challenging the Department when this is not done. Science and technology is pivotal in supporting the Department in future proofing it’s long term delivery strategies, for example DfT are leading the Government’s response to this revolution in transport by delivering the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge. We are witnessing unprecedented advancements in science and technology, and the business models which will underpin resultant transport services, both of which will profoundly change our transport systems. The Future of Mobility Grand Challenge aims to make the UK a world leader in the way people, goods and services move now and in the future, with the potential to achieve a safer, cleaner and more user-centred transport system. My vision for innovation in the Department is an environment where policy makers, innovators, industry and other stakeholders collaborate to achieve mutual goals, deliver usable evidence and demonstrate impact. This approach is designed to deliver:

• a safe, secure, efficient, and user-focused transport system meeting the needs of all

• transport regulation which enables innovation to flourish and ensures we have an

environment where new systems and services are considered and can prove their

worth through demonstrations and showcases

• a transport system which plays a leading role in decarbonising the UK and minimises

its environmental impact.

It is only through working together that we can maximise the emerging opportunities in transport technology for the both the travelling public and UK businesses. This is where my Transport-Technology Research and Innovation Grants (T-TRIG) and the Innovation Challenge Fund (ICF) schemes come in. These schemes bridge the early stage, proof of concept, funding gap where small investments can de-risk potential solutions so together we can learn fast, safely and make our investments more cost effective. We launch these competitions as either open calls, or calls in specific areas defined by a DfT policy team.


2

In the last 5 years, we have provided £4.6m of Government grants to support over 140 projects, from across the breadth of the transport technology spectrum. We’ve had some great successes including an electric HGV range extender, a station navigation app for the visually impaired, drone navigation collision avoidance technology and electric cargo delivery bikes. Ensuring that industry and Venture Capitalists are aware of the transport solutions that are developed through these schemes so they can potentially invest in them downstream is a core part of the programme; to date, more than £25m of additional investment has been secured by organisations after working with the Department. I remain excited to see more ideas emerging from the minds of talented UK innovators and am pleased that the Department is able to play an active role nurturing their development.

Phil Blythe DfT Chief Scientific Adviser


3

Executive Summary

This document summarises the activity and outcomes of recent projects funded by DfT’s Transport-Technology Research Grants (T-TRIG) and Innovation Challenge Fund (ICF) schemes. These schemes fund proof-of-concept technology innovation by providing small amounts of seed funding to develop ideas across the transport technology spectrum. The schemes aim to:

• reduce barriers to innovation in transport

• enable a better transport system in the UK

• identify smart ideas that have the potential to develop further

• fund early stage innovations to take them to the next stage of development.

T-TRIG provides funding by two routes:

• Open calls, which are open to any innovation idea across the transport sector.

• Targeted calls, which provide innovation funding in areas of specific DfT priority. Examples of previous targeted calls include ones on security, big data and air quality. T-TRIG projects typically last for 6 months and are provided with up to £30k of grant funding. ICF was piloted in 2016 with a similar remit to targeted calls, but moving beyond proof of concept to testing innovations in practice. The ICF was focused around three challenge areas of:

• Drones

• Walking and Cycling

• Driver Training

Grant funding was offered at levels of up to £100k with the expectation of match-funding contributions from innovators or third parties. Projects lasted around one year. Since T-TRIG was first launched in 2014, T-TRIG and ICF have funded over 140 different innovation projects covering a wide-range of transport areas, with most grants going to from SMEs and academia. This booklet provides a one-page summary of 42 innovation grants from recent T-TRIG and ICF calls including:

• The December 2017 T-TRIG open call and targeted calls around big data and machine learning and maritime. Projects typically ran between March 2018 and September 2018.

• The November 2016 T-TRIG open call, where projects began in spring 2017 and were completed in autumn 2017.

• Additional projects from the July 2016 T-TRIG and 2016 ICF call which are being exhibited at the Transport-Technology Innovation Showcase on 31 Jan 2019.

2017 T-TRIG Project Summaries

4

Impact:

The adaptable wind barriers

will protect traffic and bridges,

extending the operability and

safety of the network.

Implementation Pathway:

Partnering with transport

Authorities, bridge operators

and barrier manufacturers to

test the full-scale prototype of

the barriers operationally in

2020 with commercialization

in 2022

City, University London www.city.ac.uk

[email protected] 567 01234 567 8900

Adaptable Wind Barriers City, University of London Issue Wind-related vehicle accidents and traffic interruptions on UK bridges can cost millions of pounds. The proposed adaptable wind barriers represent cost-effective wind shielding that adapts to the existing weather conditions. They maximise the protection to the vehicles and reduce the forces transmitted to the structure, extending the traffic operability in new and existing bridges. The technology can be applied to road and railway bridges.

Concept Conventional wind barriers protect vehicles at the expense of increasing the forces in the bridge in which they are fixed. For this reason, they can only be installed in new bridges or require expensive strengthening of the structure. There are hundreds of important bridges in the UK for which current wind proofing technology is simply not feasible, and as a result they usually require complex traffic operation protocols to interrupt and divert the traffic above certain wind speed limits. Aiming at extending the operability of bridges in wind-exposed areas City University are developing a novel barrier that can adapt to any weather condition and protect the traffic

and the bridge at the same time, without the need for an external power supply.

The idea is to equip the barrier with horizontal blades that are connected to conventional vertical posts attached to the bridge and which can rotate in the event of severe storms, as shown in

the figure. This type of barrier could be installed in both new and existing bridges because the obstruction to the wind flow is minimal and the forces transmitted to the structure are also reduced when the rails rotate.

Activity The T-TRIG grant and the support of Highways England allowed City University to proof-concept the adaptable barriers. First, the wind forces on the blades were obtained through wind tunnel testing at City University and compared with numerical and analytical work to obtain the optimised shape of these members. The results were used in a new analysis methodology that accounts for wind-blade interaction effects. It was implemented in MATLAB to obtain an optimised solution from more than 5,000 different trials.

Outcomes The optimised barriers were applied in a preliminary study of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in Dartford. The results demonstrated that the invention can potentially reduce the traffic closures in this bottleneck point of the UK road network by at least 70% with a relatively low investment. Highways England and Connect Plus Services have shown interest in the adaptable barriers and more partnerships are sought to make it real.

Artist’s impression of the adaptable wind barriers developed at

City, University of London.

http://www.city.ac.uk/




5

Impact:

A tagging device for intelligent

transport systems which

utilises unique radar signals for

exact object recognition.


Tagging system works

with standard automotive

radars. Systems low product

cost and optimised detection

range will benefit partnering

with organisations for live

trials and commercialisation.

Plextek www.plextek.com

[email protected] 01234 567 01234 567 8900

Passive Radar Identification Tag Plextek Services Limited

Issue Practical object and vehicle recognition in intelligent and autonomous transport systems remains a data-first problem. The more unique data that is captured and identified, the more accurate the decision taking models can be. Identity tags could allow commercial automotive radars, to uniquely identify and locate objects in their field of view.

Concept Modern automotive radar systems can accurately determine geometry (work out where an object is in space) but they do not, in general, have the ability to uniquely classify an object. Plextek’s tagging system leverages phase modulation and other radar techniques to enable unambiguous identification, limit signal spoofing or jamming, and identify many unique ID tags simultaneously, through their scattered signatures.

Chris Roff, Head of Industrial Sensors summarised the benefits:

“In the future, these tags could be

attached to vehicles (e.g. built into

the number plate) or to roadside

objects, such as road signs. A

unique aspect of our solution is that

the tag’s power requirement is kept

extremely low, which opens up a

broad range of use cases.”

Activity Plextek developed a proof of concept demonstrator for a small, low-cost, low-power tag that scatters incoming radar signal with a unique coded signature. The T-TRIG grant enabled the demonstration of:

• a small (50mm) retroreflector providing a suitably large target that can easily be detected at 60m

• a unique 48-bit identity which is robustly decodable at a range of 60m

Outcomes This project developed a value-added technology to the automotive sector. The low-cost proof of concept embodiment demonstrated technical feasibility and displayed a route to commercialisation in the automotive sector, where product cost will be paramount. Plextek is actively investigating routes to market and seeking industrial delivery partners.

Next steps include experiments with poor weather and or visibility conditions and extension of the working range beyond 60m.

Radar Tag Concept: Retroreflector bouncing back automotive radar signals with a

unique coded signature, highlighted with potential use cases. (Plextek, 2018)

http://www.plextek.com/



6

Infinect (Website under construction)

[email protected] 01234 567 8900

Impact:

Infinect’s Flat Panel Antenna

enables broadband, reliable

connectivity anywhere in the

world at any time.


Inifinect will partner with a

manufacturing shop to exploit

new manufacturing techniques

that ease manufacturing whilst

further reducing cost.

Flat Panel Antenna for Satellite Communication on-the-Move Infinect

Issue Many services on-the-move, such as High-Speed Rail (HSR) operate along large rural areas outside 4G or other mobile data coverage, as well as moving between cellular base stations faster than a cellular network can handle the location transitions. In these scenarios, internet connectivity is not available. The key inhibitor for the service is associated to the ground terminal antenna. Current solutions are large and expensive systems with considerable moving parts that are bulky, limited in terms of moving speed, prone to mechanical failures or aerodynamically not suitable.

Concept HSR passengers demand fast, global internet connectivity when travelling anywhere. However, in the UK alone 93% of the landscape is not urban and less than half receives full 4G coverage. Additionally, according to the International Transport Forum, by 2050 passenger mobility will increase by a staggering 200-300%. This represents a growth market for internet connectivity, one which satellite communications is uniquely positioned to leverage. In order to use the satellite infrastructure, a ground terminal antenna capable of continuously tracking the satellite providing the service is required. The antenna needs to be small in terms of volume and mass, flat, should ideally not include any mechanical platform and be cost efficient.

Infinect, a prospective spin-out from Heriot Watt University, plans to bring to market its breakthrough in antenna technology providing a high-performance electrically steerable Flat Panel Antenna (FPA) solution. This technology could release new SOTM (Satellite-communications On The Move) markets and position the UK at the forefront of building a better rail system. The FPA is a key technology enabler for the growth of ground-network-equipment, with the market projected to be worth $720 million by 2020. For context, the space industry context is projected to grow to be worth more than $1.1 trillion by 2040.

Activity

Infinect used a T-TRIG grant to further develop their patent pending technology, manufactured two technical demonstrators as a proof of concept of the novel antenna technology capable of tracking, with the required accuracy, in elevation (1D). They further designed the FPA with tracking capability in both elevation and azimuth: the key enabling technology for Satellite On-The-Move services.

Outcomes Infinect has had good success in developing the 1D and 2D antenna, with elevation and azimuth tracking capability; however, they have not been able to manufacture the 1D antenna demonstrator including the novel electronic scanning mechanism and only two different static designs were produced. The project hit several key milestones in the plan and Infinect secured further funding through Scottish Enterprise Programme: High Growth Spin Out. Stakeholders showing interest in continuing this work include Thales Alenia Space (France), Leonardo (UK) and the European Space Agency.



