A University of Glasgow spinout aims to transform real-time wireless sensing of train carriages.

The battery-free sensors could help make preventative maintenance and condition monitoring on rail carriages cheaper, easier and more environmentally-friendly.

The sensors, developed by University of Glasgow spinout RX Watt, aim to prevent costly equipment failures in industries that depend on monitoring products and goods in real time.

The sensors receive power wirelessly from radio waves, directly providing energy to small electronics that collect data, including temperature and vibration, which are then sent to the user via a Bluetooth interface.

The sensors are designed to be retrofitted to existing rolling stock carriages, and could significantly reduce the cost and environmental footprint of wiring in modern trains.

Mahmoud Wagih, the founder of RX Watt, is a lecturer at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering. He said: “Monitoring air quality, occupancy, and wear and tear are crucial to sustainable and resilient transport. Current vehicular sensors require extensive wiring or batteries that need regular replacement. With radio-frequency power delivery, we can directly power the sensors without the need for energy storage or harvesting energy from their environment. Continuously monitoring strain, vibrations and temperature can reduce maintenance, downtime and also emissions from trains. This is only possible through antennas and circuits which can operate in such varied environment.”

The effectiveness of the sensors was validated at the BCIMO Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, where the feasibility of safely sending power using microwaves to the sensors was demonstrated using the centre’s test vehicles, including a passenger rail carriage and a T69 tram.

Anthony Joy, head of engineering and programmes at the BCIMO VLR Innovation Centre (bcimo.co.uk), said: “The prospect of wireless-powered maintenance-free and battery-less sensing is highly valuable to the rail industry and applies to various timely challenges around sustainability.”

RX Watt (www.rxwatt.com) was also recently selected as one of nine semiconductor start-ups to be backed by the UK government through the ChipStart programme.

The underpinning research was supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Office of the Chief Science Adviser for National Security under the UK IC Research Fellowship programme, and through the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA).

The development of the sensors is supported by the Contracts for Innovation: International Rail Innovation Challenges programme, funded jointly by the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK.