<![CDATA[Newsroom University of 51福利社]]> /about/news/ en Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:47:47 +0100 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:24:07 +0200 <![CDATA[Newsroom University of 51福利社]]> https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1369.jpg /about/news/ 144 51福利社 engineers unlock design for record-breaking robot that could jump over the height of Big Ben /about/news/manchester-engineers-unlock-design-for-record-breaking-robot-that-could-jump-twice-the-height-of-big-ben/ /about/news/manchester-engineers-unlock-design-for-record-breaking-robot-that-could-jump-twice-the-height-of-big-ben/636756Engineers at 51福利社 have unlocked the secrets to designing a robot capable of jumping 200 metres in the air 鈥 higher than any other jumping robot designed to date.

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Engineers at 51福利社 have unlocked the secrets to designing a robot capable of jumping 120 metres 鈥 higher than any other jumping robot designed to date.

Using a combination of mathematics, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments, the researchers have discovered how to design a robot with the optimum size, shape and the arrangement of its parts, allowing it to jump high enough to clear obstacles many times its own size.

The current highest-jumping robot can reach up to 33 metres, which is equivalent to 110 times its own size. Now, researchers have found out how to design a robot that could jump over 120 metres in the air 鈥 that鈥檚 more than the height of Big Ben鈥檚 tower.

The advancement, published in the journal , will revolutionise applications ranging from planetary exploration to disaster rescue to surveillance of hazardous or inaccessible spaces.

Co-author , Research Associate in Space Robotics at 51福利社, said: 鈥淩obots are traditionally designed to move by rolling on wheels or using legs to walk, but jumping provides an effective way of travelling around locations where the terrain is very uneven, or where there are a lot of obstacles, such as inside caves, through forests, over boulders, or even the surface of other planets in space.

鈥淲hile jumping robots already exist, there are several big challenges in the design of these jumping machines, the main one being to jump high enough to overcome large and complicated obstacles. Our design would dramatically improve the energy efficiency and performance of spring-driven jumping robots.鈥

The researchers found that traditional jumping robots often take off before fully releasing their stored spring energy, resulting in inefficient jumps and limiting their maximum height. They also found that they wasted energy by moving side to side or rotating instead of moving straight up.

The new designs must focus on removing these undesirable movements while maintaining the necessary structural strength and stiffness.

Co-author, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering, said: 鈥淭here were so many questions to answer and decisions to make about the shape of the robot, such as should it have legs to push off the ground like a kangaroo, or should it be more like an engineered piston with a giant spring? Should it be a simple symmetrical shape like a diamond, or should it be something more curved and organic? Then, after deciding this we need to think about the size of the robot 鈥 small robots are light and agile, but then large robots can carry bigger motors for more powerful jumps, so is the best option somewhere in the middle?

鈥淥ur structural redesigns redistribute the robot鈥檚 component mass towards the top and taper the structure towards the bottom. Lighter legs, in the shape of a prism and using springs that only stretch are all properties that we have shown to improve the performance and most importantly, the energy efficiency of the jumping robot.鈥

Although the researchers have found a practicable design option to significantly improve performance, their next goal is to control the direction of the jumps and find out how to harness the kinetic energy from its landing to improve the number of jumps the robot can do in a single charge. They will also explore more compact designs for space missions, making the robot easier to transport and deploy on the moon.

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51福利社 resilience researchers awarded 拢4.2 million to help build a secure world /about/news/manchester-resilience-researchers-awarded-42-million-to-help-build-a-secure-world/ /about/news/manchester-resilience-researchers-awarded-42-million-to-help-build-a-secure-world/62189251福利社鈥檚 researchers are on a mission to tackle some of the UK鈥檚 most challenging resilience and security problems. 

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51福利社鈥檚 researchers are on a mission to tackle some of the UK鈥檚 most challenging resilience and security problems. 

Backed by a 拢4.2 million funding award from UK Research and Innovation鈥檚 building a secure and resilient world strategic theme, the University team will drive a Research and Coordination Hub in confronting pressing risks and threats both online and in the world around us.  

Led by Dr Richard Kirkham, Deputy Director of the  at 51福利社, the project known as (Secure And ResiLIENT), will bring 51福利社 academics together with partners from the universities of Bath, Exeter and Sussex, to catalyse, convene and conduct research and innovation in support of the UK's national security and resilience. 

will drive interdisciplinary research to tackle some of the UK's most challenging security problems. Their focus will be on robust and secure supply chains, global order in a time of change, technologies used for security and defence, behavioural and cultural resilience, and strengthening resilience in our natural and built environments.  

This ambitious five-year investment, following a highly competitive selection process, will enable the SALIENT team to build strong connections across a broad group of stakeholders in central and local government, the devolved administrations and crucially, the public.

