Aerospace
Ambitious organisations are looking to the skies to unlock new business value. Those who seize the opportunity of technology innovation will lead the race to this new commercial horizon.
At the same time, new operations, markets and revenues will go to innovators of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) that can perform sophisticated new tasks and take advantage of this new world of communications.
What we do
Standards-based NTNs
Historically, commercial satellite systems have been based on proprietary designs and protocols – with high development and maintenance costs.
We help satellite and HAP ecosystems move to standards-based NTN communications systems, defining the architecture and developing the technology that utilises commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for the core system and enabling innovation at the application layer.
This is supported by our deep expertise across cellular and satellite communications, covering ‘traditional’ satellite systems and ‘direct-to-device’ markets, including:
- Systems engineering and test (including simulation of both ground and space segments)
- Air interface and physical layer development
- RF and antenna design
- Electronics including SWAP-C optimised devices and platforms
- Embedded software for high availability systems
- Digital services to optimise operational performance
- Data analytics and AI
- ASIC design and test
Optimising network performance
We apply deep expertise and experience in monitoring and optimising cellular and satellite networks. This includes:
- Phased array antenna design
- Network telemetry data, analytics and AI
- Digital service design and user experience
- Cloud-based digital platform development
Scaling UAS services
We help UAS service providers develop strategies, technologies and digital platforms that scale UAS services. This includes deep expertise within key associated areas, including:
- Understanding UAS users, regulators and technology
- Diverse communications, including 5G private networks for urban environments and satcoms for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS)
- AI, autonomy and human factors
- Systems engineering for large systems
- Devices and sensors e.g., radar (including SWAP optimisation)
- Digital services, service strategy and development
- Positioning techniques e.g., 5G, GNSS
UAS ecosystem development
The complex UAS ecosystem requires close alignment to realise its vast potential. Our big-picture thinking supports all parts of the UAS ecosystem, including counter-drone applications. By understanding future market developments, we can steer ambitious new technologies and services. We can help:
- Air traffic management (ATM) providers understand the future developments for drones and new airspace users
- Uncrewed aircraft system traffic management (UTM) companies with automation and the development of digital services and systems
- Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with sensor development for monitoring airspace, including radar
Featured insights
Our expertise
CC has a deep understanding of AI and its applications, including Bayesian inference, real-time signal processing and data analysis combined with extensive technical skills in areas such as predictive analytics, deep learning, edge AI and empathetic AI.
We are pushing the boundaries of the human-machine interface to develop edge AI use cases, generative AI models, new supervised machine learning models and types of data analytics.
Our work is unlocking new frontiers in areas such as uncrewed aerial vehicles, synthetic biology, remote monitoring systems, telecoms and beyond.
Digital security can become a business differentiator by using the latest technology to create customer trust and loyalty in your product and connected services.
Our expertise has been applied widely: to create wearables enabling new customer experiences; to empower new vehicle fleet management business models; and to allow pharmaceutical products to be authenticated in front of the consumer, so gaining their trust.
We solve the security challenges that are critical to ensure the continual and safe operation of your businesses. The advice we give is based upon a 20-year heritage of understanding precisely what security technology can achieve. This ensures that the right investment decisions are made to reduce security risk.
If you want to transform your physical product business through digital, or you’re an existing service provider looking to deliver a radical experience to accelerate growth in a new market, we can help.
From platform selection to building the technology and integrating it with existing processes and systems, we know what it takes to develop successful digital platforms that span the physical and digital worlds.
We have expertise in digital security, AI, UX and full-service development including the go-to-market strategy, launch plan and ongoing scaling and operations.
With expertise in radio frequency (RF) engineering and electromagnetic capability (EMC) we develop high-performing radio systems such as simultaneous cellular (3G/4G), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth operation.
Our experience covers virtually every aspect of radio and communications development, from fundamental research through to new product introduction for large volume manufacture.
We partition functionality and performance to the part of the system where it is most cost effectively delivered, such as the antenna system, the radio electronics, ASIC or digital signal processing (DSP) software.
We provide complete antenna simulation, design and testing in high-performance electromagnetic chambers to ensure that these considerations are part of the development process from the outset. We have specific expertise in the interaction between electromagnetic waves and human tissue, making us uniquely able to accurately predict the impact of the human body on real-world antenna performance.
Markets and technologies evolve rapidly and unpredictably. Very few companies can afford to develop all relevant technologies, so tough choices need to be made. We help identify opportunities to ‘build, borrow or buy’ new technologies in anticipation of market requirements.
The expertise we employ as technology strategy consultants has been in existence at Cambridge Consultants for decades. Because our consultants are engineers and scientists with deep technical insight, they can identify golden opportunities and recommend an innovation portfolio or technology roadmap.
We ensure that not only is the technology is understood but that the business model, market offerings and operations are all set up for success.
Our work
Our facilities
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O-RAN test bedThe Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) testbed is a complete 5G private network, from internet to user equipment. The cloud-based network implements a disaggregated radio access network (RAN), using an O-RAN architecture, integrated with a 5G core. Through the network, we can simulate performance of virtual or physical network technologies, providing a deep understanding of the complex interactions with O-RAN networks and helping our clients develop high performance solutions. |
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Anechoic test chamberOur custom anechoic radio and antenna test chamber is a highly sophisticated 5m cube. Inside, we carry out automated 3D measurements and visualisation of wireless device behaviour and test body-worn technology using body phantoms or real live test subjects to optimise real-word RF performance of products such as smart implants (including implanted telemetry), connected drug delivery devices and wearables. Our anechoic test chamber is available as a standalone service for industry and academic research. Explore the facility and find out how you can access this state-of-the-art service. |
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AI infrastructureCC’s comprehensive onsite compute infrastructure allows us to explore options and train and test models more rapidly to get better results. We run petaflop-scale, containerised compute on site, with multiple NVIDIA DGX-1 deep learning supercomputers and other GPU and FPGA-accelerated servers. This links to petabyte-scale local NetApp storage, project-specific cloud and our continuous integration systems. |
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EMC test chamberOur fully-shielded ETS-Lindgren anechoic test chamber is suitable for a wide range of EMC and RF testing, which is essential for new devices. It allows us to test for unwanted radiation and susceptibility to interference at an early stage with the results fed directly into product design, rather than later on when changes will be expensive to implement. |
Our experts
Stewart Marsh
Head of Aerospace
Kiran Ikram
Senior AI Engineer
Vicky Larmour
Head of Engineering
Martin Cookson
Director for Digital Service Innovation
Geoff Osier
Engineering Department Manager
