Revolutionising Product Monitoring with Low-Power Battery-less Wireless Sensing

Contact: Dr Roy Simorangkir

Project Overview

Traditional product inspections/monitoring during research and manufacturing can often be subjective, highly manual, and invasive. Our collaboration with P&G aims to address this challenge by leveraging a battery-less wireless sensing system, initially developed for livestock health monitoring, and adapting it as an innovative Industry 4.0 solution. This scalable, cost-effective system facilitates real-time temperature and humidity monitoring non-invasively, with adaptability to specific logistics requirements. By customising and evaluating this technology within P&G's industrial environment, we intend to further validate its versatility for broader Internet of Things (IoT) applications, potentially contributing towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 in the industrial sector.

Platform Driving The Ultimate Connectivity

Contact: Dr Yunfei Chen

Project Overview

The research of the TITAN platform is geared towards the ultimate network of networks and is structured in six strongly interconnected lighthouse projects which reflect all network elements - 1) the core, 2) optical fibre, 3) radio frequency (RF)including cellular and wireless networks, 4) emerging optical wireless networks for access and backhaul, 5) non-terrestrial networks involving satellites, aerial and underwater networks, and finally 6) quantum communication networks. The research on the core network focuses on a new architecture and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that enable the integration of multi-access technologies for a seamless end-to-end service delivery by considering advanced requirements in terms of data rate, latency, security and energy efficiency. TITAN will conduct novel research that aims at orchestrating the different existing and emerging RF networks (3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) towards a single network by developing techniques that would optimally select the respective RF network, or networks, and develop the respective protocols to enable a seamless end-to-end connection. Because of the undisputed need for new spectrum in future networks, TITAN will crucially include new networks that are built around the terahertz and optical spectrum. Since these networks will benefit from new intelligent reflecting surfaces as part of a new network element, TITAN will include research on the networking aspects and the integration of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) by building on the work on AI and machine learning (ML) developed for other parts of the network, such as edge and core. Optical fibre networks are an important element of a network of networks. Therefore, TITAN will address research questions on the optimum integration of advanced optical fibre technologies such as hollow core fibres and new agile transceiver technologies to support key network requirements such as latency. Universal service availability and what is described as the 'digital divide' represent an increasing societal challenge. Therefore, TITAN will conduct critical research on the integration of non-terrestrial networks which include aerial, satellite and underwater networks all geared towards a seamless end-to-end service provision which is achieved by the holistic approach of TITAN. Lastly, TITAN will meaningfully integrate new quantum network technologies alongside conventional networks and will provide important guidance on the optimum use of both fundamental networks. An important consideration of TITAN is the extraction of sensing information from networks. All network elements have particular features and, in conjunction with ML techniques, important side information can be extracted. TITAN will investigate this capability for each network segment, but crucially brings the independent sensing information together to achieve an ultra-cognitive network which exhibits the highest level of self-x (configuration, healing, automation, optimisation)

Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed clouD computing Applications and Research

Contact: Dr Aissa Ikhlef

Project Overview

The evolution of future communications ecosystems represents a continuum spanning from the smallest devices to extensive cloud farms. Anticipated around 2030, international standards for 6G are poised to usher in a transformation from interconnected people and devices to interconnected intelligence. It is crucial for these technologies to underpin and be reinforced by communications infrastructures that are safe, secure, trustworthy, and sustainable.

CHEDDAR will explore how communications systems can underpin next generation computing and how cloud systems and AI can bolster communications. By leveraging UK expertise and innovative ideas, the Hub is investigating emerging computation and critical infrastructures with a cross-sector focus on end-users. CHEDDAR, in collaboration with the other two hubs, will contribute to building a unified research ecosystem that nurtures talent and explores
ground-breaking ideas, specifically concentrating on 6G technologies facilitating the shift towards
interconnected intelligence.

Visit the CHEDDAR website to learn more