Dr Kirkham continued: 鈥淥ur approach will promote a culture of genuine interdisciplinarity, co-production and citizen engagement, ensuring that the research we do is relevant, timely and represents value for money.鈥 

Duncan Shaw, Professor of Operational Research and Critical Systems at 51福利社, added: 鈥淓nhancing the resilience of systems and society is an epic ambition, one that has challenged the UK for years. SALIENT amasses an impressive multidisciplinary team that we will expand with policy and practice subject matter experts. Together we will pursue an exciting endeavour to make a real difference to resilience at home and create transferable lessons of global significance.鈥 

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University of 51福利社 partners with Cummins to develop future power solutions /about/news/university-of-manchester-partners-with-cummins-to-develop-future-power-solutions/ /about/news/university-of-manchester-partners-with-cummins-to-develop-future-power-solutions/613825The collaboration will support the development of future engineering talent, as well as drive the development of innovative and sustainable power solutions.

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51福利社 has entered a five-year strategic partnership with  global power leader Cummins.

The collaboration will support the development of future engineering talent, as well as drive the development of innovative and sustainable power solutions.

As part of the collaboration, 51福利社 and Cummins will conduct cutting-edge research with the aim of accelerating product development of the latest generation of air handling technologies, such as e-turbos for fuel cells, together with fuel injection systems for hydrogen-based power solutions.

Academics and their students will explore the future use of hydrogen in power solutions as part of the collaboration, using world class engineering equipment, test cells and laboratories.

Students will also be given the opportunity to apply their learnings to a practical environment and gain valuable industry experience with Cummins. These placements will be open to all students, irrespective of academic discipline, aligning with the variety of roles available at Cummins.

Dr John Clark, Executive Director for Research & Development at Cummins, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to announce our collaboration with 51福利社, with the partnership holding tremendous potential for both of us. It will provide students and researchers with the opportunity to work with an established, international manufacturer and actively contribute to the advancement of power solution technology. It will also help to drive the development of sustainable products, supporting our commitment to powering a more prosperous world.鈥

Dr Louise Bates, Head of Strategic Partnerships at 51福利社, added: 鈥淭his partnership is a great opportunity for our research community to engage with an international company, developing widely-used technologies and groundbreaking solutions to real-world challenges. 51福利社 is committed to achieving the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals, and this partnership presents a very exciting platform for our two organisations to collaborate and address some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. We look forward to growing our relationship with Cummins and witnessing what we can achieve together.鈥

The Cummins Engine Components (CEC) site in Huddersfield designs, develops, produces and refurbishes air handling solutions, which are used globally in vehicles and machinery across various markets.  CEC is part of the international engine, power generation and filtration product manufacturer, Cummins, which employs 73,600 worldwide and generated $28.1 billion in revenue last year. This collaboration between Cummins and 51福利社, and the development of future air handling solutions for sustainable technologies, will support the manufacturer鈥檚 Destination Zero commitment.

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51福利社 researchers design and fly world鈥檚 largest quadcopter drone /about/news/manchester-researchers-design-and-fly-worlds-largest-quadcopter-drone/ /about/news/manchester-researchers-design-and-fly-worlds-largest-quadcopter-drone/602138The drone, made from a cardboard-like material called foamboard, measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg 鈥 0.5kg less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority.

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Engineers at 51福利社 have built and flown the world鈥檚 largest quadcopter drone.

The drone, made from a cardboard-like material called foamboard, measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg 鈥 0.5kg less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The innovative design of the drone, dubbed the Giant Foamboard Quadcopter (GFQ), means it is unlike any other in existence. The four arms are formed of a series of hollow box structures and can be easily removed for transportation. There is no record of a purpose-built uncrewed quadcopter (four rotors) of any weight class which is larger than the 51福利社 vehicle as of the time of writing.

The project started as a curiosity-driven venture to inspire students鈥 creativity in design by utilising a suitable alternative low-cost material for lightweight aerospace structures that is more environmentally friendly than the usual carbon fibre.

Unlike carbon fibre, low-density sheet materials can be highly recyclable, or even compostable. The researchers hope this demonstration will inspire the next generation of designers to think about sustainability from a completely new perspective.

Dan Koning, a research engineer at 51福利社, who led the design and build of the vehicle, said: 鈥淔oamboard is an interesting material to work with, used in the right way we can create complex aerospace structures where every component is designed to be only as strong as it needs to be - there is no room for over-engineering here.

鈥淭hanks to this design discipline and after extensive background research, we can say with confidence that we have built the largest quadcopter drone in the world.鈥

Whilst this drone was developed purely as a proof-of-concept exercise, future iterations of this vehicle type could be designed to carry large payloads over short distances or used as a drone 鈥榤othership鈥 in air-to-air docking experiments.

