Radio Data Networks Active Reasearch Programmes
Since its foundation Radio Data Networks has focused its research and development programme across a broad range of disciplines which the Directors believes could enhance its ability to deliver solutions, push the boundaries of technology and fulfil its abition of being a “technolgy for good” company.
Smart-Sensors
Traditional sensors are “dumb” and power intensive in operation. They are unable to self-test, fail to know right from wrong, correct errors or report faults. As a consequence the company embarked in 2010 to actively researching into a range of smart sensors, that are ultra-low power, fast in response, have innate long life, and able to measure a wide range of parameter from water level, to changes in dielectric or other parameters indicative of a chemical or hydrocarbon spills.
Following on from the initial success of the bulk dielectric technology and the granting of a patent, this program is and open-ended research programme as smart sensors are destined to become and essential as a part of our toolkit to tackle the challenges of climate change and to work towards net zero emissions. This research programme is broad and embraces at materials, science for housings, electronics for controls, telemetry for data delivery and data analytics.
Off-Grid Power.
The development of micro-power off grid technology that permits the deployment of sensors, telemetry, and activators in areas where the lack of mains power would make it prohibitive. An open-ended research programme into PV technology, the regulation and charging of batteries, emerging battery technology, vandal proofing panel installations, mounting methods and optimum panel sizing for given applications.
Applied Radio and Satellite Telemetry
Research into the application of radio telemetry as a technology to deliver both monitoring and control across a wide range of sectors. Including the development of protocols to support differing data payloads and interfaces to permit the connection of a variety of 3rd party sensors to a data network and the transport of data over a variety of media from terrestrial to satellite data networks.
Retrofit Flow Control Technology.
If we are to tackle pollution and plastics in the oceans there need to be able to retrofit flow regulation, diversion and control into existing sewer and drainage networks. Retrofit is considered key to lowering the barrier to adoption and making smart networks a viable, low carbon option to concrete and excavators. This open-ended programme looks into the design of flow controls that can be retrofitted without the need for civil works, that can operate safely in the highly challenging environment of a sewer, can if necessary be operated off-grid, can be controlled equally by a smart sensor or central SCADA system, and importantly fail safe in the event of failure.
This research programme is broad as embraces and mechanical engineering, materials science, PV, battery storage, control electronics, pneumatics systems, telemetry for data delivery and data analytics.
Railway Safety
RDN under the banner of “technology for good” actively operates in several niche sectors that have safety implications that can lead to loss of life or significant damage to key infrastructure such as railways. Hence since 2018 it has embarked on project to research into the application technology in the railway sector, looking in particular the impact of climatically induced failures on industries such as rail, from solar gain, bridge scour, embankment slippage, debris obstructing water channels, pour pressure, to track flooding.
This research programme is very broad, overlapping with learning from some of our other programmes into smart sensing and off-grid power. It embraces and mechanical engineering, materials science, vandal proofing, ballistics testing, battery storage, control electronics, pneumatics systems, smart camera imagery, smart sensors, plus satellite and terrestrial telemetry, for data delivery and data analytics.
River Gauging
Identified in 2018 as an emerging sector the company has since embarked on an extensive open-ended research programme to face the many challenges faced by this industry sector, that formally had in the main not been addressed, making installation of such gauges highly expensive, time consuming and troublesome, consequentially bocking the smaller business from entering the market for gauging to tackle both flooding and also drought.
Undertaken as a broad research programme that overlaps and uses some of the learning from other RDB research programmes such as smart sensing and telemetry. It embraces and mechanical engineering, materials science, vandal proofing, ballistics testing, battery storage, control electronics, , smart sensors, plus satellite and terrestrial telemetry, for data delivery via satellite, licenced radio, and data analytics.
Smart SuDS
Identified in 2023 while working on a Defra funded FCRIP PROGRAMME as new emerging market, smart SuDS is believed to be a key tool in combating flooding and pollution in urban areas. The programme of research will look at the efficacy of SuDS and how they can be effectively monitored, protected, and controlled, both respectively and during the creation of new SuDS features.
Smart Cameras
Identified in 2023 the need was identified to improve the SIL of sensor systems. The industry was plagued by mis readings and crying wolf to the detriment of both customer and manufacturers.
As they say the camera tells no lies, and in the context of providing additional feedback about the status of an asset, watercourse, or railway it ought to be able to provide a picture by which sensor data can be validated improving the overall SIL of any system.
Installing cameras in remote locations is challenging, compared to sensors they eat vast amounts of power, they require wide bandwidth for data upload and fill the cloud with terabytes of unwanted data.
Imagery is currently focused around security, automation and control, this research project differs in that it needs to develop a range of smart cameras that can tolerate remote deployment, are vandal and weather proof, battery operable and triggered by the activity of smart sensors to upload on incident rather than provide a constant stream of worthless data.
The programme of research will look into camera technologies, explore the optimum illumination techniques for viewing water based assets at night, the battery technologies, data carriers, housings, mounting techniques and where applicable the addition of solar battery and battery packs.
