WMG doctoral graduate, Pinar Satilmis has received a Faculty of Science Doctoral Thesis Award for her PhD project “High Fidelity Sky Models”.

Pinar’s thesis, “High Fidelity Sky Models” involved investigating innovative ways to simulate light, to accurately replicate real world lighting and cloud illumination in virtual environments. Pinar investigated a number of different methods including generating animated virtual environments to model changes in skylight in real time and using machine learning to predict light values.

Autonomous vehicles will learn some of the swarming skills, as used by birds and insects, thanks to a new research programmes involving WMG at University of Warwick.

WMG at the University of Warwick will receive just over half a million pound from Innovate UK for its part in the £2m programme in which it will partner with autonomous pod manufacturer RDM Group, and Milton Keynes Council to create Swarm Intelligence for autonomous pods.

The concept is based on fusing together existing information from other autonomous vehicles a fleet of pods to allow each pod to locally decide the most appropriate action for the group as a whole – similar to how insects and birds currently behave.

This means that pods can highlight any unexpected behaviour to a supervisor, as well as enabling ‘platooning’, where vehicles follow each other when possible to minimise the number or individual vehicle movements. The technology also enables the system automatically adapt its behaviour to meet the demand so that Pods can be optimally distributed within a city to the areas where they are most likely requested.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman, WMG, University of Warwick comments “I’m delighted to hear that the Government have announced plans to establish a centre for battery research in the UK. Not only will this support the Industrial Strategy, it will help change the perception of Britain from labs to manufacture.”

“Coventry and the sub region has a significant contribution to make in the delivery of the UK’s national industrial strategy, being in a strong position to lead the advancement of battery development, and vehicle electrification and autonomous vehicles. It will be at the heart of the drive to make the city a smart motor city.”

“Building on our automotive heritage, together with the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, we are keen to develop and expand battery R&D, which will see the creation of these skilled jobs which will also be a trigger for other development by the private sector.

“Having a 37 year track record of working jointly with industry to innovate, and as leaders, for 15 years, in battery development, WMG are poised to continue to drive forward battery innovation and help create growth and employment in the UK.

The full announcement from the Business Secretary Greg Clarke MP can be heard here.

Students from WMG at the University of Warwick, who designed and built a submarine, were the UK champions at the 2017 International Submarine Race (ISR) in Washington DC, USA.

The human-powered submarine – Godiva 3 – achieved the fastest times and won more awards than any UK team in the competition, scooping the ‘Best Use of Composites’ and the ‘Best Design Outline’ awards.

Godiva 3 also achieved third place internationally in its class for speed, reaching 2.52 knots.

The Warwick Submarine team is made up of seven Engineering students from a variety of disciplines across the University.

The team has access to world-class engineering expertise and facilities from both WMG and the School of Engineering - both academic departments at the University of Warwick.

Over the past few months, the team has gone from developing an original concept for the submarine to constructing its parts, conducting thorough analyses, working with sponsors, and now taking part in a major global competition.

During the ISR, the team had to deliver a presentation to the panel of judges, submit a design report of their submarine, and race it in time trials on a 100 metre underwater course.

Dr Reuel Khoza, a distinguished thought leader, businessman, President of the IoDSA, and change agent at the forefront of transformation in the South African political economy, received a warm welcome from staff and students at WMG today, some 12 years after his own graduation here.

Hailed as a role model in his native South Africa, in respect of the duties and responsibilities that a citizen can and should take on in the public and national interest, Dr Khoza returned as the Honorary Speaker at this year's graduation.

Professor Lord Bhattacharrya, Chairman and Founder of WMG, said: "I am delighted that Reuel is back with us today. We worked together very closely in the early 2000s when Reuel was with me combining his Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Business Leadership with the challenge of his Chairmanship of Eskom and the writing of his first book. A remarkable combination by a remarkable man.

Dr Khoza plans to take up an exciting new engagement building links between WMG and South Africa.

A partnership led by WMG at the University of Warwick, with the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), Tata Steel, and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) is using a stream of neutrons from ILL’s nuclear reactor in a new project to examine the safety critical welds in cars made with boron steel.

Press-hardened boron steel is an ultra high-strength steel used across a variety of industries, with a particularly important application in the automotive industry. A large proportion of car manufacturers use boron steel for structural components and anti-intrusion systems in automobiles, as it provides high strength and weight-saving potential, allowing for stronger yet lighter cars, with increased passenger safety.

In the automotive industry, a major joining method for boron steel components is “resistance spot welding”, with several thousand welds being made on a single car. Spot welding exposes the boron steel sheet directly underneath the electrodes” to very high temperatures, causing the metal to exceed melting temperature and then rapidly solidify upon cooling. This results in a heat-affected zone, where surrounding material contracts and its microstructures are altered.

Assistant Professor John Low has been awarded an EPSRC First Grant to develop a more modern approach to design and manufacture automotive energy storage, targeting Lithium-ion battery and supercapacitor devices.

The project will focus on ‘a designer approach to structuring electrodes’ for improved energy storage performance so that low-carbon plug-in and electric vehicles can travel a longer distance per charge. The new electrodes are expected to gain a significant improvement in the final ‘usable’ energy density (Wh/kg) and ‘usable’ capacity (Ah) at device cell level.

The new and improved energy storage devices will be designed, manufactured and tested at our state-of-the-art battery prototyping WMG Energy Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick.

WMG at the University of Warwick has been awarded £5.7 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to form a Prosperity Partnership with Jaguar Land Rover that could literally be described as ”electrifying”.

WMG’s Professor Barbara Shollock said:

“This Prosperity Partnership will tackle the emerging challenges for vehicle electrification through a unique collaboration to grow scientific understanding. This integrated approach brings the potential for the UK to lead, both industrially and scientifically, in an area of high growth and relevance in the UK's industrial strategy.”

“Our shared vision is to create new scientific insights to underpin the Automotive Council’s electrification agenda, from batteries and power electronics to electric motors and electric drive units.”

Electrification is a strategic target for the UK and a major element in the UK Industrial Strategy and an opportunity to grow a new globally-competitive industry. The UK strategy for ultra-low emission vehicles states the ‘vision is that by 2050 almost every car and van in the UK will be an ultra-low emission vehicle, with the UK at the forefront of their design, development and manufacture, making us one of the most attractive locations for ultra-low emission vehicle–related inward investment in the world’. To achieve this requires a step-change in knowledge, understanding and technology and Prosperity Partnership bringing together the WMG and Jaguar Land Rover will help achieve that.

Graeme Knowles, one of our Principal Teaching Fellows, has been awarded a prestigious Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence (WATE) 2017.

The awards highlight the effort all the teaching staff across the University of Warwick make to provide outstanding learning environments for our students. Over 80 were nominated with just five members of staff being recognised as worthy WATE award winners.

Graeme explains: “I’ve always felt honoured to work with the talented and inspiring staff and students at Warwick, so I’m particularly grateful to receive the WATE Award, because it represents recognition from colleagues and students for the efforts and skills of the teaching community here.”

Graeme is a Stream Leader for the MSc in International Technology Management and runs the HSBC PGA in Leading Business Improvement. He is chair of the WMG Technology Enhanced Learning Committee, which is responsible for supporting pedagogically relevant technological innovation in WMGs learning spaces and teaching practices.

We are proud to announce that one of our Senior Teaching Fellows, Dr Antony Allen, has been made a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE).

The IMechE is the leading professional engineering body, with divisions dedicated to the specific industries including automotive, aerospace and defence. Its vision is to improve the world by developing and promoting engineering, informing opinion and encouraging innovation.

Fellowship is the highest level of recognition and is awarded to professional engineers who are leaders in their field, working with significant responsibility.

Antony explains: “In 2014 I became a Member of the IMechE and a professional engineer Chartered through the Engineering Council. Since then I have moved from a predominantly technical role in industry onto industry focussed teaching in higher education.