The quadcopter was built from sheets of 5mm thick foamboard, which has a foam core and paper skin. The sheets were laser cut to size and assembled into the 3D structure by hand using only hot melt glue.

Josh Bixler, world renowned YouTuber and innovator in remote-controlled aviation is the President of , the company that makes the foamboard used in the GFQ.

Commenting on the work, Josh said: 鈥淪o many times aircraft with advanced features are made of costly materials and we truly believe they don鈥檛 have to be. Seeing engineers push the limits in such an approachable, yet extravagant way was inspirational and showed that they were truly thinking outside of the box.鈥

GFQ is powered by four electric motors running off a 50-volt battery pack. It also has an on-board flight control system and can fly autonomously.

The first flight took place on 5 July 2023 inside the main hangar at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre during the CASCADE Collaboration Workshop Week where teams from various universities around the UK come together to demonstrate their latest research tech and brainstorm innovation.

Kieran Wood, a Lecturer of Aerospace Systems at 51福利社, who piloted the vehicle, said: 鈥淭he first moments of flight are the make-or-break point for these types of multi-copter drones. There are many hundreds of things that you must get right. If everything has been designed and built well, we expect success, but any problems will become very apparent in a rapid unscheduled disassembly on the first take-off.鈥

The project builds on the previous success of an equally  Following this, a student society was created at the University specifically to focus on developing lightweight, large scale foamboard Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Over the last year, a team of undergraduates helped build and test various critical sub-components of the structure.

Bill Crowther, a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at 51福利社, said: 鈥淲orking with foamboard provides a unique learning opportunity for students to experiment with innovative structural designs. Although the material is strong for its weight, it requires significant engineering skill to exploit its structural potential. Ultimately, with this design you are holding up 25kg of aircraft with just a few strategically placed pieces of paper - that鈥檚 the art of the possible.鈥

The team are now looking to optimise the design of the Giant Foamboard Quadcopter further.

Dan Koning added: 鈥淭he lessons we鈥檝e learned from this pathfinder vehicle should help us add a few more metres to the next one. But to go 50% bigger, you鈥檝e got to get 100% smarter.鈥

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51福利社 plays host to 鈥榣argest ever鈥 National Student Space Conference /about/news/manchester-plays-host-to-largest-ever-national-student-space-conference/ /about/news/manchester-plays-host-to-largest-ever-national-student-space-conference/569213The NSSC at 51福利社 attracted over 600 attendees and more than 40 invited speakers.

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51福利社 has played host to the largest ever , with over 600 attendees hearing from more than 40 invited speakers across two days. 

Held on 4 and 5 March 2023, the event is nationally hosted by , and locally supported by six student societies in 51福利社鈥檚 Faculty of Science and Engineering: MANSEDS, Astrobiology Society, 51福利社 Satellite Development Group, AeroSoc, PhysSoc and NPPS. 

The NSSC is the premier event for students interested in space and aims to unite them with academics and professionals to network, share knowledge and discuss challenges facing the sector. 

Among the speakers were the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the UK Space Agency and the UK Space Strategy Lead at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; and sponsors included Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, Skyrora, the UK Space Agency and the North West Space Cluster. 

from the School of Engineering welcomed delegates on Sunday, and gave an invited talk on the work being done at 51福利社 to make space more sustainable and to support life on Earth. 

Student societies hosted exhibition stalls 鈥 open to the public 鈥 on both days, and a 51福利社 stand supported by student volunteers focused on teaching and research activity in space engineering. 

There were networking opportunities throughout the two days, and on the Saturday evening students had the chance to meet with industry representatives. A careers event for 15 to 18-year-old students was also hosted on the Friday evening.

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FSE trio reach Undergraduate of the Year final /about/news/fse-trio-reach-undergraduate-of-the-year-final/ /about/news/fse-trio-reach-undergraduate-of-the-year-final/502698Jacques Burgess, Jesy Luyengi and Aneesa Riaz are among the 120 student finalists.

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Three students from 51福利社's have been named among the finalists of the . 

To be held on Friday, 29 April at a prestigious awards ceremony in London, the event 鈥 now in its 13th year 鈥 brings together prominent employers and talented undergraduates for 12 diverse awards. 

A total of 120 student finalists have been selected from almost 4,000 applicants, with all entrants required to complete an application, an online assessment with situational, numerical and inductive reasoning tests, and a range of interview stages. 

From 51福利社, Jacques Burgess (aerospace engineering) has been shortlisted for the Excellence through Adversity Undergraduate of the Year 2022; Jesy Luyengi (mathematics and related) is a finalist for the Black Heritage Undergraduate of the Year 2022; and Aneesa Riaz (electrical engineering) is up for the Undergraduate of the Year Celebrating Neurodiverse Talent 2022. 