7

Impact:

Smart transport road coating

system provides resilient and

sustainable solution to winter

maintenance in UK.


Dr. Jang secured additional

grant of £25,000 from the Rees

Jeffreys Road Fund. Industrial

partners and funders are being

sought to develop and

commercialize CNT/PU

transport road coating system.

University of Plymouth www.plymouth.ac.uk


Breathing Life into Transport Infrastructure University of Plymouth

Issue In the UK, it is often wet and cold during the winter, creating a major transport challenge, through slippery conditions, which can cause widespread travel disruption.

Concept Currently, salting or brine spraying is the most practical way to treat roads in winter to keep them open in cold conditions. This has a negative environmental impact, and consumes resources

such as salts, gritting vehicles and manpower, whilst gritting operations can cause congestion. The University of Plymouth are developing a novel multifunctional road coating system with a hydrophobic surface, in-built freezing temperature sensing, and self-heating properties for smart transport road systems. This project exploits the material properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polyurethane (PU) resin to create such a multi-functional coating. The intention is for this innovation to support two of DfT’s key priorities: improving journeys and achieving safe, secure and sustainable transport.

Activity The T-TRIG grant supported work to develop and characterise CNT/PU transport road coating materials through several experimental tests:

• Fabrication of CNT/PU coating materials by ultrasonication

• Characterise the material’s properties.

Outcomes This project demonstrated the successful production of a carbon nanotube reinforced polymer-based coating for smart road systems capable of hydrophobic, freezing temperature sensing, and self-heating.

Experimental results showed that the electrical conductivity of the CNT/PU coatings increased as CNT concentrations increased. Other manufacturing parameters such as solvent composition and equipment power were shown to alter the electrical conductivity of the CNT/PU coatings.

The change in electrical resistance exhibited by the coatings with changes in temperature was also characterised alongside the self-heating performance of the CNT/PU coatings as electric current is applied to them. CNT concentrations of the CNT/PU mixture were found to significantly alter the heating affect. These results underpin accurate temperature sensing and controlled self-heating.

Finally, the project demonstrated the defrost performance of the CNT/PU coatings covered with ice. The CNT/PU coatings successfully melted the ice rapidly, demonstrating their potential in smart road systems by combining hydrophobic properties with temperature sensing, and self-heating (deicing) functionality.

De-icing performance for CNT/PU transport road coating.

http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/




8

Impact:

The tools provide actionable

insight into the performance

of public transport systems


ITO will continue working

with authorities and operators

to develop the tools, taking

the prototype to a commercial

product.

Ito World www.itoworld.com

[email protected] 567 8900

Enhancing Performance Analysis of Complex Transit Systems Ito World

Issue Authorities and operators face difficulties in understanding the performance of their public transport services. Data comes from many sources, in disparate formats and is complex to process and analyse. Often more time is spent preparing data than analysing, reporting and acting upon it.

Concept Ito World specialise in working with complex public transport data. Their Transit Hub continuously ingests, processes and aggregates transport data from multiple feeds; creating a single repository of all transport data within a city, region or country. Containing details of scheduled services, a real-time picture of the current state of services, and historic data, the Hub provides cities, authorities and operators with a single source of truth to power passenger information systems.

The project wanted to investigate whether this same information could be used to power analytical tools to deliver actionable insight into the performance of transport systems and their individual components (modes, operators, routes, stops, etc.) enabling authorities to better understand and improve transport systems.

Activity Ito World used a T-TRIG grant to support a research project to assess the user need and how this could be actioned. Through a series of workshops with Transport for West Midlands, Transport for Greater Manchester and Cambridgeshire Council the project identified user requirements and then, using their transit data platform and data visualisation technology, developed prototype web-based dashboards and visual analytics tools that can provide insight into the performance of public transport services. Subsequent workshops evaluated how well the prototype met user requirements and assessed the value that such a tool would have to a city or transport authority.

Outcomes The project was a success, allowing a prototype to be developed and assessed rapidly. The project identified a series of use cases from the analysis and reporting of punctuality and reliability, to event analysis and planning, and to informing strategic decision making where enhanced performance analysis of transport networks would be valuable. The specific requirements for the use cases were explored and a prototype developed to demonstrate the insight that could be delivered.

The project confirmed that there is both a need and appetite for tools that deliver enhanced performance analysis of complex public transport systems. Ito World will continue to work with DfT, transport authorities and operators to develop tools that help them deliver better transport services.

http://www.itoworld.com/



9

Newcastle University www.ncl.ac.uk/energy


Impact:

Free-piston engine generators

will unlock a decarbonised

transportation sector for all

transport modes


Newcastle University are

engaging with partners to

advance the technology,

design and manufacture a

commercial prototype and to

carry out performance testing.

A Free-Piston Engine Range Extender for EVs Swan Centre for Energy Research, Newcastle

University

Issue Increased electrification of the transportation sector is one of the primary pathways to its decarbonisation. However, the day-to-day demands of medium and heavy-duty vehicle fleet operators, as well as those of drivers who regularly travel long-distances are unlikely to be met by the current and future limitations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

This has opened a market for a new generation of Range Extender Electric Vehicles (REEVs), which once the battery has depleted can continue on their journey by deploying an on-board electricity generator fuelled by conventional gasoline, hydrogen or bio-fuel.

Concept Free-piston engine generators (FPEGs) are a new form of electrical generator. They directly integrate a linear motor/generator into an internal combustion engine configuration. The result is a system which offers: 1) a more power dense design in terms of volume and mass than all other range extender technologies 2) fuel flexible operation and system reoptimisation in real time with only software control changes 3) disruptive energy conversion efficiencies compared to more conventional reciprocating engine solutions.

More efficient generation, as well as compact designs, are likely to leave more space for fuel storage and batteries thus extending range further.

Activity The Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research at Newcastle University has been conducting research and development activities on FPEG technology for more than a decade. T-TRIG funding allowed the testing of prototype piston setups with various fuels andthe creation of a 3D printed model of the full device, an independent market study to be carried out for the technology and commissioning of a commercial prototype design (shown in the figure).

Outcomes The FPEG prototype has now been tested to run successfully on both gasoline and hydrogen fueling in both 2- and 4-stroke operation. Results have been very promising and performed in-line with the comprehensive modelling. The next stage is to engage with vehicle manufacturers and technology developers to establish a team that can build and test a commercial system and advance the technology towards full-scale commercialisation.

Image of a commercial (3D printed) FPEG range extender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4b0_6byuFU

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/energy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4b0_6byuFU


10

Cecence www.cecence.com


Impact:

Improving the service Train

Operating Companies can offer

to people of reduced mobility.


To combine a Rail Supply

Growth Fund (RSGF) loan

with additional funding from

eg. the DfT and a Joint

Industry Project to enable a

pre-production run of trial

ramps.

Universal Train Access Ramp Cecence

Issue The currently available train platform ramps are prone to corrosion, damaged along the central hinge, are cumbersome to manoeuvre and heavy. There are opportunities to apply aerospace materials to improve stiffness and durability without weight gain, a telescopic feature to allow a greater distance to be bridged between platform and train, and add wheels to provide a more effective solution. Concept Train Operating Companies are always looking to improve the passenger experience in terms of increased accessibility. The revised orientation of the central hinge allows Cecence’s ramp to pack down into a much smaller unit for transporting around the platform. Fully extended, the ramp measures 2m in length reducing the angle of the access ramp by 25%, thus reducing potential anxiety for the user. The deployment of the ramp on the platform is improved through the addition of wheels removing the weight previously experienced by the platform staff completely. Speed of deployment is further enabled through a universal connecter that fits any train.

Activity The project included in-depth material testing to understand the limitations of current market ramp panel materials and the loads required to cause failure. Using specific material testing data, Cecence designed a ramp panel material with a much lower risk of failure. Alongside the conceptual design of the next prototype ramp, Cecence ran over fifty material samples through side-by-side supported-beam three-point bend tests, baselined against materials from ramps currently on the market. Cost, weight and stiffness restrictions led Cecence to develop and manufacture their own composite sandwich panel. Several rounds of development and experimental ideas led to the optimisation of their sandwich panel to best suit the specific requirements. Cecence opted to take a hands-on approach in order to improve the ergonomics of their product, building a full-scale prototype to test its deployment and handling which provided invaluable input for their design team.

Outcomes The final material specification is 15% stiffer than the current market ramp material, and 2.6% lighter. Through material selection Cecence achieved a 63% increase in the force needed to induce test panel failure. A telescopic section and the orientation change of the central hinge allows the ramp to pack down into a much smaller unit for transporting around the platform. A closed cell foam core offers more skin bond surface area, whilst allowing for a more efficient manufacture process, utilising hot compression moulding. The final design hides the moving parts from view whilst secured in the platform stowage, reducing the likelihood of vandalism. The telescopic section makes it adaptable to all types of platforms around the country, and those with limited platform run off will only need one ramp instead of two. The next stage is to fund the development of demonstrator ramps to be tested in the field prior to a production run based on orders being placed.

http://www.cecence.com/


11

Institute of Aerospace Technology www.nottingham.ac.uk/aerospace


Impact:

RExMoto is an independent

and mobile transport system

which opens the way for

electric aircraft mobility.


Use of the completed concept

demonstrator to show technical

feasibility to attract

commercial partners for the

establishment of product

design, manufacturing and

marketing company.

Aircraft Range Extender Motorcycle University of Nottingham

Issue This innovation targets door to door travel time and energy responsible (greener) transportation. RExmoto aims to provide personal transport from home or business door to airport runway. RExmoto plans to enable a much wider use of pure-electric private aircraft contributing to reduced fuel consumption and emissions, while reducing transport time and overcrowding on rail and road infrastructure.

Concept RExMoto is an electric air transport enabler. Many new all-electric powered light and sport aircraft are emerging in the market. These aircraft have many excellent features, including reduced direct operating costs and emissions of CO2, NOx and Noise. Electric motors are in themselves suited to aircraft propulsion in that they features include high power to weight, low vibration andow maintenance. However the provision of sufficient energy storage for realistic flight utility remains problematic. RExMoto provides a multi-mode transport solution spanning an on-road driving mode as a motorcycle with air-vehicle mode as a clip-on electrical generator unit.

RExMoto uses conventionally fuelled combustion engine driven electrical generators to provide energy at peak efficiency and minimum emissions, effectively converting the pure electric aircraft into a hybrid electric aircraft. The unit is fully self-contained and modular, requiring minimal modification to original aircraft structures, and may be carried only when necessary for the desired mission. Due to the nature of the hybrid-electric drive solution, the engine efficiency can be optimised while the exhaust emissions minimised. The motorcycle can also be operated in purely electric mode and recharged for short range journeys, thus eliminating pollution in urban environments.

