Current research funding in the Centre for Intelligent Transport
£8,120,285

Centre for Intelligent Transport

Funded Research Projects

The following are current funded research projects taking place within the research centre:

Life-like Resilient Materials for Mitigating Liquid-Solid Impact Damage (LSIMPACT)
Life-like Resilient Materials for Mitigating Liquid-Solid Impact Damage (LSIMPACT)


Principal Investigator: Wei TAN
Funding source: EPSRC - EU Scheme
Start: 01-04-2024  /  End: 31-03-2029
Amount: £1,270,404

Life-like Resilient Materials for Mitigating Liquid-Solid Impact Damage (LSIMPACT)

Aeroacoustics of Dynamic Stall


Principal Investigator: Sergey KARABASOV
Co-investigator(s): Eldad AVITAL
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 01-09-2023  /  End: 28-02-2027
Amount: £487,827

PALPABLE: Multi-sensing tool for Minimally Invasive Surgery


Principal Investigator: Kaspar ALTHOEFER
Funding source: EPSRC - EU Scheme
Start: 01-01-2023  /  End: 31-12-2026
Amount: £566,718

iCASE Award Industrial Contribution (NDA) - Eversion robots for radiologically constrained environments characterisation and decommissioning


Principal Investigator: Kaspar ALTHOEFER
Funding source: Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd
Start: 19-09-2022  /  End: 18-09-2026
Amount: £29,628

iCASE Award Industrial Contribution (Airbus) Rich Simulation Driven Design Optimisation


Principal Investigator: Vassili TOROPOV
Co-investigator(s): Pihua WEN
Funding source: Airbus Defence & Space Ltd
Start: 12-09-2022  /  End: 11-09-2026
Amount: £37,428

Integrated Human-Augmented Robotics and Intelligent Sensing Platform for Precision Viticulture


Principal Investigator: Ketao ZHANG
Co-investigator(s): Lei SU
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-09-2023  /  End: 31-08-2026
Amount: £297,599

This project aims to revolutionize the way high-value horticultural crops such as grapes, berries, and other fruits are grown by developing and implementing a precision farming ecosystem.

DISTOPIA - Distorting the Aerospace Manufacturing Boundaries: Operational Integration of Autonomy on Titanium (TS/Y016548/1)


Principal Investigator: Chinnapat PANWISAWAS
Co-investigator(s): Harry BHADESHIA
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-02-2024  /  End: 31-07-2026
Amount: £120,000

Innovate UK - Eureka collaborative R&D: smart advanced manufacturing Cluster (Project number 10086469)

Solar-powered VTOL UAS-based Intelligent Sensing/Monitoring Applications of Precision Agriculture (S&E Industry Studentship Model)


Principal Investigator: Hasan SHAHEED
Funding source: Uavictor Aerospace Ltd
Start: 01-02-2023  /  End: 31-01-2026
Amount: £72,964

Correlative Analysis of Crystals in 3D (EP/X014614/1)
Correlative Analysis of Crystals in 3D (EP/X014614/1)


Principal Investigator: Chinnapat PANWISAWAS
Co-investigator(s): Chinnapat PANWISAWAS
Funding source: Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), UKRI
Start: 01-10-2022  /  End: 30-09-2025

EPSRC Equipment Business Case: Correlative Analysis of Crystals in 3D (EP/X014614/1: £2,501,463, 1 Oct 2022 – 31 Aug 2025) More info: https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/X014614/1

Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) collaborative research project “Next Wing”


Principal Investigator: Vassili TOROPOV
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-04-2022  /  End: 30-09-2025
Amount: £458,219

Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) collaborative research project “Next Wing” in collaboration with Airbus
Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) collaborative research project “Next Wing” in collaboration with Airbus


Principal Investigator: Vassili TOROPOV
Co-investigator(s): Tao LIU
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-04-2022  /  End: 30-09-2025
Amount: £458,219

The project aims to develop next generation wing structures for future passenger jets . The project is led by airbus and the QMUL team will develop novel wing topologies and advanced simulation and modelling approaches .

