
Impact

Custom sensor development
Off-the-shelf sensors span a huge range of functions and price points, but circumstances often demand a new type of measurement or manufacturing approach.
Our custom sensor development covers everything from high-reliability sensing for ultra-harsh environments to low-cost, low-power consumer devices.

Diverse technologies
With a broad range of expertise and an impartial, technology agnostic approach, we work across the whole spectrum of sensing, selecting the optimum solution for the challenge at hand. Our work in the sensing space includes physical modelling (computational flow dynamics and finite element), analysis for new sensing principles and developing innovative machine vision and machine learning systems for robotics, agriculture and industry.

High-performance, low-cost sensors
The availability of cheap yet powerful microcontrollers and GPUs has enabled much more value to be derived from commodity parts such as CMOS cameras, accelerometers and magnetic sensors.
Through value engineering of established designs, and by using novel DSP algorithms to extract more data, we are able to deliver huge leaps forward in performance while reducing costs.
Experience

Classical to cutting-edge
Our sensing experience spans classical physics and electronics through to the latest deep learning techniques. This is underpinned by a keen understanding of the physical and commercial fundamentals that make finished products competitive and efficient.
Our sensing expertise is spread across our Boston, MA and Cambridge, UK offices. While our Boston team has particularly strong mechatronic skills, our Cambridge team leads the way in algorithms and large system integration.
Interested in joining us?
Tech, tools & facilities

Chemistry labs
Our chemistry labs provide dedicated facilities for industrial, consumer, food chemistry and fluidics research and development. Our microfluidics lab features specialist equipment including our Plant Design Management System (PDMS), Spraytec laser diffraction droplet size analyser and Matersizer particle size analyser. Meanwhile, our beverage lab and wet and dry labs cater for the unique requirements of rapid food-safe prototype development.

Food & beverage lab
Specifically set up to meet the unique requirements of developing food- and beverage-safe systems, our dedicated lab means we have the necessary procedures and equipment in place to design and test new products in-house. Quantitative and scientific testing is fundamental to our science-led innovation approach, but ultimately taste tests are always needed. This is our only lab where the consumption of food and drink is not just allowed but essential!

Electronic production
Our flexible, responsive and agile manufacturing facilities are ideally suited to electronic and electromechanical product builds, enabling us to very quickly set up short product runs built to an extremely high quality. We can build our own PCBAs using industrial representative equipment and ensure manufacture-ability during design. Having our own EPD facility is also extremely helpful in development, driving out DfX activities in eCAD, and feeding test results back into the design process from an early stage.

Optics labs
Our suite optics labs enable us to build complex and high-precision optical layouts, typically for testing prototype designs and novel techniques prior to deployment. Featuring six high-spec optical benches with configurable interlocked controlled areas for high-power (class 4) laser work and specialist facilities for interferometry, spectroscopy, low-noise fluorescence imaging and photon counting. This space can be split into separate laser-controlled areas, allowing multiple experiments to run simultaneously, giving our optical engineers the capability to develop creative solutions without instrumentation restrictions.

Prototyping workshops
Our electronic and mechanical prototyping workshops allow us to produce technically credible prototypes that bring ideas to life and offer a powerful demonstration of their value. All while maintaining extremely high standards of quality that conform to ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 14001 regulations. Using the latest CNC and milling machines, lathes, welding gear and wire harness and cable assembly tools, we are able to produce parts very quickly and assemble full-scale working prototypes for testing and consumer trials.

Software tools
We use a range of specialist software for model-based design and simulation. These include MathWorks Matlab and Simulink (including automated code generation and GPU acceleration), dSPACE for model based design, hardware in the loop testing and development of mechatronic systems, and CFD solutions including COMSOL Multiphysics for multiphase flow simulation. Finite element packages like ANSYS Maxwell and HFSS, CST Studio and Microwave Office are used for full-wave, transmission line and magnetostatic simulation. We also employ a dedicated compute cluster for machine learning, neural network training and continuous verification.
Case studies


Axsis medical robotic concept
AXSIS demonstrates the possibilities of intelligent robotic design – robots that are dramatically smaller yet significantly more capable than existing surgical equipment.

Pietro Fiorentini subsea sensor
Developing a high-performance, zero-maintenance subsea water cut sensor

News & insights

Virtual Vegas round up - 2021 CES trends
What happens in Vegas famously stays in Vegas – except for this year of course as we stayed home and kicked off 2021 with the very first digital-only CES show. Personally, I missed the fountains and cocktails, if not the sore feet and endless lines. Take a look at what we found out and what we think will stick!
- AI & Analytics
- Connectivity & IoT
- Digital services
- Robotics
- Sensing

Our core technology is at the heart of the world’s first FDA-approved fully at-home COVID-19 test
The rapid, at home COVID-19 antigen test from digital diagnostics company Ellume features core technology from Cambridge Consultants. Read how this FDA approved test is set to be a game-changer in the global pandemic.
- Bioinnovation
- Digital health
- Fluids & thermodynamics
- Sensing

EnfuseNet: Rewriting the economics of vehicle autonomy
Cambridge Consultants developed EnfuseNet, a breakthrough Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for autonomous vehicles. A low-cost system that generates high-resolution depth data for vehicle perception technology.

Breakthrough unlocks progress in brain-on-a-chip technology
Massively accelerated image processing supports development of novel treatments for neurological conditions
Events

SLAS 2021
The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) conference is the premier conference and industry exhibition dedicated to uniting a global community focused on advancing scientific discovery and technology. The three-day conference and exhibition consists of a program of virtual presentations with live Q&A sessions and an engaging gallery of E-posters.

Controlled Environment Agriculture
The 2021 CEA conference draws on speakers from across the agri-tech ecosystem, providing an opportunity to review progress, look at the recent developments and gain informed glimpses of the future.

Idea to reality: What does it take to develop and deploy a solution to the agri sector?
Join us at this exciting panel discussion to reveal what it takes to cross the ‘valley of death’ and turn concepts into successful agri sector products. Using real examples from our panellists’ experience, we will discuss how interesting ideas have sparked commercially viable products with massive potential to meet the key challenges of end users.

World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2021
Join us live online on March 9-10 for 1-1 meetings, interactive group discussions and critical intelligence on the future of the agri-food system.
We can help you achieve the impossible