Activity The RExMoto functional concept has been developed using T-TRIG funding. The Power Unit has been tested in laboratory conditions and is being integrated with an electric scooter for road and flight testing. Outreach to wider industry and public audiences is ongoing with positive feedback.

Outcomes The working prototype has attracted interest in the concept from various transport sectors. The next phase of the project requires further research or commercial investment to advance the full concept towards production readiness.

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/aerospace



12

EV Technology www.ev-tech.uk


Impact:

To assist commercial fleets to

switch to electric vehicles by

providing security over

recharging to on-shift vehicles


We will work with fleet

operators and charge point

network owners to develop a

booking and optimisation

platform

Booking Recharging Points for Electric Taxis EV Technology

Issue One of the reasons why more commercial fleet operators, like taxi firms, are not switching their fleets to electric is because they are unable to identify a way of including battery range and limited recharging infrastructure into their existing operations. Concept The aim of this project was to enable taxi operators to monitor the status of charge of their electric vehicles, auto dispatch vehicles to jobs in the knowledge that they had enough range to complete the job and to book charge points close to their vehicles when they needed a recharge.

Activity To enable fleet operators to monitor the status of charge, successfully auto dispatch vehicles and book the nearest charge point when required, a large amount of data was collected from a variety of sources. A driver app was also built to provide drivers with not only the status of charge currently, but also a prediction of what it would be after a specified journey. In addition, EV Technology; designed an operating model for the system to control the interaction between the platform provider, the charge point (CP) network and the taxi operator; created a platform which takes data from APIs and then applies algorithms; improved these algorithms used for determining predicted miles / kwh based on driving style, the length of journey and the types of roads / road conditions which are being driving.

Outcomes EV Technology now has over 500,000km of real world driving data monitoring the location,

state of battery charge, weather conditions and temperature. We have spent a significant amount of time cleaning this data, understanding the usefulness by defining journeys within the data and using the data to develop basic prediction models.

In addition to the telematics data, EV Technology has been collecting data from CP networks, which was originally restricted to the Genie network. This has now been extended by creating our own platform and gaining data from a combination of data sources, including the National Charge Point Registry (NCR), the Open Charge Map (OCM) and Transport for London. The NCR and OCM have a wealth of information, but with some data inaccuracies and old data, while our integrated systems have more reliable information. Therefore, the data has been cleaned and aggregated to produce a master database which contains a merged version of all the data checked for in terms of accuracy and using source prioritisation where overlaps occur.

http://www.ev-tech.uk/

mailto:info@


13

Impact:

The V2G EVSE controller adds smart

charging and electricity grid support

functions to existing and future

electric vehicle charging points.


We are currently partnering with a

UK on-street EV charging station

startup on an OLEV funded project.

We are also working to support

future international standards in

overseas markets.

V2G EVSE Limited http://www.v2g-evse.com

[email protected]

01840 261047

Vehicle to Grid Controller with Modular Communications V2G EVSE Limited

Issue The UK Government is committed to reducing transport carbon emissions. One route to achieve this is through the electrification of road transport. By 2019 UK legislation will ensure that large numbers of new on-street and off-street electric vehicle charging stations, some of which will be vehicle-to-grid capable, will all need to be able to communicate with and be controlled by a third party other than the owner of the electric vehicle and/or the charging station.

Concept A proportion of all these new charging stations will need to use wide area network communications, whilst existing cellular spectrum is being repurposed worldwide. Others will need to use wired or wireless local area network technologies. This project contributes to the those developing new international standards for “smart grid” communications, including the control of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), the technical term for an EV charging station.

V2G EVSE Limited intend to develop and market internationally a low-cost vehicle-to-grid enabled electric vehicle charging station controller that conforms to the current “de facto” standards together with future international communications standards as they develop.

Activity V2G EVSE used a T-TRIG grant to fund the development of a prototype low cost vehicle-to-grid enabled electric vehicle charging station controller.

The hardware component included the facility to plug in a range of modular communications interfaces. These include novel technologies including “Low

Power Wide Area Network” for public charging stations and “smart meter”/ “Home Area Network” for charge points outside the home or in the garage.

The software component supports the Open Charge Point Protocol, the current de facto industry standard EVSE communications protocol.

Outcomes The project developed a proof of concept EV charging station controller capable of supporting both “smart charging” and vehicle-to-grid operation. However, the development of LPWAN support has been delayed by the lack of maturity of both the LPWAN infrastructure and hardware.

The company has recently successfully led a bid for OLEV funding of a feasibility study into new business models for “smart” on-street electric vehicle charging in partnership with Urban Electric, a UK on-street EV charging station startup.

V2G EVSE controller with communications modules

http://www.v2g-evse.com/



14

Impact:

Up to 1% reduction in

aviation emissions.


Airspace Unlimited will

partner with providers of air

force mission planning

software and air navigation

service providers and evolve

capability from current to

future collaborative

decision-making

frameworks.

Airspace Unlimited (website under construction)

[email protected]

Dynamic Airspace Optimisation Airspace Unlimited Issue Currently flights mostly route around military airspace reservations, which may be in use for only 40% of the time they are reserved. On average this makes airspace ~3% inefficient. At the European level, each 0.1% of inefficiency equates to 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, €31 million in fuel and €35 million other operating costs. There are avenues for improvement through the ‘Advanced Flexible Use of Airspace’ concept, which will bring 3 key concept elements: flexible military airspace structures, a collaborative decision-making process and supporting tools, which is where this concept fits. Concept When making airspace reservations for military training exercises (air, land or sea) the military do not know precisely the demand that the civil traffic might have for the reservation, so this has no input into their decision making. Airspace Unlimited’s concept is to create a dynamic demand picture from which military and civil actors can make informed choices about the use of airspace reservations. This demand picture is dynamic, because airline flight plans are optimised according to factors such as wind vectors and air navigation charges. the concept fits the future design and operating concept of military airspace, which is evolving towards ‘Military Variable Profile Areas’ that allow airspace reservations to be minimally shaped to the requirements of each exercise. What is not yet envisaged is the optimisation of the 4D position of military airspace reservations within the variable profile area. Activity Airspace Unlimited used a T-TRIG grant to create a ‘big data’ simulation model to optimise the 4D positions of airspace reservations against flight routes. The project also created a draft operational concept, around which to base discussions with military and civil stakeholders. Outcomes The project modelled scenarios using high performance computing resources from L3C. This has shown the potential impact of pre-tactical optimisation of airspace reservations, which is enabling the company to begin dialogue with military and civil stakeholders and identify agents of change such as airlines. The figure shows how 6 military airspace reservations and ~12k flights are recursively optimised over a 24-hour period. The reservations are shifted in position and start time (nominally 0700), and the flights are optimised according to wind and charges. (This illustrates the concept but in practice the movement would likely be within the boundaries of existing airspace reservations.)

A gridded structure is introduced to the basic flexible use of airspace to minimise the effect on traffic flows (green arrows) and further in the future there may be no need to have an explicitly defined reservation.

Variable Profile Area



15

Continuum Industries https://continuum.industries


Impact:

This digital model will

accelerate the development of

complex transport systems and

reduce their cost and risk.


Continuum are working with

technology developers and

engineering consultants to use

and scale the applications of

our digital model for existing

and new transport systems.

Hyperloop Beta Continuum Industries

Issue Planning, designing and implementing transport systems is a complex, costly process and often subject to political interference. Continuum Industries believe that automating parts of the process by using algorithms to rapidly optimise decision-making is the key to changing this. New technologies like hyperloop provide an ideal platform to show that this approach can work.

Concept There are many models and software packages that can help

experts solve problems in different technical areas of transport, like estimating user demand or improving vehicle design. However most, especially in planning and design, have been developed independently from each other and do not interface well. This makes it difficult to accurately simulate and quickly optimise transport systems across a range of different technical areas before they are designed and built.

Continuum Industries see an opportunity to create a powerful digital model for transport systems, by re-creating the different functionalities of lots of existing tools and using algorithms together with cheap cloud-computing power to automatically optimise these systems across many different areas. Using a new transport system like hyperloop where there are no defined standards or legacy tools can demonstrate how effective this digital model can be and scale its application to other transport systems.

Activity Continuum Industries used a T-TRIG grant to fund the development of the initial version of a digital model and demonstrated how it could be used to simulate and optimise a hyperloop system for multiple objectives with minimal human guidance. A hyperloop system consists of vehicles, infrastructure and a route, and so this is a key step to showing how the digital model can be adapted to consider many other types of new or existing transport systems with different configurations.

Outcomes

Since the award of the T-TRIG grant, Continuum Industries have secured an initial £0.25 million round of seed investment from one of the founders of Skyscanner, a billion-dollar travel search business. They have also secured their first customer who will use the digital model and help them to develop it further.

Continuum Industries are actively interested in testing applications for their digital model in all types of transport systems. Several technology developers and major engineering consultants have shown interest in using the digital model and they are in discussions to partner on a trial or commercial basis with these stakeholders and apply it to existing and new transport systems.

Widespread uptake of the digital model could help the UK to deliver transport systems more quickly and cost-effectively, and establish UK industry as a leader in applying advances in computing and digital technologies in the development of complex transport systems.

https://continuum.industries/


16

Impact:

The Disruptly solution could

encourage participation by

D/deaf passengers who may

otherwise avoid travel due to

shortcomings in accessibility.


Further funding is needed for

prototypes and a trial with a

TOC.

Signly www.signly.co

[email protected]

Disruptly Signly

Issue D/deaf (people who have hearing loss and or identify as part of the Deaf Community) passengers can’t always hear Tannoy announcements, and risk missing vital information. For every 500,000 passenger journeys, approximately 1,200 to 1,500 will be made by people whose first or preferred language is British sign language (BSL): that’s 4,154,400 journeys per year made by BSL users.

The D/deaf community want to be independent and for this they need access to the same information which is provided to other rail

customers. Singly’s digital service is designed to improve the travelling experience of this user group and by extension, a wider group: those who render themselves ‘deaf’ when using headphones.

Concept Signly created the Disruptly™ Native App as a way to deliver social benefits through technology. The app is installed by the passenger, which then juses a rich visual interface to allow users to view and manage journey and disruption notifications.

The Disruptly™ service is designed to use push notifications based on Darwin disruption data to help D/deaf individuals who can’t hear the Tannoy manage disruption scenarios independently.

Activity Development of Disruptly™ was enabled through T-TRIG funding and through working with RSSB. The app has since been trialled by Network Rail, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and Lloyds Banking Group. Signly have completed a feasibility study to scope the art of the possible.

Outcomes Signly have demonstrated that they can construct Disruptly™ using the native iOS and Android Software Development Kits to connect to their database and provide updates to the app and push visually rich notifications.

the project has also shown that rich push notifications enable more creative and interactive ways of communicating with passengers. By adding

images, GIFs, video and audio files to notification content the app can provide multiple options for how the passenger interacts with the notification.