EPSRC Sustainable Manufacturing Call - Circular economy elastomer products


Principal Investigator: James BUSFIELD
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 18-07-2022  /  End: 17-07-2025
Amount: £401,990

Eversion and Growing Robots: Pipe Navigation, Inspection and Characterisation


Principal Investigator: Kaspar ALTHOEFER
Funding source: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Start: 01-07-2021  /  End: 30-06-2025
Amount: £116,296

Eversion and Growing Robots: Pipe Navigation, Inspection and Characterisation in nuclear environments

Next Generation TATARA Co-creation Centre (NEXTA) Award


Principal Investigator: Chinnapat PANWISAWAS
Funding source: Next Generation TATARA Co-creation Centre (NEXTA) at Shimane University in Japan
Start: 01-04-2023  /  End: 31-03-2025
Amount: £50,000

Collaborative research project between Next Generation TATARA Co-creation Centre (NEXTA) in Japan and QMUL to concentrate on next-generation additive manufacturing technologies.

Non-probabilistic reliability calibration method and error compensation strategy for precision assembly


Principal Investigator: Jun CHEN
Funding source: Royal Society
Start: 31-03-2023  /  End: 30-03-2025
Amount: £11,000

Hydrogen Heavy-duty Engine-out NOx Emissions Modelling and Prediction using a Deep Learning Framework


Principal Investigator: Amin PAYKANI
Funding source: Royal Society
Start: 31-03-2023  /  End: 30-03-2025
Amount: £6,000

In this project, a physics-based deep learning (DL) framework will be developed to predict and analyse trends in transient hydrogen engine-out NOx emissions using data from 0D- 1D engine simulations.

Design by additive manufacturing of Innovative nanocomposites for biomedical application (IES\R3\223167)
Design by additive manufacturing of Innovative nanocomposites for biomedical application (IES\R3\223167)


Principal Investigator: Chinnapat PANWISAWAS
Funding source: Royal Society
Start: 31-03-2023  /  End: 30-03-2025
Amount: £12,000

Royal Society International Exchange has brought together research expertise from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in the UK and National University of Singapore (NUS) in Singapore. The exchange research programme will seek collaborative effort in the area of innovative digital technology. Laser-based powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) processes, which employs high-power laser source to melt pre-deposited powder on the basis of a layer-by-layer build principle. The use of the nanocomposites of meta-material structure will be studied for biomedical application.

Plaque-inspired anchorage
Marine mussel plaque-inspired anchorages for floating offshore wind platforms (EP/X017559/1)


Principal Investigator: Tao LIU
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 10-04-2023  /  End: 10-03-2025
Amount: £201,751

Marine mussels can survive the harsh marine environment at intertidal zones by anchoring themselves to various wet surfaces through adhesive plaques. Recent research progress has highlighted that, in addition to the interaction of protein-based chemistry at the adhesion sites, the unique adhesive structure of a mussel plaque plays an important role. Motivated by this natural phenomenon, the proposal aims to establish the knowledge on the underwater adhesive behaviours of mussel plaque-inspired anchoring systems for the applications of the offshore floating structures.

Example of tyres that are not easily recycled currently
Circular economy elastomer products


Principal Investigator: James BUSFIELD
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 01-02-2022  /  End: 31-01-2025
Amount: £395,434

The sustainability of elastomer industry is under huge scrutiny as many polymers are derived from fossil fuels and a large amount of rubber waste generated annually is not recycled. This research programme will develop novel circular economy elastomer products from renewable biobased feedstocks, with zero waste and high resource efficiency.

UKRI FLF Development Network Pathway programme


Principal Investigator: Amin PAYKANI
Funding source: UK Research and Innovation
Start: 01-04-2023  /  End: 31-12-2024

This is a tailored programme to support the professional development of future leaders fellows. The network delivers specialised leadership training, access to networks and mentors, and collaborative opportunities, so that members can pursue world-class interdisciplinary, cross-sector research and innovation.

