Smart infrastructure

Industry is increasingly embracing the journey from automation to autonomy. Sectors are at different stages of maturity. They range from logistics and warehousing – which are mature in automation and looking to extend into full autonomy – to smart cities and construction, which for several reasons has particularly struggled to embrace the benefits up to this point.

We are ready to help you seize the day by accelerating the adoption of smart infrastructure technologies. The CC team offers multidisciplinary capabilities and expertise across sensor and data fusion, robotics, simulated environments, AI, technical strategy and business model innovation. 

The power of IoT and increasing penetration of 5G networks – public and private - means that the cost of data acquisition – both financial and operational – is falling. But gathering data is one thing. Sorting and prioritising it is the key to developing the necessary insight that leads to the ability to react in a timely way to any given situation. The CC team has deep expertise in understanding and augmenting sensor systems, fusing sources to reduce cost, improve quality and reduce latency in data gathering.​ 

Alongside data acquisition, our skills in processing information through algorithms or edge AI can improve reaction speed, reduce data transfer volumes to overcome connectivity or latency challenges and provide robust offline solutions to enhance productivity, safety and even enable alternative approaches to business. ​ 

The ability to simulate environments and use cases with sufficient equivalence to real world situations is enormously powerful. Simulation can significantly reduce the cost and time of developing autonomous capabilities for smart infrastructure. It hastens the understanding of the critical parameters of a system and allows edge cases to be investigated.    

We have a track record in developing cutting edge simulation capabilities and applying these to a range of different applications and market sectors. We use our skills to rapidly develop and test sensors and algorithms and explore rare or hazardous use cases within the simulated environment, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming real-world tests and trials and adding the potential for predictive capability to digital twins.

Dynamic working environments such as construction sites create significant challenges for autonomous vehicles. Currently, autonomous vehicles making slow progress and freeze regularly. This is less than ideal for a seamless working process.

We’ve developed novel approaches to navigation by pairing sophisticated algorithms, trained with data from both real life and simulated environments, with cost effective sensor and data fusion techniques. This creates a more dynamic capability, able to adapt and navigate in a more intuitive way which not only improves performance but also helps workers or other vehicles interact and function alongside each other. 

In the world of smart infrastructure, assets are often widely accessible and in-situ for long periods. This means solutions must have a future-proof digital security approach. In some long-term deployment cases, inevitable impact of quantum computing must be considered. Holistic thinking – where the entire ecosystem and potential use cases are understood – is vital to ensure that all areas are considered and protected​. 

We have a deep expertise in developing secure systems, engaging early in the design process to deliver the assurance and governance needed. We’ll work with you through the process of balancing cost, security and ease-of use. ​Our intention is to make security a differentiator for businesses while achieving better security and increased confidence in it.  

The route of an automation journey is often initially unclear. Significant advantages are often expected but with so many different starting points, working out the best first step requires careful consideration. Our strategic advice will help you match your business needs with the right technical solutions for your industry sector. 

Leveraging our in-house technical delivery expertise, we’ll create a strong vision of the future that is backed by sound technical knowledge of the art of the possible. This will enable buy-in at all stakeholder levels, enabling a strategic approach to the impact of adopting the technology, be it in business model changes or go-to-market strategy. It will also inform a technical roadmap for the short and medium term that will deliver return on investment against your goals. ​