A video of the app in action can be viewed at https://youtu.be/UL3DMK4Q5mw.

http://www.signly.co/

https://youtu.be/UL3DMK4Q5mw


17

Impact:

An innovative low-cost battery

monitoring technique to

increase the reliability of EVs

and accelerate their take-up.


Follow-on funding and

collaborations with industry

will be sought to enhance

robustness and investigate and

address implementation

challenges.

University of Liverpool www.liverpool.ac.uk

[email protected]

Smart Charging Stations for Accurate and Reliable EV Battery Monitoring University of Liverpool Issue Many Countries worldwide, including the UK, have set strict targets on the reduction of greenhouse gas emission, affecting, in particular, the transport sector. In the attempt to meet those targets, fully electric or hybrid vehicles, mostly powered by batteries, are gradually appearing on the market, with the aim to replace combustion engine vehicles. However, electric vehicles (EVs) have important limitations in terms of cost, mileage range and reliability, which are currently hindering the rapid take-up of this technology that would be required to meet the specified targets on emission reduction.

Concept An innovative, low-cost monitoring solution capable of accurately and reliably monitoring the state of health of EV batteries over time could help to increase the efficiency and reliability of EVs, as well as the user’s confidence in them, which in turn could help the take-up of this technology. Such a monitoring solution can be achieved, at almost zero cost for the user, by developing a ‘smart’ charging infrastructure that can perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements while recharging the battery. This is made possible using power converters (DC/DC and/or DC/AC) already included in the EV powertrain to connect the battery pack to the motor and to the external charging station. Switch-mode power converters are typically controlled to absorb/inject a DC current from/to the battery, but their control can be changed (with no or little hardware modifications) to add a small AC perturbation to the DC current, suitable to measure the impedance in the desired frequency range.

Activity The T-TRIG grant allowed the University of Liverpool to develop and test a proof-of-concept simplified prototype, composed of a 4.6 kWh LiFePO4 battery pack, a charging unit, a DC/DC power converter, a real-time converter controller and a signal conditioning, acquisition and processing system. The proposed innovative control of the DC/DC converter was tested, to create the AC perturbations required to measure the battery impedance spectrum while recharging the battery.

Outcomes The project outcome confirms the feasibility of the proposed method, but it highlights important challenges associated with the performance of the DC/DC converter, which is critical to guarantee a good quality of the battery voltage waveforms and thus also of the impedance measurements. Further research is ongoing to address these challenges and enhance the robustness of the proposed method.

LiFePO4 battery pack used to test the feasibility

of the proposed monitoring technique

http://www.liverpool.ac.uk/


18

Algret Innovations LTD www.algretinnovations.co.uk [email protected]

Impact:

The dynamic power transfer

technology can allow

downtime-free, cable-free EV

charging on the move.


An Innovate UK, OLEV-

funded feasibility study into

the charging of electric taxis as

they queue in ranks, with the

potentially of a funded public

trial (phase two).

Proof-of-Concept for an Innovative Dynamic Power Transfer Invention (Electric Road System) Algret Innovations Ltd

Issue The transition to zero-emissions road transport is being slowed by challenges including limited range, vehicle cost infrastructure challenge of installing the 100,000 which may be needed by 2020

in the UK. There is also currently limited scope for battery powered HGVs.

These challenges represent a barrier to uptake by the taxi fleet, in contract to ready adoption of hybrid technology. Algret Innovations has a solution which allows the driver to recharge batteries during the high-density queuing, utilising pre-existing downtime, where they can’t conveniently plug in. This increases the total range throughout the day and can lead to significant battery size reduction and centralise charging infrastructure (less grid connections).

Concept Dynamic Power Transfer (DPT) enables electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles to automatically pick up power during the journey or in semi-dynamic scenarios. This is advantageous because it no longer relies on energy storage for propulsion. Supplied power will directly power the vehicle and simultaneously top-up the battery.

This is achieved with an electrical pick up system and a matching electrical supply infrastructure. Algret Innovations is unique in the emerging DPT industry in developing a system that uses a conduit channel to safely house and protect electrical contacts. A more primitive system was used from c.1880 to c.1960 for powering trams in many cities including London, Washington and Paris.

Activity T-TRIG enabled Algret Innovations to refine the CAD designs to a mature level to then

begin the process of manufacturing a full-scale proof-of-concept system. They manufactured the mechanical components and configured the actuation systems, electronic control systems and computer vision.

Outcomes A physical proof-of-concept is essential for bringing an innovative technology to market and the DfT supported Algret Innovations to accelerate towards this and develop relationships with key partners, as well as laying a foundation upon which to build towards a full demonstrator system including vehicle and infrastructure. During the project Algret Innovations raised their profile by presenting their work at the ‘International Conference on Electric Road Systems’ in Sweden and have highways use on the horizon with visits planned by The Swedish Transport Administration.

Algret Innovations have attracted a UK consortium of partners and won Innovate UK funding for a study, targeting a pilot-trial for electric taxi charging in late 2019.

Illustration of Algret Innovations’ patent-

pending infrastructure and on-vehicle pick-up.

http://www.algretinnovations.co.uk/


2017 T-TRIG Project Summaries – Big Data and Machine Learning Call

19

Impact:

Network Resilience Analysis

enables network owners to

identify, quantify and improve

network resilience.


Network Resilience Analysis

is available as part of City

Science’s analytical services.

The analysis can be applied to

networks of all sizes using

public data.

City Science www.cityscience.com


Network Resilience Analysis City Science

Issue Traditional transport modelling can simplify traffic into daily averages, with AM and PM peak averages overlaid. This does not typically provide a good understanding of network resilience as it tells us very little about the system under stress: the extremes we are likely to experience; the frequency with which severe events might occur; and what action we should take when they do.

Concept City Science applied their expertise in Big Data to develop a

series of metrics to quantify network resilience, enabling transport practitioners to understand, quantify and visualise the key links within the network and their impact on overall network performance stability. These metrics were inspired by experience managing complex risks in financial services, in particular using large datasets to understand, prepare for, and mitigate against extreme market events.

Activity Using TrafficMaster speed data captured every 15 minutes over the course of 3 years, City Science developed statistical metrics to answer the following key questions:

• How often and how badly are specific road segments affected in the network?

• What routes are most problematic and how bad does it often get?

• What is the impact of an incident? How should we prepare a re-routing strategy?

• Which resilience improvements should we prioritise from a range of policy objectives?

Outcomes This project developed a value-added toolkit of metrics to quantify, understand and manage network resilience based on robust techniques from financial services used to manage complex risks. The metrics are scalable and can be applied across the UK using data readily available to the public sector. The metrics can be aggregated using economic, population or other data to drive key policy responses and prioritise investment and monitor changes to resilience over time. All outputs can be visualised through the City Science Cadence transport GIS software (available on G-Cloud) to provide a relevant, high-value view of the network. Through this intuitive web-based platform key network performance can be shared with practitioners, stakeholders and the public.

Example interactive visualisation of congestion events on key routes in and around

Exmouth, Devon. City Science Cadence, 2018. Contains OS Data © Crown Copyright

and database rights 2018.

http://www.cityscience.com/



20

INRIX UK Ltd www.inrix.com [email protected]

Impact:

The optimisation of traffic

signals could deliver £100ms

of economic benefit, whilst

reducing congestion and

pollution in cities, through

smoothed vehicle flows.


INRIX has won funding for a

proposal to explore this

concept further in Q1 2019

through a DfT SBRI

competition

The Traffic Signal Advisor Service Project INRIX UK Ltd

Issue In the UK, traffic systems such as SCOOT and MOVA currently use physical infrastructure such as inductive loops as sensor inputs to indirectly model the length and duration of queues. This infrastructure requires extensive maintenance and often the quality of signal performance degrades.

Concept In this project, the use of individual vehicle trajectories derived from INRIX’s GPS floating vehicle data (data derived from mobile phone base station triangulation) was explored. This approach directly measures queues and delays from vehicles instead of using costly fixed infrastructure and can monitor if vehicles pass through green signals effectively. Activity The project showed that floating vehicle trajectories have a good fit against ground-truth traffic signal red / green times derived from SCOOT data. This is despite the SCOOT system being optimised in terms of sample rates, for use to calculate road speed and journey times. The project has shown that historic floating GPS data can be used to assess:

• Vehicle approach speeds

• Queue length and delays

• Vehicles not passing through on green (a measure of signal effectiveness).

Outcomes The potential annual value of improved traffic signal setting to the UK has been estimated at £180m by the Transport Research Laboratory. On top of this, further benefits could be realised through the reduction and optimisation of sensor maintenance to Local Authorities. This project has shown that the use of mobile phone triangulation based in existing infrastructure could unlock some of this benefit.

http://www.inrix.com/



21

Impact:

The prediction model will assist

road operators in managing

accidents and reduce their

congestion impact.


Further funding will be sought to

improve on the achieved model

accuracy and evaluate it with

additional datasets prior to

initiating a trial with a National or

Local road operator in the UK.

Arup https://www.arup.com/


Prediction of Post-Accident Recovery Time Ove Arup & Partners Ltd

Issue Road accidents have a negative impact on congestion, especially at peak travel times. The ability to predict the likely impact of an accident on congestion would assist operators to better manage the road network, leading to an improved user experience.

Concept

The occurrence of road accidents is difficult to predict and hence, the response of road operators and users to the ensuing congestion is reactive. In order to achieve the optimal traffic response, accurate estimates for the duration of congestion caused by accidents are critical. The ability to predict the impact of road accidents will help road operators to efficiently direct the appropriate resources to the accident sites proactively, rather than reactively.

The project’s aim was to answer the “how long will it take for traffic to revert to normal conditions after an accident has occurred?” question. This was achieved through the analysis of historical traffic and accident data which was then used to develop a Machine Learning prediction model that can (based on a set of accident features) estimate the duration of congestion caused by an accident.

Activity Arup used a T-TRIG grant to fund the proof of concept investigation of a novel Machine Learning based system for predicting the impact of accidents on congestion. monitor changes to resilience over time. Various data cleansing and filtering techniques were developed and applied to accident data (obtained from the Department for Transport) and the traffic data (obtained from Highways England) prior to applying the developed Machine Learning technique.

Outcomes The project completed the Machine Learning proof-of-concept stage and addressed a number of the challenges faced in relation to data pre-processing. It successfully identified a set of metrics to measure the accidents’ congestion impact which align with different traffic conditions. A set of recommendations were developed which could potentially improve the quality and process of collecting both road traffic and accident data. Artificial Neural Networks could predict the congestion impact of accidents with 74% accuracy. The project clearly demonstrated the feasibility of the technique, and the project team is actively seeking additional funding to improve the prediction model performance and realise the project vision which was significantly progressed through the T-TRIG funding.

The developed and implemented Machine Learning Methodology for prediction of post-

accident road network recovery time

https://www.arup.com/


22

Newcastle University www.ncl.ac.uk


Impact:

The use of passive pervasive

air quality monitors to detect

level of air pollutant attributed

to coastal shipping operations.


