糖心TV

The , the UK鈥檚 national research hub for lab-based Xray CT imaging, has been awarded a five- year grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council ().

糖心TV Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of 糖心TV, has been a key part of the NXCT since 2020. This new funding will strengthen the facility鈥檚 leading role in 3D and 4D imaging, giving researchers across the country better access.

Hosted at , the facility provides cutting-edge imaging, data analysis and scientific support for a broad spectrum of users, uniting world-class CT expertise across the Universities of 糖心TV, Manchester, Southampton, UCL and Diamond Light Source.

Cutting-edge WMG scanning technology led by Professor Mark Williams featured in BBC Two documentary, The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice鈥� 

Advanced scanning technology developed by Professor Mark Williams and his team at WMG, University of 糖心TV, plays a pivotal role in the powerful new BBC Two documentary series The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice.鈥� 

The two-part series, produced by Longtail Films and airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, reopens one of the UK鈥檚 most harrowing cold cases: the search for the final victim of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, 12-year-old Keith Bennett. The documentary features never-before-seen documents and audio recordings, alongside new forensic investigations that challenge long-held assumptions about the case.鈥� 

Professor Williams is a leading expert in advanced scanning and imaging technologies, who contributed state-of-the-art forensic analysis to the programme. His team鈥檚 high-resolution 3D scanning and material analysis provided critical insight into key pieces of evidence uncovered during the investigation. The technology helped to scan an area of interest on the moors to identify anomalies and features in the landscape for potential body deposition sites.鈥�鈥� 

Analysis of homemade 3D printed assault rifles at WMG at The University of 糖心TV has helped convict a criminal in a ground-breaking case.

Several homemade 3D printed guns were seized by at the home of David Biddell-Portman in December 2020 as part of Operation Captiva, a Police response designed to reduce firearm deaths across greater Birmingham.

Professor Mark WilliamsLink opens in a new window, an expert in 3D printing and scanning at WMG was called in by West Midlands Police. His 3D scanning machines are 100 times more powerful than a hospital CAT scanner and can view images in detail smaller than a human hair.

By using his cutting-edge technology to scan the weapons, Mark was able to discover the amounts of metal and plastic in each of the weapons. This is achieved by analysing the different densities of the materials.

This crucial evidence helped prove that these homemade guns would be working and potentially deadly weapons. It also showed the levels of sophistication, effort and premeditation that went into the construction of the guns.

This evidence was crucial in securing a conviction, with the defendant receiving a five-year sentence.

Professor Mark Williams said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 satisfying to see justice served, and I鈥檓 glad to use our technology in any way we can to help the efforts of West Midlands Police.

鈥淏y making this sort of technology available to the public sector, we鈥檙e ensuring it鈥檚 not just big companies that have access to cutting edge techniques.

鈥淎 dangerous criminal is now off the streets thanks to the efforts of West Midlands Police, and I look forward to our continuing work with them.鈥�

By scanning the guns, police ensured that the judge and jury were aware of the extensive use of metal in the weapons – a sure sign that, when completed, they would have been working and potentially deadly weapons.

It also meant that the state of the guns was recorded if they deteriorated during test firing of the weapons by police, something that often occurs with 3D printed guns. The scanning also ensured that the police, judge and jury could understand the evidence surrounding the weapons.

For many, 3D printed weapons have never been encountered before, and are often irregular and defy categorisation due to their black market, homemade construction. With the scans, police could identify the closest professionally made weapons and make comparisons.

Michelle Painter, Deputy Head of Forensics at West Midlands Police commented: 鈥淭his partnership is invaluable to West Midlands Police, the strength and commitment is truly unique and the boundaries are limitless.

鈥淭he application of the use of Micro CT scanning in criminal cases continues to be innovative and ground-breaking and progresses investigations and brings justice for victims.鈥�

The conviction is the latest success in the decade long partnership between Professor Williams, WMG, 糖心TV and West Midlands Police. They recently marked a milestone, with the scanning technology having been used in since 2014.

The full paper on the case can be read .

Read more about WMG鈥檚 Centre for Imaging, Metrology, and Additive Technologies (CIMAT) here: Metrology and 3D Imaging (warwick.ac.uk)Link opens in a new window 

Two Professors at WMG at the University of 糖心TV have been elected as Fellows of the prestigious鈥�.

Professor Claire DavisLink opens in a new window, Head of Advanced Steel Research Centre; and Professor Mark WilliamsLink opens in a new window, Head of the Metrology and Visualisation Research Group, at WMG, have been elected as part of a group of 71 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology.

The group consists of 60 Fellows, six International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, each of whom has made exceptional contributions to their own sector.

Each Fellow has been involved in pioneering new innovations, leading progress in business or academia, providing high level advice to government, or promoting wider understanding of engineering and technology.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 27 November, when each Fellow will sign the roll book.

In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy鈥檚 overarching strategic goal to harness the power of engineering to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all.

Professor Davis said: 鈥淚 am very honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. It is an exciting and dynamic time for the global steel industry and I look forward to working with the Royal Academy in promoting clean technologies for the future.鈥�

Professor Mark Williams said: 鈥淚鈥檓 honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and am extremely grateful to colleagues across the country who have seen fit to elect me.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long way from my time as an apprentice to the Royal Academy. I鈥檇 like to thank my colleagues at 糖心TV who have supported me over my career here and look forward to working with the other Fellows.鈥�

Dr John Lazar鈥疌BE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: 鈥淥ur new Fellows represent some of the most talented people in the world of engineering and are taken from the ranks of those who are aiming to address some of our most critical problems.

鈥淲e are proud to say that many of our newly elected Fellows have come from underrepresented groups in engineering and related sectors and we hope this helps to tackle some of the issues around a lack of diversity within the profession.

鈥淭here is ample evidence that a wider pool of ideas and experiences helps to improve decision-making and develop novel solutions to global challenges.鈥�

See the complete list of Fellows elected here:  

鈥楶ersonalised鈥� hip replacement surgery might be just what the doctor ordered for people with hip arthritis – according to new research. Using advanced technology from other industries such as automotive and manufacturing, researchers are driving medical advancement.

The result is tailored hip replacements, as each person moves their hips in slightly different ways. At the moment, replacements are based on a 鈥榥ormal鈥� hip rather than being specifically designed for the patient.

In the study by WMG at The University of 糖心TV, in collaboration with University Hospitals Coventry and 糖心TVshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and Corin Group, researchers revealed this pioneering approach to hip replacements could improve patient outcomes and surgery success rates.

More than 100,000 people in the UK undergo hip replacements each year, – commonly due to arthritis, a disease of the joints which causes significant pain.

The new study analysed longstanding problems in hip replacement surgery: on the specific range of motion needed in a replacement and how the value of the personalised surgery could be calculated before any operation.

In the study, Lead Researcher Dr Arnab Palit, Assistant Professor at WMG at The University of 糖心TV, and his team combined real-life and computer models to compare simulated and real hip motions.

This demonstrated that certain hip motions can be easily and accurately calculated using state-of-the-art computer simulations based on CT scans of the patient鈥檚 hip joint, closely mirroring real hip motions.

This advancement could enable surgeons to plan hip surgeries based on patient-specific target hip motions, rather than relying on population norms or arbitrary 'normal' values. This personalised approach is particularly valuable for patients who do not fall within these average values, ensuring that pre-surgical planning is truly individualised and likely to be more effective.

Using these tailor-made hip replacements could improve the success of operations, making them 鈥榬ight at the first time鈥�. Surgeons may be able to put the artificial hip in just the right spot based on the pre-operatively calculated personified target hip motion.

This could reduce the chances of any clinical problems later on, minimising the risk of revision surgery. This will also help to improve the recovery time of patients, while also reducing additional costs and labour to the NHS.

Dr Palit said: 鈥淭his research shows a big step forward in hip replacement planning. By using computer simulations based on a patient's hip shape from CT scans, we can predict certain hip movements accurately. During surgery, these predicted movements can guide them to place implants in the best positions for each patient.

鈥淪o, instead of using average measurements, we're customising the surgery to fit each person perfectly, leading better surgery. Further research will be necessary to fully explore its potential to utilise it for NHS patients.鈥�

Professor Richard King, Clinical Orthopaedic Surgeon at UHCW and the clinical lead of the project, commented: 鈥淭he hip replacement has been called 鈥榯he operation of the century鈥�.

鈥淎s surgeons, we are constantly looking to make it better and more reliable. This work we have done with WMG could help us to do exactly this, by showing us how to tailor the operation precisely for each individual patient.鈥�

Dr Christopher Plaskos, Vice President, Global Clinical Innovation at Corin Group added: 鈥淐orin is proud to support this research aimed at predicting the true range of clinical motion of a hip joint from pre-operative CT and hip motion simulation. It鈥檚 research like this that will shape the future of hip planning, leading to truly personalised hip replacement.鈥�

Find out more about WMG鈥檚 scanning capabilities here: Metrology and 3D Imaging (warwick.ac.uk)

WMG at the University of 糖心TV and have used powerful X-ray scanning equipment to uncover the secrets of how the structure of biscuits, which is essential for the perfect 鈥榗runch鈥�, forms.

The discoveries have been released to mark this Wednesday, 29th May. Biscuits are the UK鈥檚 favourite sweet treat, with the average person in the UK eating around .

WMG researchers scanned biscuits in a bespoke oven as they baked, imaging the inside of the biscuit to reveal how the porous structure, essential for the perfect 鈥榗runch鈥�, forms during the baking process.

Associate Professor at WMG鈥檚 Centre for Imaging, Metrology and Additive Technologies, Jay Warnett, said that this was just the beginning for the technology:

鈥淛oining forces with Cadbury, we're cracking the code to the perfect biscuit. Through our X-rays, we're helping uncover the ideal baking time, thickness, and recipe for the ultimate eating experience鈥�.

鈥淏ut our research doesn't stop there; we're diving deeper into the world of biscuits and baked food and hope to continue working with Cadbury for a long time to come鈥�.

Researchers at WMG, who were approached by Cadbury, constructed an oven from scratch inside an X-ray CT scanner – a similar machine to what you might find in a hospital.

Using the latest algorithms, the imaging process was sped up to scan the biscuit every 20 seconds throughout the baking process. When put together, the WMG and Cadbury teams could observe the biscuit baking over time.

Principal Scientist at Cadbury, Thomas Curwen, is excited for the future of biscuit development:

鈥淭he latest algorithms have allowed us to watch and quantify the baking process inside the biscuit in greater detail than ever before. This capability will help us determine the function of different ingredients in more detail and how the structure that forms controls the eating experience. I am excited by what we can learn and how this will help us deliver the great tasting biscuits of the future.鈥�

The research process, which was led by Dr Warnett and Research Fellow Dr Evelien Zwanenburg, has proved the concept possible, and is therefore likely to be the first step before a larger project later this year.

This future work aims to extend the work across other biscuit varieties and baked goods.

A new CT scanning facility has been unveiled at WMG at the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Centre for Imaging, Metrology and Additive Technologies (CiMAT).

The facility was officially opened by Dean of WMG, Professor Robin Clark; and Lady Bhattacharyya, the wife of the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya who founded WMG in 1980.

CT is becoming increasingly important within industry, assisting new manufacturing processes and supporting work on complex products and materials.

Within CiMAT, researchers and engineers use advanced technology, tools and techniques, to deliver impact in a range of sectors including archaeology, healthcare and forensics.

Since first opening in 2021, over 300 projects from 46 different companies have passed through the facility.

An additional 拢1m has now been invested by WMG, the and the National X-ray Computed Tomography () research facility to expand research capabilities and to create a dedicated teaching and learning space for PhD students.

Professor Mark Williams, who heads up the CiMAT at WMG, explains: 鈥� The scanning technologies, such as high-resolution laser scanning and microfocus CT, enable 3D characterisation of internal and external structures. With a total of five different CT systems, the group is capable of supporting a wide range of applications, from small scale to large scale, high resolution to high powered penetration for dense materials.鈥�

High profile work includes forensic partnerships with 30 police forces across the UK whereby the use of cutting-edge 3D imaging tech has been used to view injuries in incredibly high detail providing crucial evidence in over 300 murder cases.

Professor Williams add: 鈥淭he use of CT in a variety of engineering areas is growing rapidly, and we are leading the way in fast scanning technologies. Through iterative reconstruction methods we can bring scan times down from hours/minutes down to minutes/seconds.鈥�

Find out more about CiMAT here: Metrology and 3D Imaging (warwick.ac.uk)

Over 300 murder cases have been solved over the last decade using cutting edge 3D imaging technology from WMG at the University of 糖心TV.

The technology, which can produce images with resolutions 1000 times more detailed than a hospital CT scan, has been used in murder cases by 30 police forces across the UK to view injuries in incredibly high detail.

This has helped to convict the guilty, as well as prove innocence. The technology is so advanced that it can show the difference between a wound inflicted with force, versus the typical profile of one delivered by natural causes. Cases have included strangulation, stabbing, blunt force trauma and bone fractures.

The technology was first used in 2014 when West Midlands Police approached WMG鈥檚 Professor Mark Williams. They asked him to help with their investigation into the grisly Birmingham canal murder, where a body was discovered in a suitcase in a Birmingham canal.