A marine mussel attached on a rock
Mechanics and biomimicking of marine mussel plaques (RPG-2020-23 )


Principal Investigator: Tao LIU
Funding source: Leverhulme Trust
Start: 18-10-2017  /  End: 31-12-2024
Amount: £323,000

To survive the turbulent marine environment, mussels anchor themselves to various wet surfaces via adhesive plaques. Motivated by the unique mechanical behaviours of the plaques, the project will (i) develop the fundamental understanding on how the stiffness and the surface texture pattern of an underlying surface influence the adhesive structure and adhesive behaviour of a mussel plaque; and (ii) establish the principles to design plaque-inspired lightweight porous materials of high load bearing capacity and ductility as well as plaque inspired approaches for joining the materials with distinct mechanical properties.

Zero-emission vehicles. Credit: EduardHarkonen/iStock.com
CELLCOMP: Data-driven Mechanistic Modelling of Scalable Cellular Composites for Crash Energy Absorption


Principal Investigator: Wei TAN
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 01-01-2022  /  End: 31-12-2024
Amount: £392,388

The project funded by EPSRC will create an intelligent data-driven virtual testing tool to assess an emerging type of lightweight materials, known as synthetic cellular composites (CCs).

Cheniere co-sponsorship of EPSRC PhD studentship equipment budget


Principal Investigator: Paul BALCOMBE
Funding source: Cheniere Energy Inc
Start: 01-01-2022  /  End: 31-12-2024
Amount: £90,000

ATHEMA - Accelerated thermal mapping for on-engine measurements


Principal Investigator: Kaspar ALTHOEFER
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-06-2023  /  End: 30-11-2024
Amount: £89,936

The development of a lightweight distributed aerospace transmission


Principal Investigator: Vassili TOROPOV
Co-investigator(s): Sergey KARABASOV
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 01-05-2023  /  End: 31-10-2024
Amount: £88,455

The Jetting of Complex Inks for Industrial Inkjet Technologies - KTP


Principal Investigator:
Co-investigator(s): Neil CAGNEY
Funding source: Innovate UK
Start: 28-10-2022  /  End: 27-10-2024
Amount: £181,925

Industrial collaboration with Xaar PLC, examining the printing of inks with complex formulation and rheology

Using machine learning techniques to optimise the motion performance of soft robots physically interacting with their environment


Principal Investigator: Kaspar ALTHOEFER
Funding source: Defence Science and Technology Lab.-GOV UK
Start: 04-10-2021  /  End: 03-10-2024
Amount: £99,076

Using machine learning techniques to optimise the motion performance of soft robots physically interacting with their environment

ESTEEM - Sustainable manufacturing for future composites
ESTEEM - Sustainable manufacturing for future composites


Principal Investigator: Han ZHANG
Funding source: EPSRC
Start: 01-10-2021  /  End: 30-09-2024
Amount: £395,947

With only 1% of energy consumption compared to current manufacturing methods, high performance composites with integrated new functions like deformation and damage sensing as well as de-icing will be manufactured without needs of even an oven. This new method will be tuned to fully comply with the processing requirements of existing high performance composite systems, reducing costs in capital investment, operational, and maintenance aspects. The new functions will also provide real-time health monitoring of components' structural integrity to enable condition based maintenance with high reliability.

Evaluation of hydrogen evolution in pressurised reactor


Principal Investigator: Harry BHADESHIA
Co-investigator(s): Patrick CULLEN
Funding source: Paramirum Limited
Start: 01-08-2022  /  End: 05-09-2024
Amount: £327,520

A number of unusual experiments suggest that there is an intense reaction, at ambient temperature, between certain otherwise inert gases and iron when left to react at high pressures. The processes may or may not involve catalysis. The aim of the project is to understand the mechanism of the reaction by constructing a vessel that is instrumented in order to reveal changes during the course of the reaction.

