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Case studies


Digital economy | Energy | Engineering | Global uncertainties | Healthcare technologies | ICT | Living with environmental change | Manufacturing the future | Mathematical science | Physical sciences

Click on the circles to see the latest five case studies for each theme.

X-ray vision takes centre stage at unique new UK facility
Prehistoric marine monsters, human tissue, aircraftwings and even fossilised crocodile dung are yielding their innermost secrets to a unique new X-ray Imaging Centre.
Issued: 11 November 2011 Related theme: ICT

3D printing closer to commercial reality - 3D chocolate heaven
3D printing technology that can create full-scale consumer products – even in chocolate – is one step closer to commercial reality thanks to research sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Issued: 02 September 2011 Related theme: Digital economy

Tiny flying machines will revolutionise surveillance work
Tiny aerial vehicles are being developed with innovative flapping wings based on those of real-life insects.
Issued: 01 September 2011 Related theme: Manufacturing the future

Could new technology help earlier diagnosis of heart disease?
Could new sound synchronisation technology hold the key to earlier diagnosis of heart disease?
Issued: 28 July 2011 Related themes: Healthcare technologies, ICT

MyCare – the ‘card’ that could save your life
It looks like a credit card…it slips into a wallet or purse…but it could mean the difference between life and death in a medical emergency.
Issued: 28 July 2011 Related themes: Healthcare technologies, ICT

‘Hearing dummies’ software paves the way for tailor-made hearing aids
New software ‘hearing dummies’ are part of cutting-edge research that promises to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairments.
Issued: 27 July 2011 Related themes: Healthcare technologies, ICT

Bioengineering: Helping humans repair themselves
Tissue Regenix, a spin-out company specialising in human tissue regeneration products, believes its cutting-edge technology could revolutionise medicine.
Issued: 22 June 2011 Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies

Expanding blast-proof curtain will reduce impact of bomb explosions
A new type of blast-proof curtain is being developed to provide better protection from the effects of bomb explosions.
Issued: 16 May 2011 Related themes: Global uncertainties, Manufacturing the future

How the bones of our ancestors could help treat modern back pain
The unlikely combination of old human bones and the latest computer modelling techniques are being used to develop new ways of treating chronic back pain. It is the first time old bones have been used in this way.
Issued: 10 May 2011 Related themes: Healthcare technologies, ICT

Sky’s the limit for UK satellite company
In 1985, supported by an EPSRC grant, a team of gifted aerospace researchers from the University of Surrey formed a company, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited. It is now a world leader in its field, and has launched over 30 space missions.
Issued: 10 May 2011 Related themes: Digital economy, Engineering

Lightening the load for British soldiers with solar power systems
A revolutionary type of personal power pack is being developed that could help our troops when they are engaged on the battlefield.
Issued: 09 May 2011 Related themes: Energy, Global uncertainties

Click-track software lets drummers set their own pace
New software has been developed that gives drummers the freedom to speed up or slow down the pace of the music with any pre-programmed material following their lead.
Issued: 09 May 2011 Related theme: ICT

Tsunami generator will help protect against future catastrophe
A unique wave-generating machine that mimics the activity of real-life tsunamis with unprecedented realism has been developed and built with EPSRC funding.
Issued: 09 May 2011 Related themes: Engineering, Global uncertainties

New spinal implant to help people with paraplegia
Engineers have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralysed leg muscles.
Issued: 06 May 2011 Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies

Music on prescription could help treat emotional and physical pain
Research into how music conveys emotion could benefit the treatment of depression and the management of physical pain.
Issued: 06 May 2011 Related theme: ICT

New technology will make election voting more efficient
Time-consuming manual vote-counts and ballot boxes could soon be consigned to the history books, thanks to innovative new secure voting technology.
Issued: 06 May 2011 Related theme: ICT

Compostable plastics have a sweet ending
Food packaging and other disposable plastic items could soon be composted at home along with organic waste thanks to a new sugar-based polymer.
Issued: 06 May 2011 Related themes: Energy, Manufacturing the future

How computers could help humans make better decisions in life
Day to day indecision could soon be a thing of the past for all of us. A prototype computer game has been developed to help improve decision-making skills in all aspects of our lives.
Issued: 06 May 2011 Related theme: Digital economy

Preserving Britain's coastlines
Much of the UK’s coastline is undergoing erosion, placing homes, businesses and other important coastal sites at risk.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Scans on the brain
Brain scans play a vital role in the treatment of many serious medical conditions, but decoding the signals inside our minds would not be possible without a variety of mathematical techniques.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Modelling an epidemic emergency
Epidemics can threaten the lives of both humans and animals, so it is essential that we react swiftly to any outbreaks. Mathematicians play a key role in assessing the risks of disease transmission and modelling the effects of vaccination programmes.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Networking for the future
Mathematical network theory lets us create models of our communication and transport networks, revealing new patterns and insights that will improve network capacity, reliability, and efficiency.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Taking decisions, not risks
Risks are an unavoidable part of modern life, but mathematicians and statisticians have developed a variety of methods to help mitigate its effects.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Unravelling the genetic code
Understanding how to manipulate tangles of DNA could help us create new treatments for diseases, so mathematicians are working with biologists to explain how our genetic code becomes knotted.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Smarter phones for all
The amount of information we can transmit though the air is limited by the laws of physics, but the mathematics of signal processing lets us squeeze more data into the same amount of space.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Stats in your genes
Sequencing the human genome was a fantastic achievement, but it was only the beginning. Now, statisticians are coming up with new methods to sift through large amounts of a genetic data and identify the differences in DNA that can lead to diseases.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Building the digital society
Computers and networks stuffed with ever-increasing amounts of data are transforming our society, creating a digital world with its own rules and behaviours.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Danger: rogue waves
Rogue waves appear without warning, towering high over ships and oil rigs. Traditional mathematical models couldn’t predict the occurrence of these dangerous waves, but the latest techniques let oceanographers make accurate forecasts.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Advancing the digital arts
The computer animation industry relies on a steady stream of mathematics to produce the fantastic images found on our cinema and television screens.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

An energy evolution
As oil supplies become harder and more expensive to reach, it’s essential that we maximise the yield from available reservoirs in any way possible.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Go with the industrial flow
Mathematical models of fluid flow can help to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs, while also enabling new applications of fluids within industry.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Keeping hearts pumping
Blood-related diseases can seriously harm patients’ quality of life and even lead to death.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Faster Formula One
Every second counts in the fast-paced world of Formula One, so race teams use advanced mathematics to squeeze the best performance out of their cars.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences

Fighting infections with symmetry
Many viruses have a symmetrical structure made from basic building blocks, and biologists have struggled to explain some of the more detailed shapes.
Issued: 05 April 2011 Related theme: Mathematical sciences