Local councils will be

approached as these research

findings will allow analysis of

the emission impact from

coastal ships that have a direct

effect on the population.

Cost Effective Emissions Monitoring Systems Newcastle University

Issue Approximately 95% of freight enters or leaves the UK by sea and a trading ship arrives at or departs from a UK port approximately every 114 seconds. Ships are predominantly powered by diesel engines and operating in ports and in coastal areas may pose a significant threat to air quality. Addressing the challenge of making a highly accurate assessment of the impact of shipping on regional air quality in and around UK ports and coastal waters, is however,

not trivial. It is not viable to directly measure the emissions from each ship visiting the UK, so a cost-effective proxy measurement system is required for deployment around the UK’s port infrastructure.

Concept A pervasive network of continuous emissions monitoring sensors installed at coastal areas were used to map the contributions to air quality from ships, correlating the response of this sensor network to vessel activities.

Activity Sensors were deployed in Newcastle on the Transporter Bridge and along the quayside, near vessel moorings, in specific horizontal and vertical configurations. The Urban Observatory (UO) platform was used to display environmental data for 24 hours and manage the storage and download of historic data. The effects of weather were investigated, including wind strength and direction, to optimise the position of sensors to best capture vessel emissions and provide an accurate measurement of emission contribution from vessels. Vessel movements were mapped using Automatic Identification System (AIS). Five vessels that operate along the River Tees were tracked to study the changes of air quality when vessels passed by the sensors. The combination of the measured air quality data correlated with vessel position and environmental conditions allowed an assessment of the impact of vessels on air quality using emission

monitoring systems.

Outcomes The project successfully demonstrated passive, pervasive air quality monitors to detect heightened levels of air pollutant attributed to coastal shipping operations. In order to bring this concept into higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and ultimately into the market, future work will include three key areas.

1. the refinement of sensor resolution in space and time

2. the technical development of more effective nitrous oxides sensor

3. the refinement in evaluation methods and understanding of the exact activity of ships to the response of the sensors.

The Urban Observatory (UO) air quality database and Air Quality Sensor

http://uoweb1.ncl.ac.uk/

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/

http://uoweb1.ncl.ac.uk/

2017 T-TRIG Project Summaries – Maritime Technology Call

23

L3 ASV www.asvglobal.com


Impact:

Improved efficiency and

safety within the maritime

environment.


Developing a “smart chart” for

a high-profile port area to

demonstrate the concept.

Smart Navigation L3 ASV

Issue Automated and autonomous technologies offer significant benefits, allowing for reduced manning onboard vessels, unmanned workboats, unmanned security platforms and eventually unmanned large ships, as well as having the potential to make marine navigation safer. Although sensor technology and navigational software is developing fast, this is only half of the ‘picture’ or more accurately ‘world model’. The data used to form the background to the world model, where the land is, obstructions, navigation marks, guidance and rules, local information, visual references and more is still sparse and in a format historically developed for humans to read and interpret. Concept There are now a large number (approximately 1,000) vessels operating in the world which are capable of some level of unmanned operation. Market forecasts for this sector and technology predict it could grow to be $5 billion/year and the UK is well placed amongst competitors to have a significant share.

By identifying the maritime situational awareness data required for vessels to operate with reduced crews, autonomously and/or unmanned in UK waters the concept is to structure that data into a prototype “smart chart” that could be used by a smart or ultimately even self-driving ships or vessels.

Activity L3 ASV used a T-TRIG grant to run a number of workshop sessions with the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) to discuss the data inputs required for future autonomous operation.

Outcomes

The workshops recognised many future requirements and identified both data that currently exists and data that would need to be obtained or harvested. In addition, the regulatory aspects of machines using and interpreting data was discussed, along with a potential framework for data verification and storage. The output of the study was a report authored by subject matter experts from all three organisations involved.

Taking any project from concept to reality is a big step and will require the backing of regulators, government and industry. It is the team’s view that significant and short-term benefit could be gained by developing ‘smart charts’ for one high profile port area. This could then be used to test the concepts and quantify their importance to efficiency and safety.

http://www.asvglobal.com/



24

SMAR Azure www.Smar-azure.com


Impact:

A cost-effective solution to reduce

marine carbon and pollutant

emissions.


Funding has been secured for

design and testing of a full-scale

prototype in 2019. Early adopters

and industry stakeholders will be

identified to ensure success as the

technology reaches the market.

SMART Wind Assisted Propulsion (SWAP) SMAR Azure

Issue The global shipping industry has established itself as a low-cost transport solution for over 90% of global freight movement. However, increasing pressure and regulatory change is forcing the industry to shift away from burning low-cost heavy fuel oil in a bid to decarbonise and reduce pollutant emissions. Novel ship powering solutions, such as wind assisted propulsion, are fundamental to ensuring the

maritime industry lowers its carbon footprint and emissions, whilst maintaining its vital role in global trade.

Concept The Smart Wind-Assisted Propulsion (SWAP) technology provides a cost-effective and safe solution for reducing the fuel consumption of large ships with minimal impact on existing ship operation. The SWAP device is a vertically mounted, wing-like, aerofoil for installation onboard and which reduces dependence on the main engine. The primary innovation behind the SWAP technology is a circulation control system (CCS) which manipulates the behaviour of the passing wind as it flows over the aerofoil surface, to produce emission free thrust to power the ship forward.

Activity The T-TRIG funding supported testing of a small-scale SWAP prototype in the De Havilland wind tunnel facility at the University of Glasgow. The testing marked a shift from feasibility study to the experimental research phase, a vital step towards demonstrating proof of concept for the SWAP technology. The model was tested under a series of simulated wind conditions and with different settings of the CCS, to investigate the technology performance and provide physical data for validation of the computational prediction methods.

Outcomes The wind tunnel campaign demonstrated that the fundamental aerodynamic behaviour predicted via computational simulation is achievable at an experimental level. This is an important proof of concept step, which demonstrated that the SWAP aerofoil is well suited as a wind assist propulsion device for commercial ships, with aerodynamic performance that exceeds the current popular wind assist technologies, such as the Flettner Rotor.

The project provided large amounts of data that is currently being used to validate computational methods for performance prediction. Once validated, the plan is for the design tools to be used to optimise the concept before designing and testing a full-scale demonstrator. Funding has been secured from Scottish Enterprise to support the design, manufacturing and testing of the full-scale demonstrator in 2019.

Following completion of full-scale testing, SMAR Azure will be seeking further funding and collaboration partners to deploy and monitor the first device during an onboard piloting study.

Artist Impression of SWAP Devices Installed on Tanker

http://www.smar-azure.com/



25

TeamSurv www.teamsurv.com


Impact:

Enabling low-cost port depth data

capture by crowd-sourcing to

enable navigation and maintenance.


Further funding is needed to

develop this idea into a product

both on hardware and software

sides and are actively looking for

sources of such.

TeamPorts TeamSurv

Issue Many ports, harbours and marinas are in locations where regular hydrographic surveys and dredging are needed, due to them being located where there is silting or a mobile sea bed. This can be the major operational cost.

Concept Almost all vessels are fitted with a GPS and depth sounder. By logging and aggregating this data it is possible to take a crowd sourcing approach to create much more cost-effective surveys. The data can either be used in its own right, or be

used to better target much higher cost but more accurate multibeam surveys, detecting changes in the level of the sea bed to trigger any necessary dredging or coastal protection activities.The cost saving can significantly reduce a port’s operational costs, and help keep marginal ports open.

Activity TeamSurv carried out the following activities under the T-TRIG project:

• engaged with about half of the UK ports to ascertain the level of interest and viability in this approach

• consulted vessel operators to assess their ability and willingness to log the necessary data, and to determine any potential barriers

• carried out some rapid prototyping of a dashboard for port operators

• time sliced existing data and displayed it to trial detection of areas of mobile sea bed.

Outcomes TeamSurv has verified that TeamPorts is viable in many ports. The market is

predominately small to medium sized ports, as larger ports often have an in-house survey team, and areas with a mobile seabed. It is of most interest to municipal ports (run by local authorities) where financial challenges can be higher. The project identified a list of ports as potential sites for initial demonstration projects.

Most vessels are technically capable of logging the data needed for TeamPorts, though for commercial vessels not operated by the port or harbour authority the question of how to incentivise taking part needs further work.

Technically, the port operator can easily be provided with a dashboard to view the data. The project has also developed an approach to monitoring depth changes by time slicing the data.

Overall, TeamPorts has shown that this is a viable commercial route for TeamSurv’s crowd sourced bathymetry (depth mapping).

Vessel position plots generated by the TeamPorts Dashboard

http://www.teamsurv.com/



26

Duodrive Limited www.duodrive.co.uk


Impact:

DuodrivetrainTM can cut fossil

fuel use and air pollution for

marine vessels particularly in

urban and port areas.


Duodrive is seeking first-

adopters and investors to

launch their prototype ‘data

generating’ test-bed platform

vessel. They see this as offing

economic and green benefits.

Duodrivetrain™ Duodrive Limited

Issue Marine diesel represents the main operating cost for commercial boats, yet the design and efficiency of marine drivetrains have seen few step-changes since diesel replaced steam. In the EU, water-born traffic is increasing, with a global rise of between 50% and 250% predicted by 2050 by some.

Concept The technology of marine craft propulsion is behind that of other forms of transport in both fuel use and consequent emissions. The Duodrive patented concept, changes this with their innovative contra-rotating propeller cartridge, where two propellers rotate in opposite directions. This design can be retrofitted to existing vessels with little or no modification to the vessel hull, thus allowing for inexpensive upgrades to thousands of shaft driven boats, improving fuel efficiency of crafts over 28m (100ft) in length and reducing running costs and emissions. Retrofitting is common within the marine industry as new vessels represent large financial commitments. Duodrivetrain installation has the potential to payback its costs within 2 years. Additionally, the system solves alignment, vibration, wear and other maintenance issues allowing a vessel repair within hours rather than several weeks for traditional configurations.

Activity Duodrive, based at the Marine Robotic Innovation Centre (National Oceanography Centre or NOC Southampton) used the DfT T-TRIG grant to enable improvements to the overall mechanical design and testing through new research paths which resulted in an improved engineering design in conjunction with a new innovative mounting arrangement, which continues to be developed. Duodrive adapted best-practice and concepts from the automotive and rotating machine sectors to bring a disruptive innovation to the propulsion of boats.

Outcomes Under the T-TRIG programme, Duodrive was able to develop a number of Duodrivetrain components including:

• development and testing of the oil system

• new components to improve the bearing arrangements

• a novel "torque flange" mounting system and

• a variable pitch propeller testing module. Support from DfT and KTN, has led to Duodrive securing further funding from Innovate UK and the Science and Technology Facilities Council to generate an algorithmic tool to accurately predict performance and aid selection of contra-rotating propeller sets.

More work is needed to fully develop the mounting concept and to generate further validation data in 2019.

With the increasing demand for larger autonomous surface vessels with traditional line shaft drives, including both the commercial and the Defence sectors, Duodrive's propulsion technologies can deliver longer mission range with a lower carbon footprint.

Visualisation of typical DuodrivetrainTM installation.

http://www.duodrivetrain.uk

http://www.duodrive.co.uk/


http://www.duodrivetrain.uk/


27

Impact:

This project could enable

drivers of hydrogen-powered

vehicles to find refuelling

stations.


The realisation of the benefits

of this work will require a

greater hydrogen economy in

the UK and the creation of a

network of refuelling sites.

Fuel Cell Systems LTD www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk

[email protected]

Real-time UK Hydrogen Refuelling Station Availability Map

CTO Fuel Cell Systems Ltd

Issue Improving the UK’s air quality is a key priority for the Government. To support this, there is a need to move to using Ultra Low Emission Vehicles as set out in the Government Road to Zero strategy. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are one potential approach to enabling this; however, a lack of refuelling infrastructure remains a key barrier to the uptake of this technology.

Concept The goal of this project was to develop a user-friendly interactive map of publicly available hydrogen refuelling stations, to increase uptake and public acceptance of hydrogen as an alternative fuel to reduce vehicle emissions.

Activity This project used mapping technology available from Google and developed a user-friendly overlay to provide interactive data on hydrogen refuelling stations within the UK. It also developed easily accessible central database to allow new information to be added in the future, as the hydrogen supply network develops.

Outcomes The project delivered a free-access website at www.h2map.com, which provides information on the UK’s hydrogen infrastructure.

http://www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk/


http://www.h2map.com/


28

Salus UAV https://salusuav.com/

[email protected]

Impact:

This project proves the concept

for automated collision

prevention in small airborne

vehicles.


Working with providers of

airspace management services

and drone producers to take

this technology forward.

Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight UAV Air Traffic Control Operations

Salus UAV Issue Within the UK, the flight of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs) is presently constrained to be within visual line-of-sight; however, to fully utilise the potential benefits of this technology there is a need to consider how these systems can be used beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLoS) to increase their scope of use, range of operation and realise their full potential benefits. For this to occur, current guidance requires that UAVs have a detect and avoid system, which can detect, predict and avoid potential air collisions. While these systems are already available in manned and large unmanned systems, they have yet to be implemented in small UAVs.

Concept This project developed a new UAV called ‘Horus’ which had the capability to detect, predict and avoid potential air collisions, delivered through a combination of onboard systems.

Activity This project aimed to demonstrate a safe, workable solution for integrating UAVs into shared airspace. A proof of concept was developed to show how the aircraft were stable in flight, able to fly at both extended visual line-of-sight and BVLoS, and could be controlled by multiple means to achieve layers of safety with fail operational/fail safe components.

Trials were undertaken in 2017 to test the UAV system through a series of planned routes and simulations, and the UAV system responded as programmed and commanded. This represents a vital step in enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight for small UAVs, acting as a proof of concept for the technology.

Outcomes This project is a positive step along the path to developing an Unmanned Traffic Management system to integrate UAVs into UK airspace.

Figure: Unmanned Aircraft System, Horus

https://salusuav.com/



29

Esoterix https://esoterix.co.uk/


Impact:

This project will support Local

Authorities in the procurement

of new mobility services.


Partnering with Local

Authority partners to road-test

our benchmark suite.

Benchmarking Total Transport Esoterix Systems Issue A ‘total transport’ system has the potential to realise multiple benefits, including service integration to calculate which vehicles will deliver a Local Authority’s overall objectives; for example, minimising the number of vehicles required, or maximising the number of journeys provided by a fleet. Many Local Authorities (LAs) are currently procuring ‘total transport systems’, or building the business case for those procurements,

and there is a potential benefit to helping them articulate their needs for routing and scheduling requirements, and being able to understand the realisable benefits.

Concept The goal of this project was to provide advice and recommendations on areas for LAs to consider when procuring transport systems, to ensure that they can articulate their requirements and needs.

Activity The objectives of this project were to:

• Create a ‘total transport’ data standard which LAs could use to publish their requirements, and so suppliers could co-operate in constructing solutions to meet those requirements.

• Create a ‘total transport’ benchmarking capability whereby LAs could use the capability to compare supplier solutions; suppliers will be prompted to innovate.

• Create a ‘total Transport’ benchmark suite to enable LAs to review others’ initiatives and so suppliers can understand requirements.

Outcomes Through engaging with LAs and suppliers, the project delivered the above objectives and produced the following main findings:

• There is strong interest in ‘total transport’ opportunities as LAs look to extend their pilot schemes and improve services for the travelling public.

• There is a need to provide a data standard, with LAs struggling to define system requirements.

• There is an aversion to publishing ‘total transport’ demand requirements based on anonymised real data. An alternative is to publish synthetically generated data which is representative of real-life.

Following the initiative, the project has continued to engage with LAs and suppliers to ensure that the findings of the project are disseminated and to support a consistent approach to procuring ‘total transport’ systems.

https://esoterix.co.uk/



30

Atmotech Ltd https://atmotech.co.uk/

[email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This project enables the wider

deployment of various

connected sensors.


We are looking for partners

who need to deploy sensors

within vehicles and transport

infrastructure.

Podule and Application Development

Atmotech Ltd (Formerly Podshare Ltd)

Issue Hyper-connectivity and advances in sensors and data processing present the opportunity to develop a generic connected sensor platform for use in a variety of transport applications.

Concept This project aimed to develop a way to monitor transport sensors wirelessly and remotely, with data stored in the cloud, and to test its use in practice. The technology was designed to support the connective ability of future electric and automated vehicles, enabling users to receive live information on their journey, the vehicle and any cargo.

Activity A ‘Podule’ system was developed in order to demonstrate the ability to monitor sensors wirelessly and remotely, with data stored in the cloud. The Podule worked in tandem with a mobile app over Wi-Fi, with the mobile providing GPS. Each Podule contained a sensor which can record a variety of different environmental factors, including noise, air quality and weather. A mobile app was developed to enable users to view data in real time, and receive notifications via email or text when sensors detected certain thresholds.

Outcomes The Podule was tested via two trials:

• One on electric bikes, in order to monitor atmospheric data in an urban environment. The trial found that it was extremely energy intensive to take data from multiple sensors simultaneously, resulting in low battery life for the Podules. To improve on battery life a sleep function was added which enabled the Podule to sleep when the vehicle was not moving.

• One on waste trucks, to assess contact with hazardous substances and the noise the trucks were generating. The Podule proved successful in informing the fleet manager when there were environmental concerns.

These trials proved the feasibility of using Podules to collect environmental information in real-time, enabling users to be more informed about the environment vehicles were operating in and react appropriately.

https://atmotech.co.uk/




31

Touché NFC Ltd www.touche-nfc.com/

[email protected]

Impact:

This innovation enables

ticketless operation of bus

travel.


Touché NFC are looking to

develop the concept further

before seeking partners to

mount a large scale operational

trial.

Mobile Beacon Ticketing

Touché NFC Ltd Issue Transport Authorities and operators both want to speed up operations, reduce congestion, improve efficiency, better engage with passengers, and gather better data on transport use. Concept The project examined whether it is possible to use Bluetooth beacons in conjunction with smartphones, in an open public setting to determine journey start and end points and allow ticketless transport charging to take place.

Activity A beacon system and Android mobile app was developed which allowed the recording of user’s journeys. Using the app, users’ devices interacted with beacons at the bus stops and on buses to record their journeys. The app provided information such as journey start and end points, the vehicles used, and information to users on journey progress.

A trial was run on a bus route to test the feasibility of the technology, with beacons installed on both buses and bus stops, and volunteers testing the app and beacons using their smartphones.

Outcomes The results of the trial showed that it is possible to use smart beacons in an open public environment to inform users of their journey, with trial users confirming that the app recorded journeys correctly in the majority of cases. However, journeys were not always recorded consistently and there is a need to further develop the technology to increase robustness and accuracy.

Battery life for the beacon was sufficient for the trial (with a life expectation of nine weeks) but further improvements would be needed for commercial use. Environmental considerations such as damp also reduced battery life unexpectedly in some cases, and there is a need to consider how beacons can be made weather-proofed for all locations.

This project demonstrated the possibility of using a combination of smartphones and Bluetooth smart beacon technologies for transport ticketing, and provided valuable insight into the further work needed to develop this technology. 5G mobile communications may present opportunities to develop similar systems with slightly different technology and avoid some of the limitations which were identified in our work.

An example of the mobile beacon

http://www.touche-nfc.com/



32

Pushme Bikes Ltd https://www.pushme.bike/

[email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This enables consumers to

enjoy the benefits of e-bikes

without having to invest in

expensive e-bike hardware.


A more advanced version of

this product is on sale, and

Pushme are looking to increase

the network of battery

swapping stations to enable

wider usage.

On-Demand Bicycle Electrification

Pushme Bike Ltd Issue Peddle bike ownership is very widespread but may present a barrier to the uptake of more expensive e-bikes, which have the potential to lower usage of cars and other motor vehicles.

Concept Through designing, developing and testing the “PushMe” device, this project aimed to develop a system that converts conventional bicycles to electric and enables users to replenish batteries on the go, anywhere in the city through a network of battery swapping locations. This technology has the potential to improve uptake of e-bikes and by extension cycling, by reducing financial barriers and making recharging quicker and easier.

Activity A prototype of a PushMe device, which converts a normal bike to an electric one, was developed. PushMe can be easily attached to any bicycle, without any tools or installation. The mechanical enclosure, which allows the device to be compatible with a wide range of bicycles, was designed and a prototype built. Underneath this, systems were developed to monitor the bicycle’s speed and a mobile application developed to enable configuration of the device. Once the prototype was created, a two-week trial was undertaken with Deliveroo. This tested the performance of the product and provided insight into how the device could improve delivery times for users in comparison to a normal bike, and whether it could increase the number of orders that could be delivered.

Outcomes Following the trial, the results were used to improve the device further and PushMe System is now available commercially, providing an alternative route to access an electric bike. PushMe are also developing a network of PushPod battery charging locations, in convenient locations, such as small independent shops.

https://www.pushme.bike/



33

HW Communications LTD www.hwcomms.com

[email protected]

1234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation offers an

alternative connectivity method

to standard Wi-Fi for train

carriages and other interior

spaces.


We are looking for partners

who need new connectivity

solutions, to enable more

operational trials of this

technology.

High Speed Communication for Passengers

HW Communications Ltd Issue At present on-train wireless solutions are based on Wi-Fi technology; however, there are limitations to this technology, with systems struggling to cope with high-demand and multiple devices being connected.

Concept This project carried out a technology feasibility study to evaluate

the deployment of an alternative approach to Wi-Fi for delivering information and content for passengers, through using Visible Light Communication.