2023 Bridgestone Elastomer Research


Principal Investigator: James BUSFIELD
Funding source: Bridgestone Corporation
Start: 01-09-2023  /  End: 31-08-2024
Amount: £4,409

Stream function contours of Stokes flow next to a micro spherical particle above a wall (at z=0) and which is subject to a uniform DC electric field acting in the z (vertical) direction (Miloh & Avital 2022 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/8/1173)
Experimental and analytical modelling of micro-fluidic devices for energy and smart machines


Principal Investigator: Eldad AVITAL
Funding source: BEIS Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Start: 01-04-2023  /  End: 31-07-2024
Amount: £8,800

Micro-fluidic devices are of significant importance in a wide range of engineering fluid-systems from energy-applications as improving kinetic-turbine performance, noise control, bio-engineering to smart micro-machines design. This project will focus on two-strands of micro-fluidic systems for flow control and modelling of smart micro-machines composed of electro-thermal-kinetic particles. Both aspects are at the forefront of academic-research and innovation with engineering applications in renewables (wind/water), targeted medication delivery, biofluid system-support (e.g. blood-circulation) and morphing structures by controlling building-blocks of electro-thermal-kinetic particles, all being studied by QMUL & TAU. This study is supported by UUKi and DSIT.

Spray cooling of electric traction motors with hairpin windings: An experimental and CFD analysis


Principal Investigator: Amin PAYKANI
Funding source: Royal Society
Start: 01-07-2023  /  End: 30-06-2024
Amount: £58,087

The project aims to investigate the performance of advanced oil spray cooling of hairpin end-windings by developing a test bench that will shed light on the ongoing detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

BFTT campaign
Creative Clusters Fashion in Smart Textile


Principal Investigator: James BUSFIELD
Co-investigator(s): and Haixue YAN
Funding source: AHRC Arts and Humanities Research Council
Start: 31-10-2018  /  End: 31-05-2024
Amount: £345,900

The Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology (BFTT) is a five-year industry-led project, which focusses on delivering sustainable innovation within the entire fashion and textile supply chain. The aim is to foster a new, creative business culture in which fashion, textiles and technology businesses can use R&D as a mechanism for growth.

Test section and schematic of a NACA0012 aerofoil trailing edge with canopies
Surface treatments for next generation quiet aerofoils


Principal Investigator: Sergey KARABASOV
Co-investigator(s): Vassili TOROPOV
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 01-04-2021  /  End: 31-03-2024
Amount: £412,529

The project in collaboration with the University of Southampton and the University of Manchester is devoted to high-resolution modelling and experiments aimed to reduce aerofoil noise. Introducing ‘canopies’ into the turbulent boundary layer may produce significant reductions in the surface pressure variation near the trailing edge, and hence similar reductions in the far field noise.

EC Jetting: Towards the Next Generation of Printing Technologies
EC Jetting: Towards the Next Generation of Printing Technologies


Principal Investigator: Ahmed ISMAIL
Co-investigator(s):
Funding source: EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Start: 01-04-2022  /  End: 31-03-2024
Amount: £296,834

Small nozzles, which are used to deposit small volume of liquids, are more prone to clogging and breaking and more difficult to manufacture. This project aims to develop a novel technique to produce jets that are 100 times smaller than the nozzle in size (no need for small nozzles) and printing frequency that is one order of magnitude higher than the natural electrojetting pulsation technique (fast printing).

Electroadhesion for Perching and Resting Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles on Various Surfaces


Principal Investigator: Ketao ZHANG
Funding source: Royal Society
Start: 31-03-2022  /  End: 30-03-2024
Amount: £12,000

In this collaborative project, we propose to develop enabling technologies based on electroactive mechanisms for aiding small UAVs to effectively anchor on various surfaces in challenging environments. The novel technology and strategy can find a wide range of industrial applications and has the potential of revolutionizing aerial photography, infrastructure inspection, and surveillance.