
Structure, Systems and Autonomy
This is a major activity in the Institute bringing together multi-disciplinary teams in large scale projects that have very strong links to industry.
CCAAR Centre for Connected Autonomous Automotive Research
HORIBA MIRA, a world-leader in vehicle engineering, research and product testing has joined forces with Coventry University to launch a brand new automotive research centre dedicated to developing intelligent, connected vehicle technology.
C-ALPS Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems
Coventry University and German-based international engineering service provider FEV have signed a £30 million deal to build a clean transport lab in Coventry to spearhead research into advanced powertrain development over the next decade. Four state-of-the-art powertrain test cells will allow university and FEV researchers and engineers to test and improve performance and emissions on a range of different powertrain concepts, including hybridized, electric, conventional and alternative fuel propulsion systems.
Microcab Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Building on its strong automotive heritage, reputation for enterprise and innovation, and its commitment to the low carbon economy, Coventry University is at the forefront of developments in ‘green’ vehicle technologies. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are being designed and built in Coventry through the university’s cutting-edge spin-out company Microcab.
Cybersecurity
In an increasingly uncertain world, the need for the security of citizens, data and critical infrastructure is a major concern. A parallel but not unrelated body of research acknowledges safety needs requiring rigorous engineering, fail-proof mechanisms and protection systems to ensure a dependable design and reliable operation. The Cyber Security team is a group of multi-disciplinary researchers addressing issues of systems security for automotive, rail and connected infrastructure. Over the past 6 years, the group has been involved in a number of projects including:
- CyberOwl, a new commercial venture spun-out of the group in 2016 that is developing early warning systems for the cyberspace;
- Automotive Cyber Security collaboration with HORIBA MIRA, involving a number of doctoral students investigating both testing and design aspects of security on vehicular platforms;
- App Collusion Detection (ACiD) (2015-2017), which is funded by the EPSRC, in collaboration with City and Swansea Universities, and with Intel Security as industrial partner. The aim of this work is to develop novel theoretical methods and tools to detect Android applications of suspected collusion;
- Knowledge Elicitation for Railway Safety (KEEP SAFE) (2013-2014), which was funded by the RSSB to assess the use of safety-related data for effective safety decision-making for rail safety and security;
- Unmanned Distribution Capability (2011-2013), which was funded by the MoD to investigate communication resilience for semi-autonomous military logistics vehicles;
- Efficient and Reliable Transportation of Consignments (ERTOC) (2010-2012), which was funded by InnovateUK and EPSRC, and led by Ricardo, to build an open-API data-centric approach to logistics routing and payload sharing aimed at reducing carbon footprint.
News
- Jeremy Bryans gave an invited talk recently at Chatham House, where he spoke about his recent paper on "The Internet of Automotive Things: vulnerabilities, risks, and policy implications”.
- Call for Papers: Special Issue on Smart Cities and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (IJDSN)
- Universities to lead on research to underpin UK’s cybersecurity policymaking
- Samsung self-driving car trial in South Korea approved. BBC, May 2nd, 2017
- We are working with local firm EmbedUK, and they have provided us with their telematics development toolsuite and hardware to experiment with rapid prototyping of secure software.
- Dr. Jeremy Bryans is speaking on “From Automotive Safety to Automotive Security: Progress, Possibilities and Pitfalls” at the IMechE Event on ISO 26262: Functional Safety for Engineering on 24th May 2017
- The paper titled “Towards A Testbed for Automotive Cybersecurity”, by Dan Fowler, Madeline Cheah, Jeremy Bryans and Siraj Shaikh, has won the Best Industry Paper Award at the 10th IEEE International Conference on Software Testing, Verification and Validation, March 2017, Tokyo, Japan
- AutoCAN Security, a commercial proposition by Dr. Jeremy Bryans and Dr. Siraj Shaikh, has been awarded a place in the second cohort of CSIT Labs to receive three months of product engineering resource from CSIT’s security engineering team, February 21st, 2017
- CyberOwl, a Coventry University spinout, has been chosen for the very first GCHQ Cyber Accelerator, BBC News, January 11th, 2017
- Why are the tech giants struggling to build their own driverless cars? The Conversation, October 21st, 2016
- Madeline Cheah and Dan Fowler are both working with HORIBA MIRA on automotive cybersecurity challenges, March 10th, 2016.
The team
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Prof. Siraj ShaikhCyber security |
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Dr. Jeremy BryansCyber security, formal verification, cyber-physical systems |
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Dr. Hoang NguyenRailway verification, computational logic, model checking and multi-agent systems |
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Emma MoretonCyber security policy making, corpus linguistics |
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Atif HussainCyber security and computer science |
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Madeline CheahCyber-security, digital forensics and penetration testing |
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Daniel S. FowlerAutomotive cyber-security, digital forensics and trustworthy systems |
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Andrew TomlinsonCyber-security |
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Mike WatersConnected & autonomous vehicles, vehicle to infrastructure connectivity |
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Stephen PowleyConnected & autonomous vehicles, vehicle to infrastructure connectivity |
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John HeneghanDigital forensics, security testing, systems engineering and automotive cybersecurity |
Training
Automotive cybersecurity poses a major challenge to connected and autonomous vehicles. This course addresses the wider challenge of increasing digital and software components on connected platforms and focusses specifically on threat intelligence and engineering aspects of automotive systems. Issues of policy and personal data are also explored.
This course is for engineers, scientists and consultants with an interest in cybersecurity of connected and autonomous vehicles; automotive manufacturers, electronics designers and suppliers, components manufacturers and software tool developers; and policy makers, academics and researchers.
Vehicle Dynamics and Safety
There are huge opportunities for reducing collisions, injuries and emissions in future traffic through advanced design and manufacture of the next generation of vehicles and control systems.
In this team, we have brought together experts in accident investigation and traumatology, with those who are experts in light weight structures and optimisation and vehicle performance modelling (including tyre and suspension systems). In addition, we look at the contribution electric motors will play in efficiency and then also look at how advances in control systems engineering will contribute to future vehicle design and functional safety.
Extreme light weighting without degrading vehicle safety can be achieved only through multifunctional structures. We are researching and developing multidisciplinary optimisation algorithms and tools that facilitate the design, analysis and verification of these structures.
To complement work on the performance of vehicles within a collision we also look at new communication and control systems designed to avoid collisions through driver support functions.
The team
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Professor Mike BlundellVehicle dynamics, impact and safety |
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Dr. Jesper ChristensenStructural analysis, optimisation algorithm development and implementation |
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Dr. Christophe BastienAutomotive safety, lightweighting, optimisation and human trauma predictions |
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Dr. Stratis KanarachosMotion control, active dynamics and learning behaviour |
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Dr. Arash Moradinegade DizqahOptimisation and control, electric and hybrid vehicles, autonomous vehicles |
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Dr. Mauro InnocenteAnalysis & optimisation for engineering design, connected & autonomous vehicles |
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Dr. Mike BromfieldFlight safety, flight data monitoring, aircraft flying qualities, in-flight loss-of-control |
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Dr. Neophytos LophitisPower electronics, semiconductor engineering & batteries |
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Dr. Dina Shona LailaInstrumentation and control |
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Dr. Leon ShpaninEnergy, plasmas and compressed air |
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Dr. Konstantinos GyftakisInduction motors, insulation and rotors |