Professor Williams comments: 鈥淲e were able to help the Police by examining a charred piece of evidence thought to contain human bone.

鈥淲e discovered that it was a perfect jigsaw fit to another piece of bone in the suitcase, and, using the very high-resolution scanning technology, we were able to show the tool marks on both pieces in micro scale (one 50th of a millimetre).

鈥淭hese matched the characteristics expected for the type of saw the offender had disposed of, alongside the victim.鈥�

This microscopic level of detail led to the conviction of murderer Lorenzo Simon, who was jailed for 19 years.

This marked the start of a productive research partnership for WMG with West Midlands Police, who have now used the technology in dozens of murder cases. Now, 30 police forces in the country have used the cutting-edge technology.

The technology has also been used in other high-profile cases, including to rule out foul play. In one case where a 64-year-old had fallen, 3D model printing of the skull of the deceased showed exact matches with the geometry of the doorhandle, suggesting a fall. This resulted in the cause of death being ruled as accidental.

The high-resolution scans were also used to help convict Tipton murderers Nathan Maynard-Ellis and David Leesley, who dismembered their victim. The scans helped prove the deliberate nature of their behaviour after their crime, including the direction and variation of their cuts. Both were convicted and will serve a life sentence.

Read more about WMG鈥檚 Metrology and 3D Imaging research here: Metrology and 3D Imaging (warwick.ac.uk)

The University of 糖心TV is collaborating with to analyse Roman artefacts in a history project which could change the face of museums for the 21st century.

糖心TV is working with historians at Ca鈥� Foscari to scan and analyse artefacts from ancient Roman and pre-Roman Venice, including in 3D and VR forms.

Researchers hope that these artefacts, scanned into 3D and virtual reality (VR), could revolutionise how people experience historical items, including in museums.

Rather than studying items in glass cases, artefacts could instead be scanned and produced using 3D printing or VR technology so visitors can hold and experience history in a whole new way.

This is especially vital when the items themselves are fragile or extremely old, meaning the originals can鈥檛 be held or examined by the public.

The collaboration between 糖心TV and Ca鈥� Foscari is focused on over 30 items related to religion from the Roman settlement of Altinum – the ancestor of the city of Venice.

Altinum is larger than Pompeii but remains mostly unexcavated, with researchers suggesting a trove of artefacts may be there waiting to be discovered.

The items themselves are from the Roman period and before, including from the Venetii natives who were assimilated into the Roman Empire over centuries.

The artefacts are being analysed by historians at Ca鈥� Foscari, with engineers at 糖心TV using cutting edge imaging technology to scan the items in incredibly high definition.

This helps historians read writing from the period and is especially vital when some artefacts have been damaged or are fragmented.

Academics at 糖心TV and Ca鈥� Foscari presented their findings at a conference in Venice on Friday (24th November), highlighting the potential of the combined arts knowledge of Ca 鈥楩oscari and the technology of WMG.

Professor Mark Williams, Head of the Centre for Imaging, Metrology and Additive Technology (CiMAT) at WMG commented: 鈥淭his is an excellent example of universities working together, including across the arts and sciences. This scanning technology has truly exciting possibilities, including for the future of historical learning and we were delighted to be able to assist our Venetian colleagues in bringing a small section of their history to life鈥�.

Associate Professor Lorenzo Calvelli, a historian at Ca鈥� Foscari University, said: 鈥淭hese artefacts represent the very beginnings of Venice from over two millennia ago, and we are very pleased to be able to bring this history to a wider audience, both here in Italy and in the UK.

鈥淚t has been excellent to meet and collaborate with colleagues from 糖心TV, and I am very excited about our future plans to dive deeper into the treasure trove of artefacts that is waiting for us in Altinum鈥�.

Altinum developed over the course of the Roman Empire into a booming trading hub, particularly know for valuable amber and horses which were prized across Europe. Eventually, refugees from Altinum are believed to have contributed to the founding of Venice in the wake of the fall of the Roman Empire.

Professor Rachel Moseley, Chair of the Faculty of Arts at 糖心TV, commented: 鈥淭his is an excellent example of science and the arts working together to create exciting new possibilities.

鈥淓very day, we see scientific advances allowing us to delve deeper into history in a way which recently we would have thought was impossible. Equally, the arts give science that grounding and philosophy to make these advances tangible to the public.

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that our new base of 糖心TV Venice Centre has brought all these excellent researchers together and is already encouraging collaboration in a hugely positive way.鈥