We are an SME with ambitious plans supported by ongoing R&D in our software which helps facilities and asset managers responsible for maintaining built environment assets. We wanted to extend our R&D capability by collaborating with a university and maybe you’re an SME wondering if this might help your company – well here’s our experience so far.

 

Key R&D collaboration requirements

  • Undertake R&D while not compromising existing software development.
  • Connect to academics to take advantage of the expertise, experience and different perspectives they offer.
  • Provide an opportunity for a student to gain some useful work experience.
  • Deliver meaningful results to our business.

We initially considered Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme. However, this is suited to projects of 12 months or more and for our first foray into working with a university a shorter timescale was more appropriate. In addition this R&D project only required a period of about 3 months although it might then be extended.

Scoping R&D for facilities management

We approached the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol who explained the potential to work with a paid intern; supervised by the faculty, over a 3 month period. This was ideal from our perspective.

We jointly scoped an R&D project to investigate mobile localisation and visualisation techniques that could help, for example, facilities and school business managers, bursars and site teams responsible for looking after assets and buildings.

Harry Whiskard, an engineering student, expressed interest in the work and joined the project. Harry, supported by the Faculty, undertook proof-of-concept R&D into the use of:

  • Tango™ from Google
  • Photospheres
  • Image recognition.

 

He then tested the outcomes at a school thanks to the support of Alan Neale, School Business Manager, at Churchill Academy and Sixth Form in North Somerset.

The result

Harry’s work was extremely valuable in helping to scope what was possible and in identifying the practical limitations of some of the technology.

 

Churchill academy R&D collaboration

Prototype showing a floor plan linked to a photosphere of the gym at Churchill Academy accessible through a smartphone. Two simple markers have been augmented onto the real world view – note the use of perspective to indicate where the markers are in relation to the viewer.

These outcomes have influenced the scope of a new R&D project which is due to start soon and which will see us working with the University of Bristol on a longer project.

As well as the direct outcomes from the R&D project there were other indirect benefits. Working with a university provides an opportunity to step outside the purely commercial world for a while and having open conversations at the university keeps us fresh and receptive to new ideas.

It was also good to offer a student the opportunity to develop their skills and to gain some practical experience which will hopefully help in the future. In Harry’s own words:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Altuity, it was a very rewarding experience. This project provided me with the opportunity to learn new skills such as software development which otherwise I would not have been able to experience in my degree. It also provided me with insight into the importance of research and how ideas can be developed in the commercial world.”

No matter what the size of your company if you need some assistance and access to wider knowledge then why not contact a university?

Explore what might be possible in terms of working together. There’s plenty of enthusiasm within universities to do this and properly managed it’ll be the classic ‘win-win’.

One final thought – if you do employ an intern do the right thing and pay them!

We’ll be posting an update shortly on the follow up R&D project Harry’s work helped set the scene for…

(Project Tango is a registered trademark of Google Inc.)

Learn about Altuity’s work on AltoSites, our above-ground facilities management software, and AltoSUE, for buried assets.

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