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A new product has been developed to aid marine navigation and berthing at ports, based on the use of a single-sideband (SSB) active target, offering the dual benefits of substantially enhanced performance, and reduced size and production costs. The research has achieved significant commercial impact via the incorporation of the technique, conceived by Brennan, into all such targets made by Guidance Microwave Ltd, a UK-based engineering company specialising in the development, manufacture and supply of short-range active target location systems. To date, the company has sold approximately 700 active targets (around 25 per month), generating more than £3 million in sales. The idea (subject to patent protection) was initially incorporated in the mini-Radascan product, which is now a valuable tool to the industry and has given Guidance Microwave Ltd. a competitive advantage, becoming their most successful product.
Our impact on the theory and practice of biometrics (identification of individuals through measurement/analysis of their physiological/behavioural characteristics) embraces contributions to technological development, to general systems-level principles and to public policy and professionalisation issues. Our research and consequent engagement across the stakeholder community has impacted on the technological development of practical biometrics through take-up by industry (e.g. InMezzo, one of the UK's leading secure information specialists, has enhanced identity authentication procedures), company spinout (the EFIT-V facial recognition suite from VisionMetric Ltd fundamentally changed the means by which facial composites are created and is now used by more than 85% of Britain's Police Forces), leadership of the development of standards for the expanding commercial marketplace (e.g. establishment of standards for image acquisition for e-passports and other access control applications) and policy-level input to Government and International Professional Bodies, providing long-term support for practical deployment and end- user engagement (the Biometrics Assurance Group with Fairhurst as an independent member reported the security risk and problems identifying fingerprints within the UK government's £5.6bn ID card scheme proposal).
Mobile technologies and in particular mobile applications have become key drivers of the economy in many countries especially those that lack established communications infrastructures. Since 2003, the research team led by Professor Al-Begain has created both significant infrastructure and know-how that became the base for the creation of the £6.4million Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services (CEMAS) that is providing research and development to SMEs in Wales to increase their competitiveness. In the first three years since its inception 28 projects have been completed and 66 companies have received services.
The Advanced Signal Processing Group at Loughborough University has, since 2007, changed significantly the awareness and understanding of technical staff at QinetiQ, Malvern, a world leading defence and security company, in relation to signal processing for Polynomial Matrix Decompositions, Game Theoretic Methods and Cooperative Communications and Beamforming. This has helped QinetiQ, Malvern, to develop state-of-the-art products and solutions for the networked battlespace with unique performance advantages. This impact is being extended through a five-year £4.5M project awarded, in 2013, by the EPSRC and Dstl to Loughborough University, to aid in implementing the UK's Defence Technology Strategy for the 21st Century.
Translational research created new techniques for medical biosignal analysis in both the ECG and Pulse Oximetry areas. CardioDigital, a university spin-out company, was incorporated in 2001 to commercialise the research and became a world leader in the development and supply of signal analysis solutions for the medical device industry. The technology has been applied to defibrillation techniques to improve survival rates following sudden cardiac arrest, with a range of closely linked pulse oximetry based technologies applicable for general ward use. The technologies provide both enhanced and extended performance of the pulse oximeter leading to improved patient care and hospital workflows.
This case study concerns economic impact accruing in the aerospace engineering industry in Europe from software developed to perform stress analysis. Durham research has led to a spinout company, Concept Analyst, Ltd., and the software resulting from the research (Concept Analyst) is currently licensed by the following companies: BAE Systems (Brough, Samlesbury, Warton, Prestwick sites), Agusta Westland, Assystem, Jesmond Engineering, Spirit Aerospace. Trials are currently in place at Airbus UK and Bombardier, Canada. An agreement has been signed with the fatigue consultancy Jesmond Engineering, Ltd. to market the software within the aerospace sector. Economic impact arises from time savings for designers using Concept Analyst as compared to conventional commercial tools.
Research conducted within the School of Physical Sciences (SPS) at the University of Kent has led to the development and successful commercialisation of facial identification software named EFIT-V. First sold in 2007, this software is now used by more than 70 police forces internationally and has revolutionized the way eyewitnesses and victims of crime create computerised facial likenesses of offenders. These images are circulated to police intelligence units, and the general public, leading to the identification and arrests of offenders. Police Identification rates have jumped from 5% to 55% as a result of this software. With a current annual turnover exceeding £250K, which is projected to reach £600K by 2015, Kent spinout company Visionmetric has made significant impact with EFIT-V, and achieved a position of commercial dominance in the UK, and around the world.
Research at Kingston University into methods for tracking pedestrians and monitoring crowds using computer vision techniques has been translated into commercial products by Ipsotek Ltd and BAe Systems, resulting in economic benefits to these companies from sales of these products.
These products have been sold to high-profile customers including the London Eye, the O2 Arena and the Australian Government, providing significant commercial benefits, employment and growth for both companies, as well as providing an economic impact for these customers.
Analysis of partial discharges for management of high-voltage assets has become commercialised in the last 20 years. Work at the University since 1993 has improved asset management techniques used by companies world-wide. This was achieved in two ways: first, improving power network reliability, enabled through two start-up companies employing 59 people and turning over £5m/annum; and second, by providing techniques for testing and verifying safety of new electrical power components for aerospace applications (e.g. A380). In four illustrative case studies, over £3m savings are identified for end-users through improved reliability of power networks. Further impact has been delivered by ensuring the reliability of power networks in aircraft.
Real time filtering, noise cancellation and signal enhancement are widely applied in many research and commercial sectors. The research has resulted in the development of a range of "ready-to-use" Digital Signal Processing systems with relevance to audio signal processing. For example in structural engineering in the monitoring of critical national infrastructures, Pure Technologies (Canada) have built a $5.6m per annum business based on the research although the ultimate value is in the avoided failures for their clients. Other users include national security organisations to counter eavesdropping and medical and entertainment sectors.