Each of the 12 awards are partnered by a prominent graduate recruiter, which provides prizes for the winner 鈥 including a paid internship, trips abroad, and other exclusive opportunities. 

Among the partners are employers and professional bodies including the likes of AECOM, CIMA, Clifford Chance, Clyde and Co, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, HSBC, Rolls-Royce, Sky and Skyscanner. 

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Model future fighter jet takes flight at 51福利社 /about/news/model-future-fighter-jet-takes-flight-at-manchester/ /about/news/model-future-fighter-jet-takes-flight-at-manchester/344456MACE students performed a flight demonstration of their creation at Snowdonia Aerospace Centre in North Wales.

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Aerospace MSc students from 51福利社's have successfully flown a model inspired by last year's announcement of the Tempest programme at Farnborough Airshow.

The students were required to complete the design and build within two weeks, and to perform a flight demonstration at the EPSRC CASCADE collaboration workshop, which was held between 17 and 21 June 2019 at Snowdonia Aerospace Centre in Llanbedr, North Wales.

Their aircraft uses foam board for the entirety of its structure and is powered by an electric ducted fan. It has a wingspan of two metres and all up weight of 6kg.

Currently, the whole of the UK aerospace sector is gearing up for Tempest - the future fighter jet - which is set to be released in 2035. Companies including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, as well as the Ministry of Defence, are restructuring to prepare for the years of research, development and manufacturing ahead.

The Tempest programme promises to be the pinnacle of British engineering - and 51福利社 is keen to be involved. The successful test flights of the students' model aircraft demonstrate some of the aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft with a Tempest-like shape.

The MSc students involved have since been studying these characteristics in an effort to help with the research required for the next generation fighter jet.

A video of the students' successful flights can be seen below:

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Balfour Beatty formally awarded 拢287 million 51福利社 Engineering Campus Development project /about/news/balfour-beatty-287-million-manchester-engineering-campus-development/ /about/news/balfour-beatty-287-million-manchester-engineering-campus-development/24718751福利社 has today announced that the £287 million contract to construct the 51福利社 Engineering Campus Development (MECD) has been formally awarded to Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group

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Contract represents one of the largest capital developments ever undertaken by a UK higher education institution.

51福利社 has today announced that the £287 million contract to construct the 51福利社 Engineering Campus Development (MECD) has been formally awarded to Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group.

The four-year project forms an essential part of 51福利社’s ten-year to create a world-class estate benefitting staff, students and visitors.

This will support the University’s strategic goals of creating world-class research, providing an outstanding learning environment and student experience and social responsibility. will provide a state-of-the-art facility, housing the University’s schools, innovative teaching spaces and research institutes such as and the BP- International Centre for Advanced Materials ().

It will consolidate the majority of the University’s estate onto one main campus, creating a more compact and coherent infrastructure that reduces the institution’s carbon footprint and costs. MECD will also free up considerable land holdings in the north of the campus, contributing to the future economic success of the city with redevelopment opportunities in a prime city centre location.

Upon completion, the facility will benefit from ‘green’ construction techniques resulting in smart energy consumption and advanced water recycling and waste systems. The development will host a wide range of flexible hi-specification laboratories and lecture spaces to welcome up to 7,000 students and 1,300 staff. MECD will also incorporate blended learning facilities, workshops and a ‘maker space’ where students will see their engineering creations come to life.

At peak construction, the project will employ a workforce of 1,000, including multiple apprenticeships and graduate placements. The project will also create new job opportunities for unemployed local people through the University’s Construction Academy, which provides local residents with exposure to career opportunities in the construction sector. The project team will maximise the use of off-site manufacture and the latest in BIM technology to optimise construction efficiency and deliver a smart facility of the highest standard.

Dean Banks, Managing Director, UK Construction Services, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to construct the MECD, one of the largest single developments ever undertaken by a higher education institution in the UK.

“We have extensive expertise in the higher education sector having delivered schemes such as the Holyrood postgraduate village at the University of Edinburgh, The Diamond building for the Engineering Faculty for the University of Sheffield, and the Foundry Courtyard Student Accommodation Complex in Glasgow. Our longstanding expertise enables us to provide 51福利社, its staff and students with an iconic campus, in addition to delivering multiple benefits to local communities including job generation and apprenticeship opportunities.”

Diana Hampson, Director of at 51福利社, said: “The 51福利社 Engineering Campus Development will be a world-leading centre for learning and research. This development is central to the University’s ten-year Campus Masterplan which is creating an exceptional environment for our exceptional people. We are providing state-of-the-art facilities that will rival those of our international competitors and help attract world-class academic talent to the institution."

Balfour Beatty was appointed to the University’s Construction Partnering Framework in May 2015 and has been working under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) since November 2015, enabling design development and early engagement with key supply chain partners.

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