Unique, yet simple, accurate and effective sensors called 'Intelligent-Things' no bigger than a credit card can predict the structural health of equipment, infrastructures and assets. Our sensors predict when fatigue or breakage will occur, the current structural health and exactly when maintenance is required. This sensor can reduce at least 30% from an organisations annual maintenance costs.

Liberally deployed, the sensors are fixed using an epoxy resin. Each sensor is made from the same material its monitoring & will mimic the life of the asset.

Sensors have small fingers, they are calibrated to break at set percentage increments, between 5% 30% 50% 70% & 90% (in many cases fatigue occurs well before they can be seen through routine inspection) The sensors deliberately break when a change occurs, the data is stored on a chip and transmitted wirelessly and securely alerting engineers.

The data made available enables multiple stakeholders to make accurate decisions to intervene, order/replace, repair or investigate further. This immediately eliminates the need for costly regular inspection and replacement, where, in many cases there is no need, saving considerable sums for organisations and directing maintenance and repair to where it's actually required to be spent.

The uniqueness of the sensors mean that once deployed they can be left and any intervention will be as a result of sensor fingers breaking indicating a change has occurred and when or if the asset requires further intervention, typically once its exceeded 70% fatigue.

The sensors can also be calibrated to be 'extra sensitive'. This is critical where assets have been deployed for many years, yet difficult to distinguish how long the life of the asset remains. Retrofitting the sensors across many assets means that deployment can be easy and effective for organisations.

Finally the vast array where the sensors can be used is considerable. With active enquiries across many sectors including:

**Transport:** Railways, Vehicles - Gears/Brakes/Hydraulics.

**Energy Sector**: Pylons/Wind Turbines, Oil Pipelines.

**Infrastructure & Build Environment:** Construction, Buildings, Bridges, Scaffolding. New Homes.

**Facilities:** Elevators and Escalators, Retail Store Facades.

This is just the start with advanced plans for nano-sensors especially for 'Industry 4.0' and we are investigating the medical sector for nano sensors for fatigue in joint replacements for humans.

Further Funding:

We are seeking extended funding as it will greatly assist with the next and crucial tranche to test the ‘PipeSense’ sensors in a laboratory environment.

We are aiming to carry out the following:
• We need to produce several test pipes. (The first model we produced is shown in the exploitation plan)
• The actual quantity we envisage to be between 5 and maximum 10.
• The test PipeSense sensors need to perform under stringent conditions.
• These test sensors are to be made from copper & latterly (not in this extension) we shall replicate in plastic and steel for further domestic and commercial sectors.
• However, the largest sector is copper, and this gives the base to build on.
• We need to have a small variety.
• The sensors are to be tested for example ‘freezing’ so the main body deliberately cracks. We have discussed with Strathclyde University the alternatives and their laboratory provide the securest environment to in effect ‘blow up’ the sensors to mimic pressured environments. It’s this section where we may require the extra 2-3 sensors to be made for testing purposes.
• Whilst we have the number of test units Strathclyde can work with our team to then confirm how the whole sensor behaves when released for commercialisation.
• The sensor ‘needs’ to be certified. CE rating or the new UKCA rating. To have this is crucial & we will be working with the key academic partners at Strathclyde on how we can achieve this part.

To be tested under lab conditions and to receive the lab results will enable the whole PipeSense technology to be fully proven and therefore proving the uniqueness of this ground-breaking sensor technology.
As mentioned above, we need as a base the product to be licensed/certified. This is a paramount requirement and in our first project phase we connected with Strathclyde to verify this. We aim in this segment of funding (again separate to this extension) to pursue what else we need to do to verify and have a market ready verified product.
We have got ‘so far’ but we are not there yet. The ability to do this from Innovate UK has been tremendous, we are buoyed by the support and assistance this has given us in addition to several UK potential deployment sites.
There are many Local Authorities presently tendering for estate works to solve problems with maintenance of domestic properties and the waste pipes for cracking, costing millions across the country. We can become part of their solution map, we need to be front of house to do this and going armed with certification and test results will give confidence to prospective buyers our sensors will be crucial to their needs.
We started from an idea, we developed this as we grew in experience and within our team, we are totally committed, we have something simple and unique and the next tranche of work will enable further proof points.
The last element is the limited ability via this extension to turn further towards productization and partner deployment channels to build prior to full commercialisation.
To establish a strong partner channel, we must establish the right sectors to perform in. We commenced the whole idea of predictive and preventative maintenance of critical assets and structures, this is now a given, however, the opportunity to expedite the market with PipeSense gives us a unique differentiator.
These elements are all progressing. The partners will listen greatly once proven, tested and certified and the above shall put us firmly into this area ready to capture the next element and the negotiations with partners and end users for full scale deployment.