Visible Light Communication (VLC) uses visible light to transfer information and has the potential to have more bandwidth than radio frequencies, including traditional Wi-Fi. A side benefit of VLCs is that, as a light medium, it can also provide lighting through use of an LED bulb.

Activity This feasibility study was undertaken with a VLC system combined with LED light, which was able to support up to eight simultaneous users. The outcomes of this project showed that VLC prototypes have comparable connectivity speeds to Wi-Fi devices, and do not interfere with other train/staff radio communication systems. Through use-testing in a simulated carriage environment, the study showed that, as an optical medium, there is potential for the signal to be blocked by passengers and this would need to be considered in the design of carriages using VLC.

Outcomes While the feasibility study showed the VLC could be a potential alternative solution for transferring data to passengers on the rail system, this study did not consider the economic costs required to install this technology in train infrastructure. To enable this technology to be used on the rail system, there is a need to consider evaluating this solution further, through installation and testing in a real train environment.

http://www.hwcomms.com/



34

Sleep and Fatigue Research LTD https://safr.org.uk/

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation allows driving

professionals to monitor and

manage fatigue-related risks.


Sleep and Fatigue Research

wish to do further trials with

other types of vehicle operator

and are looking for partners

who wish to implement this

technology fully.

Saving Lives by Managing Driver Fatigue

Sleep and Fatigue Research Ltd Issue Driver fatigue increases reaction times and driver error, potentially leading to accidents that result in fatalities and injuries.

Concept This study developed a wearable technology to build the understanding of the effect of fatigue on professional drivers and

their driver error and, hence, accident rate.

Activity The trial team used wearable technology (activity trackers), a bio-mathematical model of fatigue, a mobile app and a suite of management software (both designed specifically for the trial) to record participants’ sleep data, produce an alertness/fatigue score, and present that information to trial participants and their managers to enable fatigue to be monitored, assessed and managed.

Outcomes Wearable technology (activity trackers), a mathematical model for fatigue, a mobile app and management software were used to undertake a trial involving drivers and managers within a logistics company. The application provided feedback to users on their current alertness level, a forecast on alertness and sleep history. These were used to inform both users and their managers of alertness level, influencing their behaviours. The study found that alertness levels were lowest at the beginning of early morning shifts, suggesting that it may be preferable to avoid these where possible. This technology could potentially be used by logistics companies to inform drivers’ shift patterns to maximise safety. Further trials of the technology would provide further insights into the effect of fatigue, and there is also potential for this technology to be used across other transport modes and industry sectors.


35

Zircon Software www.zirconsoftware.co.uk [email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation allows the

automatic monitoring of

dangerous behaviors on rail

platforms.


Collecting more data on the

efficacy of this approach to

support further development.

Looking subsequently for

opportunities for an operational

deployment.

Platform-Train Interface Camera

Zircon Software Issue Rail and metro passengers sometimes transgress over the platform edge, onto the operational part of the railway, which puts the individual in danger and compromises the normal operation of the railway

Concept Using video cameras in the tube, in collaboration with London Underground, software was developed which could identify when passengers put themselves at risk by crossing over the platforms edge onto the rails.

Activity In collaboration with London Underground, video cameras were installed at Victoria Station on the northbound Victoria line platform. Video captured by these cameras was analysed and used to detect when passengers stepped over a defined threshold. This was done by defining areas of detection for areas in use (the platform) and not in use (the area the train operates in and the edge of the platform). The software could then detect when passenger transgressed the not-in-use area by comparing the ‘pixels’ of passengers with the defined area. Additionally, it was investigated whether the software could predict and detect pedestrians who may deliberately plan to transgress the platform, potentially causing a collision. This was done by analysing passenger behaviour on the platform, such as unusual movement or letting multiple trains pass before boarding.

Outcomes The trial proved that this approach to analysing the movement of passengers on platforms worked, with a number of improvements developed through the trial. For instance, it was found that changing advertisements on the tube platform would create false alerts, and this needed to be accounted for.

The system has potential uses across the wider transport system, for instance in train stations and high-speed roads such as motorways. To develop this technology further there is a need to test how effective the system would be at alerting the operator or public to risks, and further improve the ability to detect high-risk pedestrians before they enter high-risk areas.

Demonstration screen-grab of image processing on video of a crowded

platform.

http://www.zirconsoftware.co.uk/



36

Biella Research www.biella-research.com

[email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation enables

managed bike sharing

deployment in cost- or space-

prohibitive scenarios.


Biella are looking for partners

to implement first medium-

scale bike sharing schemes.

Low-Cost Bike Share Docking Station

Biella Research Issue Bicycle docking stations exist and are already being used in areas such as London. However, these solutions tend to take a significant amount of space per bike, which limits the number of bikes that are available to users. Concept An innovative high-density, low-cost docking station for bike sharing could significantly lower the space taken up by docking stations. This idea sees bicycles secured close together in stack formation with users only able to take or return a bicycle at the end of the stack. Activity This project developed a prototype docking station that uses stacking of bikes to maximise the use of space, and is especially beneficial in an urban environment where there is limited space available for bike docking. This approach requires bikes to be docked from right to left to enable all the spaces to be used, and there was uncertainty whether users would be able to understand this approach.

A docking station was installed and trialled at a university where staff and students were encouraged to use bicycles for local journeys, and a short instructional video replaced any on-site instructions to ensure users were aware of how to use the dockings station. A smart-card held by users was used to dock and undock bikes. Outcomes The findings of the trial found that users understood the approach to docking and undocking bikes, and that the technology and design worked well with no major issues. This project has provided an alternative approach for providing dockings stations in an urban environment, with greater space-efficiency than conventional approaches.

High-density docking station

http://www.biella-research.com/



37

Birmingham High Performance Turbomachinary www.bhpturbo.com [email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation will extend the

range of electric vehicles by

facilitating generation of extra

power when needed.


Completion of the other

elements of the range extender

module and engage with

vehicle manufacturers for

integration trials.

Turbo Range Extender

Birmingham High-Performance Turbomachinery Ltd

Issue ‘Range anxiety’ is a barrier to the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).

Concept A micro-gas turbine could provide backup power in the event of an EV running out of battery charge, whilst maintaining a small form-factor (small space requirement).

Activity During this project the compressor and the turbine of a Turbo Range Extender were designed and verified. The Turbo Range Extender aimed to enable the uptake of EVs through increasing their ranges. Micro-gas turbines are advantageous for range extenders as they are high in power-to-weight ratio and produce lower emissions than conventional fuels. However, current micro-gas turbines are too bulky to fit in cars, and there are challenges in building a small micro-gas turbine that enables sufficient combustion despite the small engine volume. The development of this turbine and compressors can help get around these barriers.

Outcomes The components of the engine were designed and tested computationally, identifying the stress points on the components and whether they meet requirements for the engine. Testing included high pressure flow simulation, to ensure the engine would be able to deliver the required efficiencies.

These designs will be used to create the physical prototype Turbo Range Extender engine, which will be able to support EVs and has potential wider applications in the transport sector.

Turbo wheel and nozzle designs

http://www.bhpturbo.com/



38

Camtronics No longer trading

8900

Impact:

These inverters can lower the

cost and weight and improve

efficiency of electric vehicle

powertrains.


We are looking for partners to

take on this IP, before further

development and engagement

with manufacturers of electric

powertrains to look towards

implementation.

Feasibility Assessment of a Nitride Traction Inverter

Camtronics Ltd (no longer trading)

Issue Traction inverters are a key component of electric vehicle propulsion systems. Traction inverters based on gallium nitride have advantages over traditional models, which are silicon based, as they are able to operate at substantially higher temperature, higher power-density and high switching frequency. This technology has been held back by difficulties in the optimisation of

converter rating, heat management and switching circuit.

Concept This project aimed to prove the feasibility and quantify the economics of developing this technology through designing, building and testing a gallium nitride traction inverter. This has the potential to leads to gallium nitride inverters delivering significant efficiencies through cost, weight and reliability improvements.

Activity A program was developed to generate and model the proposed design parameters for the inverter, informing the optimum design parameters. The results from this model were used to optimise the converter rating, heat management and switching circuit for the prototype model.

Outcomes The inverter was subsequently constructed and tested and found to be more efficient than traditional silicon inverters; however, the inverter was only tested at low-power levels and results may vary for higher power levels. This project showed that it is possible to optimise the components of gallium nitride inverters to deliver increased efficiencies, and acts as a stepping stone for follow-on exploitation. Further research is needed to increase the reliability and stability of the system, and the system needs to be scaled up to be suitable for practical use.


39

CCP Gransden www.ccp-gransden.com

[email protected]

01234 567 8900

Impact:

This innovation can allow

aerospace materials and design

principals to be applied to other

vehicles.


Seeking of opportunities to

apply this research to new

markets.

Moulding of Thermoplastic Composites

CCP Gransden

Issue Highly tailored thermo-setting composite components have been proven to deliver significant weight reduction in multiple sectors, through the application of highly orientated fibres and tailoring of fibre and resin properties. Today’s challenge, however, lies less in the design of composite structures and more in the ability to meet the manufacturing rates to meet demand, particularly outside of the aero-structures market.

Concept This project developed a method to undertake fast compression moulding to develop components from thermoplastic composites, which are traditionally difficult to work with due to their inherent properties.

Activity Using heating and water cooling, whilst applying different approaches to limit the time taken to create a mould, a low-cost concept for the compression of high-performance composites was developed. A trial was run of this approach to identify how the cycle time could be minimised by varying the approaches to the moulding process, through varying cooling and heating times.

Outcomes The study showed that a heating and cooling cycle time of as low as 13 minutes per mould could be achieved, whilst still delivering high quality outputs. This trial provided a viable new method of optimising the approach to making thermoplastic composites, bringing increased efficiencies to a time consuming and expensive process.

The creation of a composite component (right) from carbon fibre (left)

http://www.ccp-gransden.com/



40

Impact:

This innovation can lower the

emissions of freight and

logistics operations by

lowering vehicle idling times.


Working with freight operators

to secure further trials of this

technology.

DriverNet http://driver-net.com/


Testing the Impact of a Cloud Based Logistics Network

DriverNet

Issue The routing of freight vehicles to specific bays within freight terminals and warehouses is a manual, verbal and paper-based process. Vehicles often stand idle waiting to enter sites, increasing operating costs and impacting local air quality

Concept The DriverNet app provides drivers with a series of integrated services delivered through a cloud-based network and uses GPS to track incoming deliveries. Automated proximity alerts and vehicle details were provided to sites in advance to accelerate security clearance. This removes the need for traditional approaches for commercial vehicles entering sites, which are typically manual and inefficient.

Activity The potential for the DriverNet app to track goods vehicles into customer and supplier premises, improving upon conventional approaches, was tested over the course of a two-week depot trial. The trial determined the time difference between conventional deliveries and those using the app.

