Small Business Research Initiative
**Background**
Railway companies have introduced zone marking on some station platforms to assist passenger boarding; although it is not clear that the way this is currently implemented is either understood by passengers or proving effective. Consequently, passengers are frequently not distributed optimally along the platform; and this results in congestion at train doors and longer than necessary boarding times as embarking passengers need to wait for disembarking passengers to leave the carriage before they can board. This issue is compounded when trains are delayed, especially at busy interchange stations. Our proposed solution will visually guide embarking passengers to demarcated zones on the platform based on the number of passengers leaving each carriage, to minimise the overall train boarding time and avoid “herd behaviour”. This will help to reduce train delays, minimise congestion and passenger discomfort, and improve platform safety by avoiding high passenger densities.
**Solution**
The proposed solution includes:
1. A method to detect passenger flows on the station platform using existing infrastructure including sensor and other data. The method will depend on linear algebra to deduce passenger flows that are not directly monitored.
2. A dashboard visualising current passenger flows and congestion levels. This will significantly increase the visibility of passenger congestion on the platform for operational station staff and enabling them to take informed decisions e.g. where to dispatch staff, where to nudge passengers; and for passengers to know where to move on the platform.
3. Development of an origin/destination matrix of passenger flows on the platform (i.e. disembarking and embarking passenger of arriving trains) from PFM RF beacons historical data in conjunction with open train arrival and occupancy data.
4. A method to calculate positioning of passengers along the platform, such that train boarding operations is optimised. The method is based on the predicted number of passengers embarking and disembarking. This will provide dynamic recommendations to passengers and station staff to facilitate a redistribution of passengers along the platform.
**Differentiation**
We believe that our proposed solution approach will convey three key advantages over those currently available:
1. 3D simulated CCTV images as an alternative real CCTV data which could be used to model scenarios and extreme events without compromising data privacy or having access to CCTV footage of extreme events.
2. We aim to use algorithmic approaches to infer flows across sensor "blind-spots"; thereby minimising the need for investment in significant new sensor infrastructure.
3. Generating semi-real passenger volumes using RF beacons installed at the station in conjunction with open train arrival and occupancy data.
4. Novell user interface to “nudge” passengers avoiding herd behaviour to exacerbate situation.
**Commercialisation**
Opportunities exist to scale the proposed solution across the UK and global rail industries and into other transportation sectors, including airports, that are facing similar challenges in facilitating the safe and smooth flow of passengers.
Without an operating system, computers would be much less useful. Before the invention of operating systems, computers could only run one calculation at a time. All tasks had to be scheduled by hand. Operating systems automate the scheduling of tasks and make sure that resources such as memory and disk space are allocated properly. Because operating systems simplify computers, everyone can handle them and benefit from them.
Quantum computers are a new type of powerful computer. Big and high-quality quantum computers can outperform conventional computers at specific tasks, such as predicting the properties of a drug. Currently, it is difficult for users to interact with quantum computers because there is no good operating system. The systems that exist don't schedule tasks optimally and cannot perform calculations quickly. Building this operating system is difficult -- many have tried and no solutions have worked. We have invented an operating system to overcome this technical challenge: NISQ.OS.
While competitors present quantum computers as a "black box", NISQ.OS exposes all its different elements. Many of them look far more familiar than you might think. Quantum computers consist of a quantum processing unit, which contains the qubits, a couple of layers of special-purpose chips that control the qubits, and a conventional computer for overall control. By providing access to all these layers of the "quantum computing stack", we give the user the power to schedule tasks in an optimal way. This will improve the performance of quantum computers by a 1,000-fold compared to other leading approaches. Once we integrate hardware and software tightly, we expect that the performance will improve by 1,000,000-fold.
We have assembled a group of experts from across the UK to build the operating system. This includes the UK's leading quantum hardware companies, Hitachi, Oxford Quantum Circuits, SeeQC, Duality Quantum Photonics, Oxford Ionics, and Universal Quantum; Riverlane, a quantum software company; Arm, a UK-based chip manufacturer; and the National Physical Laboratory.
The National Physical Laboratory plays an important role because their expertise lies in developing technical standards for breakthrough technology. To build our operating system, we need to define a new standard interface between software and hardware that everyone can use. Our project will attract many important customers, such as pharmaceutical or chemical companies, as well as the financial industry. Because our operating system is so much better, they will want to run their applications on UK-based quantum computers.
The Greater Manchester Local Energy Market (GM LEM) project forms a key part of the city region's plans for decarbonisation, set out in the '5 Year Environment Plan for Greater Manchester' and complemented by the Greater Manchester's Smart Energy Plan, together these enable GM Mayor Andy Burnham's target for a zero carbon emissions city region by 2038 announced at the Mayor's Green Summit in March 2019\.
Building on Phase 1, the Greater Manchester Local Energy Market (GM LEM) project is an ambitious integrated, whole system energy vision that addresses how energy is generated, traded, transported, supplied and used across the city region. Co-ordinated by the devolved Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) it brings together a diverse array of partners from the private, public and Third sectors including, commercial and legal advisors, service design consultants, financial and regulatory specialists and the energy, technology and systems resources of Hitachi-Europe, Bruntwood, Bristol Energy, WSP, DAIKIN, Northwards Housing and leading technology provider SME Upside Energy.
