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Sensor Engineering and Technology

Welcome to the Sensor Engineering and Technology Group within the School of Engineering. We aim to support industry to deliver cutting edge sensing technologies and applications. Please take some time to explore our capability and track record. We look forward to working with you.

Contact our Cluster Co-ordinator, Dr David Cheneler

Our Capability

We are a multi-disciplinary team able to address physical, chemical, biological and radiometric sensing projects with a specific USP in harsh environment and high reliability applications. Our design team has expertise in Materials, Physical Design and Interface Electronics with simulation and modelling resources including ANSYS, COMSOL, MATLAB / SIMULINK. Technologies include MEMS, Microfluidic, Electrochemical and 3D printing.

Our Offer

  • Business Development

    We can assist you to further develop your ideas or innovation through technology road mapping, brokerage with technology partners and potential customers and assisting with product innovation and product evolution.

  • Characterisation Services

    We are able to characterise your technology in terms of performance and reliability. We have an extensive track record including the delivery of reliability modelling and characterisation solutions for MEMS, microfluidic and macro scale sensor solutions.

  • Design Services & IP Generation

    We can tackle design challenges through projects, consultancy or collaborative bids for public funding.

Our Facilities

  • 3D Printing: We can prototype devices with length scales from 10-2 to 10-5 m through our extensive 3-D printing facility
  • Sensor Design: We have extensive tool sets to support the design of physical, electrochemical and electro-magnetic sensors
  • Characterisation: We have fluidic and radiometric characterisation facilities in-house and within our partner facilities

Key People and Contacts

"Sensors are ubiquitous throughout society and industry and make technologies smarter and safer. In Engineering at Lancaster University, we have competences in many aspects of sensing, from using fundamental sciences to develop novel sensors for complex environments, advanced manufacturing and product development for the production and integration of sensors, and the interrogation and interfacing of sensors along with data analysis for smart control. We have significant experience and know-how that has allowed us to apply these competences in many fields and industries."

Dr David Cheneler, Cluster Co-ordinator

If you wish to know how we can contribute to your business or products, get in touch with David

  • Professor Andrew Richardson, Cluster Lead

  • Dr David Cheneler, Cluster Co-ordinator

  • Richard McClay, Industrial Ambassador

  • Liz Mullis, Partnerships & Business Engagement Manager

Meet the Team

The School of Engineering at Lancaster University are a strategic partner of ULTRA Electronics. We collaborate strongly with the sensor team and strongly support this offer to the wider industrial sector

A quote from Richard McClay, CTO, Ultra Electronics

Key Competencies

Modelling, identification, prediction and control of sensors, including adaptive control design, machine learning and classification/prediction

Development and integration of:

  • Instrumentation for mechatronic design, robotics and autonomous systems including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and manipulators
  • Sensors for medical applications, environmental monitoring, structural monitoring, etc.

Design of specialist sensors and related systems, such as:

  • Radiation detectors
  • Tactile and force sensors
  • Acoustic sensors, including acoustic signal processing and control, active noise and vibration control
  • Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
  • Chemical, electrochemical and gravimetric sensors
  • Digital electronics development
  • Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration
  • Image and signal processing
  • Infrared LEDs for gas sensing
  • Infrared detectors for imaging, solar cells and thermophotovoltatics

We have delivered on-line monitoring technology for inertial and electro-chemical sensors to the aerospace and environmental monitoring sector.

ST Microelectronics

We've assisted ST Microelectronics with characterization and reliability validation solutions for their inertial sensing products and carried out FMEA studies for companies including Oxley, AMS and CSR Ltd.

 

Partners

For short term commercial projects based around services or the procurement of custom instruments, our spin-out companies can assist.

  • enablingMNT UK Ltd

    enablingMNT UK Ltd Is a commercial spin-out specialising in Micro & Nano Systems enablingMNT offers commercialisation studies associated with sensors and sensor systems.

  • Hybrid Instruments Ltd

    Hybrid Instruments Ltd is a spin-out of the engineering department and a provider of bespoke Neutron Monitoring solutions and MCA systems.

Recent Projects

  • QTC based Force Sensors

    We've delivered to Peratech UK finite element models for miniaturised force sensors based on PET substrates that feature interdigitated carbon electrodes and quantum tunnelling composite materials.

  • Self-Healing Corrosion Sensors

    Following a successful Gamechangers award from Sellafield Ltd, a concept for a self-healing corrosion sensor was developed that targets storage boxes for special nuclear material.

BCF-Designs

We've assisted BCF-Designs by developing both acoustic and reflectometry based sensors for aircraft wiring systems, opening the potential for products based around built-in test solutions.

Related ERDF programmes

We can also provide access to funded support through our European Regional Development Fund projects and a range of other funding sources to support collaboration. Contact our Partnerships and Business Engagement Manager Mike Entwistle find out more.

Further engagement we can offer

  • Consultancy

    We have standard NDA and Consultancy agreements. Our daily rate is variable depending on your IP requirements. We can deliver all rights to you under full overhead rates but also offer reduced rates based on co-ownership of IP under certain conditions.

  • Student Engagement & Secondments

    We can work collaboratively through hosting your engineering and technical staff within our laboratories in addition to short term secondments of our staff and students at your facilities. You can also access over 4,200 science and technology students through internships, careers fairs, collaborative research projects, year in industry programmes, volunteering programmes and recruitment services.

  • Sponsorship

    For longer-term projects we operate industrial sponsorship schemes for PhD and Master's students. Costs typically involve fees, maintenance grants and consumables in the region of £75-£100K per annum although public grants can be applied for to reduce costs to the industrial sponsor.

  • Innovation Projects

    We have extensive experience in preparing bids for collaborative innovation projects through funding bodies including Innovate UK and Horizon Europe. Costs are in the main limited to 50% of your own costs only with grants covering the University costs.

  • Services

    We can carry out studies, experiments and analysis work on a consultancy basis. Costs depend on the staff and facilities required.

  • Co-location

    Businesses can join and network with our established local, regional, national, and international business communities and tap into a broad range of expertise, support, training and resources onsite. We provide lab space, office space and co-working space for up to 82 businesses via three dedicated co-location buildings on the campus.

  • Lab Access

    We have cutting-edge facilities to develop and test new products and processes for the global marketplace, our business partnerships and engagement team can help you access a wide range of facilities.

  • Professional Training

    Improve the competitiveness of your organisation and the productivity of your staff through professional training. We have flexible, part-time programmes designed for busy professionals or we can work with you to develop a bespoke programme for your organisation