Outcomes The trial found that vehicles using traditional methods took an average of 1 minute 42 seconds to obtain clearance to enter the site, while those using the app took an average of 42 seconds, with the fastest time achieved being seven seconds. This showed that the application has the potential to deliver significant benefits to improving the efficiencies of freight delivery.

http://driver-net.com/



41

Impact:

Lowering the environmental

impact of the diesel fleet.


This innovation could be fitted

as an after-sales modification

and to any new sales.

Brunel University www.brunel.ac.uk [email protected]

01234 567 8900

Diesel Particulate Filtration

Brunel University

Issue Diesel engines are likely to remain a feature of the road fleet for some time before they are completely replaced by new vehicles running on cleaner fuels and zero emissions vehicles.

Concept This project developed and produced a tailpipe mounted filter to reduce the number of particulates produced by engines. The filter is made of a composite material that can absorb particulates.

Activity A solid-state, composite filtering material was developed that can filter particulates produced from diesel engines, and which could be retro-fitted to vehicles. The filter material is prepared in blocks following a high temperature sintering procedure, and can then be cut into the correct shape and geometry (plates) for the specific application.

Outcomes Following the design and manufacturing, tests were carried out with a diesel engine exhaust to determine the effectiveness of the filter. The engine was tested at both high and low revolutions per minute and under different load conditions. The results of the testing showed that the number of particles emitted fell from around 7 million per second to 1000 per second. When under increased load and revolutions per minute, 0.5 million particulates per second were emitted, in comparison to 32 million particles per second without the filter.

Filter Trial Unfiltered Filtered

High speed 32 million per second 500 thousand per second

Low speed 7 million per second 1 thousand per second



42


WaveReach are partnering

with Tarian Technology Ltd to

deliver affordable, reliable,

minimal maintenance systems

to bridges of any size in the

UK and globally.

WaveReach Ltd www.wave-reach.com


Impact:

Authorities can now remotely

monitor the condition of

bridges more cheaply.

Remote Bridge Monitoring WaveReach Limited

Issue The large numbers of smaller and older bridges, especially in rural areas, present significant examination and maintenance challenges to owners and operators. Many bridges are subjected to overloads, and the difficulty of prosecution in situations of misuse means that the taxpayer ultimately foots the bill for repairs, diversions and even claims for loss of revenue.

Concept The UK has a large number of road bridges. Where these are monitored, systems are often complex and expensive and made up of combinations of legacy cameras, sensors, and communications, devices. In rural areas, remoteness exacerbates the monitoring challenge. Older bridges especially are at risk of damage from vehicle overloads when drivers take the risk of crossing bridges which are not capable of supporting their loads, including as a result of depending on SatNav systems. When damage does occur, reporting often relies on members of the public and culprits are rarely identified. WaveReach see emerging technology enabling the installation of more affordable systems comprising cameras, sensors, backhaul communications, and graphic real-time reporting. Machine-learning techniques can also help lower costs, improve safety, provide accurate data for planned maintenance and minimise disruption.

Activity In early 2017, WaveReach was awarded funding by the DfT to monitor road bridges in rural Wales. This project proved that useful data could be collected even in remote locations.

Outcomes WaveReach proved that accurate visual, mechanical and structural data, can be collected in a rural environment, where

power supplies and communications backhaul are a challenge. We know that bridge owners (central and local government) have an increasing need for bridge monitoring, both on a real-time and delayed delivery data basis, and against a backdrop of budgetary pressures. WaveReach concluded that the challenge of providing power to bridges and bringing the data back to the servers in this environment is something few companies can achieve. This quick and accurate reporting minimises disruption, improves road safety, and presents an opportunity to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for infrastructure damage.

To continue designing and installing these systems, WaveReach will need further investment. Given the widespread national and international need for bridge monitoring they expect to be able to grow rapidly once this product is fully mature.

Photo of monitored road bridge over river Vyrnwy at Meifod in Powys

http://www.wave-reach.com/



43

Vivacity Labs www.vivacitylabs.com


Impact:

Revolutionise data collection

on our roads, enabling

accurate, 9-class datasets from

cameras to replace traditional

loops and manual counts


The core concept is

commercialised, with sensors

in cities across the UK;

Vivacity are now raising

venture capital funding to drive

further research and scale

commercialisation

Next-Generation ITS Sensing

Using Neural Networks Vivacity Labs

Issue As we move into an increasingly connected world, better data collection infrastructure will be required to cope with the demands of smart motorways, providing CAVs forewarning of road conditions, and smarter traffic lights. The first application of this infrastructure is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system for the collection and classification of movement data, replacing the inefficient current approach where manual enumerators (people) identify pedestrians, vehicles and other features from video data.

Concept AI (neural networks) can automatically extract classified vehicle movements from video. Vivacity developed a camera with an on-board processor to run these algorithms locally, providing GDPR-compliant data 365 days a year at high accuracy. This project looked to extend the cutting-edge performance of these algorithms, looking to dramatically improve vehicle tracking in particular.

Activity Vivacity used a T-TRIG grant to break new ground in academic study of AI for machine vision-based tracking, exploring different types of algorithms not used before for this type of work as well as the supporting frameworks to assess these algorithms.

Outcomes Vivacity developed a new automatic tracking benchmarking tool, a new benchmarking dataset, and explored two new algorithmic approaches as a direct result of T-TRIG. Over the subsequent two years, using the groundwork laid by the T-TRIG grant, the accuracy of their solutions has now reached 97% in a very challenging mixed-mode trial on a busy road, demonstrating the huge impact this rigorous, data-driven iterative approach has had.

As a result of the high accuracy of these solutions, sensors have now been deployed at several locations across the UK (including Manchester,

Oxford, Cambridge and London) and are underpinning a £3.5m research programme with Innovate UK and Transport for Greater Manchester, targeting development of AI-driven traffic signal control with true multi-modal optimization capabilities. Vivacity have delivered an important piece of technology required to underpin the UK’s future digital transport infrastructure, using deep AI to gather better data about our roads.

Tracking algorithms showing car paths in red,

pedestrians in purple

Detection algorithms showing some of the 9-

classes available

http://www.vivacitylabs.com/


2016 ICF Project Summaries

44

Flit (Cambridge) Ltd www.flit.bike


Impact:

The Flit folding e-bike helps

people in busy cities to get

around flexibly by being small

and light enough to take

anywhere.


Flit are working with national

and international partners to

prototype the folding e-bike

frame and electrical system. A

launch for pre-orders is

planned in spring 2019.

Lightweight Folding E-bike Flit (Formerly Hinton Bikes) Issue More than 2 million electric bicycles, which boost the pedal power of the rider, were sold across Europe in 2017. That number has been growing by an average of 33% per year since 2007. Folding bicycle sales also grew at about 15% per year over a similar period. The reason for this growth is simple: people are looking for healthy, fast, and independent ways to get around increasingly congested cities. Harnessing this growth presents a unique opportunity to improve urban mobility, particularly during rush hour when road space and public transport capacity can reach their

limits.

Concept A number of bikes already exist that combine a folding frame with an electric motor to boost the rider’s pedal power. However, existing models are about the size and weight (20kg+) of the biggest suitcase that you can check in at the airport, making them impractical. Flit developed a folding e-bike that is closer to the size of an airline carry-on bag and, at 14kg, is much lighter than competitors. This means that it can easily be brought on public transport, carried up to an apartment, or stored at work.

Activity Using a grant from DfT’s Innovation Challenge Fund, Flit built a prototype folding e-bike frame in the UK. They did this by combining their own design expertise with the fabrication skills and facilities of a specialist prototyper in Essex. This was a crucial first step to be able to test how practical and intuitive the folding frame is to use, as well as how receptive potential customers and distribution partners would be to the design.

Outcomes Flit successfully completed the first folding frame of

their e-bike in October 2017. This prototype, and the user testing conducted with it, revealed both a significant appetite for this type of product on the market, but also a number of flaws with the existing design. This prompted Flit to rework the prototype in subsequent versions. In particular, they made substantial changes to the folding mechanism. Having a completed prototype also allowed them to work with new partners, including the Design Council through its Design Spark accelerator, and a specialist bicycle manufacturer in Taiwan. Following this progress, Flit plan to open pre-orders for their e-bike in spring 2019.

Flit are currently working on developing their distribution network and would appreciate support in doing this. Further funding would allow them to develop future models of their folding e-bike. In the medium-term, they would also like to explore bringing production back to the UK by using advanced manufacturing techniques such as robotic welding and direct laser metal sintering.

Clockwise from top-left: the first prototype

piece, checking prototype parts, the finished

first prototype, assembling the prototype.

http://www.flit.bike/


2016 ICF Project Summaries

Impact:

Engaging young drivers to

improve road safety.


Use virtual reality to engage

and immerse users in a variety

of driving situations with

known links to accident

causation in novices.

CGA Simulation www.cgasimulation.com

[email protected] . 567 8900

VR Drive CGA Simulation (formerly Onteca Ltd)

Issue Just under 800,000 drivers passed driving tests in 2018 making almost

40 million motorists in the UK. One of DfT’s priorities is the improvement of journeys by ensuring drivers are safe and secure. This is a particular challenge for young drivers (17-24) who are 10 times more likely to crash than older drivers. In 2014, collisions involving young car drivers made up nearly a fifth of all road collisions, resulting in 342 deaths.

Concept CGA Simulation are addressing the Improved Driver Training challenge, using a DfT Innovation Challenge Fund grant. It used virtual reality (VR), gamification and real-time 3D driving simulation in a variety of driving situations with known links to accident causation in novices. The goal of the VR experience was to improve road safety by engaging novice drivers with a virtual experience that improves hazard perception and raises awareness of risk-taking in a digital world.

Activity ICF funding supported the creation of “VR Drive” to revolutionise the learner driver experience for young people by creating a digital copy of a city’s roads in which they can develop the skills they need to drive safely. This technological solution was shown to be well suited for engaging with young, learner drivers who already have the technological/gaming experience to embrace this learning tool.

VR Drive allowed users to:

• develop road hazard recognition skills in a variety of environments and conditions

• explore links between risk-taking behaviour and accident causation in a VR world

• develop self-awareness with respect to risk-seeking and impulsivity.

VR Drive’s system uses gamification, Artificial Intelligence, Open Data and driver education to provide new drivers with next-generation Hazard Perception Training (HPT). Outcomes

VR Drive allows for a greater sense of immersion and wider field of view. In VR users have a full field of view: forwards, left and right, wing and driver mirrors. Therefore, VR Drive can emulate a real driving experience.

The project found that drivers’ attitudes towards speeding and unsafe driving improved after exposure to the VR simulation and were less inclined to exhibit risky behaviours. The team speculate that the high number of collisions that occurred during simulated scenarios may have prompted self-reflection on attitudes related to speeding and unsafe driving. It was also notable that obedience or violation of other types of rule remained unaffected by the VR experience. The evaluation study demonstrated a short-term change in certain attitudes, but further research is required to assess the longevity of this effect.

http://www.cgasimulation.com/



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