The project vision combines two key themes; a place-based approach to geospatial energy system planning, harmonising the demands of the energy transition with traditional local authority-led approach to planning and enables us to understand current energy assets and networks and to plan how they may change over time; and the development of a unique new local energy market aggregation platform, integrating new smart technologies across heat, power and transport and linking into local distribution and national transmission platforms.
A user-centred design methodology puts customers at the heart of our approach, incorporating commercial property clients, early adopter owner occupiers, social housing tenants and the public sector. A Service Design approach creates an understanding of customer needs and consumption patterns and develops new value sharing propositions.
Recognising the daunting economic, environmental and societal challenges the energy transition presents, the project involves citizens, the public and private sector and seeks to protect the most vulnerable in society from the impact of rising energy bills or poor-quality homes.
GM LEM builds on the previously funded 'Prospering from the Energy Revolution' stage 1 feasibility study to accelerate from current market conditions to a Peer-to-Peer trading scenario suitable for the challenges of the mid-2020s.
A new local market will reduce carbon emissions and consumer bills, providing market confidence and leading to increased local investment with the accelerated deployment of renewable energy and storage assets.
"The ultimate aim of ServCity is to reduce private car journeys in urban areas by providing a reliable autonomous mobility service.
By doing so, the consortium aims to solve urban challenges around congestion and emissions and, propose a blueprint for future Automated Mobility Services (AMS).
This project demonstrates UK capabilities and technologies to a global audience by bringing together two globally recognised British business champions and builds on UK's academic and Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) expertise to deliver a novel, economically sustainable business model for London - the UK megacity.
The service will be developed with an ultimate aim of offering fully automated vehicles (SAE Level 5) as part of flexible urban mobility. However, this project will explore the concepts through pilot testing SAE Level 4 vehicles aided by simulation and modelling."
"Decentralisation of heat, power and energy generation to areas of local usage provides the opportunity for more efficient use of resources (both energy and network infrastructure) -- if the needs of the different vectors are balanced against one another. Bridgend County Borough provides a replicable use case for developing a concept of balancing local energy generation with local energy needs across both urban and rural environments.
The county is embracing decentralisation of energy generation, with substantial existing and planned assets across the three energy vectors; heat, power and transport. Including:
* Parc Stormy Energy Park (PSEP), with a solar farm, wind development, AD CHP plant, battery storage facility, EV charging points and plans to develop into a renewable energy transport hub and business enterprise park
* The Council's plans to encourage decarbonisation of heating provision, including the initiation of two district heating networks in separate locations of the county in 2019 and 2020, to be integrated with local electricity generation from wind and solar and additional EV charging infrastructure to provide satellite transport hubs.
The project will explore the opportunity to integrate heat, power and mobility through the creation of a digital platform; monitoring and predicting energy demand and generation, and provision of low carbon transport micro-hubs within the heat network schemes to support a central hub at PSEP.
It is envisaged that this digitisation and integration of energy vectors will give rise to the following benefits:
* Reduced costs, for:
* The energy system, through efficient use of existing infrastructure
* Consumers, from development of local energy markets and service plans
* Energy suppliers, by enabling access to the flexibility services market
* Transport providers through bus fleets optimisation and management
* New Consumer Offerings:
* Heat service plans, selling comfort rather than kilowatt-hours of energy and offering stability of costs and health and well-being improvements
* Mobility service plans, selling access to a range of different sustainable transport options to suit an individual's needs
* A more reliable and transparent transport service, with digital applications enabling users to access real-time information about service provision and journey times.
* Improved Environment, through
* Lower carbon energy provision across all energy vectors, reducing air pollution and contributing to carbon targets
* Local Resilience
* Through local energy resource use and economic growth stimulus via new business opportunities, associated with low carbon USP credentials and supply chain opportunities."
"The Greater Manchester Local Energy market (LEM) project will test the feasibility of a GM region wide local energy market which responds to \`place-based' constraints and market needs.
The key driver for the project is to enable and increase the flexibility in the energy distribution network through: novel management tools (including building management systems), Market Aggregators and virtual power plants (VPP) to allow higher penetration and accelerated deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) and demand side(DSR) response opportunities.
The project is led by Electricity North West Ltd (ENWL) and brings together the resources of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Hitachi EU, Bruntwood and innovative SME Upside Energy.
The projects key objectives are;
\*identify the requirements for a LEM, ie control and trading platforms.
\*establish if this needs to integrate with other local control platforms, particularly those operated by project lead ENWL, to provide balancing services locally and an interface to the national transmission system.
\*Demonstrate the value the LEM can bring to stakeholders in the region including domestic and commercial consumers, smaller renewable projects, vehicle to grid projects and ENWL through providing a platform for energy optimisation across a complex and highly populated region."
The project will build an autonomous vehicle with human like, natural control / path planning, by 2019, that 1) is able to be fully autonomous on country roads, when overtaking, on roundabouts and/ or motorways 2) mimics the driving behaviour of human beings, to provide an enhanced experiences for the occupants. Nissan and Hitachi will use their global automotive, artificial intelligence/ machine learning and communication technology expertise to build vehicles and AI models that are fit for purpose, and use the expertise of Horiba MIRA, Cranfield University and the University of Leeds to ensure the system is validated and end-user acceptance is evaluated. Atkins and SBD will address protective security, making the vehicle digitally and physically secure. The Transport Systems Catapult will be responsible for project management and development of safety aspects of the project. The impact of L4 vehicles on the Strategic Road Network will be explored through work by Highways England and TSS. Highways England and Milton Keynes Council will provide support to the demonstration route of the vehicle.