Imperial celebrates five new Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows

Imperial engineers acknowledged for their exceptional contribution to engineering <em>– News</em>

Wednesday 14 July 2010
By Colin Smith

Imperial researchers who are developing medical robots, improving combustion engines, refining mining technologies and creating computer models to advance manufacturing and agriculture have been recognised for their exceptional contribution to engineering.

Last week, the Royal Academy of Engineering announced 53 new Fellows, celebrating the diversity and pervasiveness of 21st Century engineering in the UK. Five of the Fellows come from Imperial: Professor Jan Cilliers, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Professor Stephen Muggleton, from the Department of Computing, Professor Constantinos Pantelides, from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Professor Alexander Taylor, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Computing.

In addition, Mike Cook, Adjunct Professor in Creative Design in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was also recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Professor Stephen Richardson, Principal of the Faculty of Engineering, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see so many Imperial researchers elected as Fellows by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This year’s cohort demonstrates the essential role that engineering plays in tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. Our new Fellows are also playing a valuable role in contributing to the economy, developing the industries of tomorrow that will drive growth in the UK. On behalf of the entire College, I congratulate our newly elected Fellows. Our academics are the backbone of Imperial and we always take great pride in their achievements.”

Making mining more efficient
Newly elected Fellow Professor Jan Cilliers is cited for his work in froth flotation technology, which uses bubbles to separate valuable minerals from mined rock. Professor Cilliers established the £6 million Rio Tinto Centre for Advanced Mineral Recovery at Imperial to develop innovative mining technologies and techniques for improving the way minerals are extracted. Professor Cilliers is developing new froth measurement techniques, models and equipment to separate minerals from rock more efficiently.

Professor Cilliers said: "Being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering for my work in froths is very exciting and I am very proud that it has been considered worthy of this great honour".

Improving agriculture using advanced computer models
Professor Stephen Muggleton has been elected a Fellow for his contribution to the field of Inductive Logic Programming (ILP), which is based on research carried out by Professor Muggleton in 1991. The programming technique has since been applied widely in biology and medicine. Since then, Professor Muggleton has worked widely with industry, recently establishing a £1.7 million innovation centre at the College with the agricultural company Syngenta Ltd. The new Centre aims to develop new techniques in crop and insecticide modelling.

Professor Stephen Muggleton says: “I feel very privileged to have been elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering and am delighted by the news. It provides recognition of the importance of fundamental computer science, including my own area of machine learning, within engineering. I am proud that we have such a strong and world-leading tradition of engineers within the UK.”

Improving manufacturing processes
A third fellow, is an Imperial engineer who helped to establish one the first ever Imperial spin-out companies, Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), has also been distinguished as a new Fellow by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Costas Pantelides and his team at PSE are credited with inventing computer modelling tools called gPROMS® that are being used by companies such as BASF, ExxonMobil and Procter & Gamble to streamline their industrial processes, making them more efficient, cost effective and profitable.

Major corporations also use gPROMS® technology to help them design a range of complex products. One example is Toyota’s work on advanced fuel cells for the next generation of electric vehicles. Researchers are using gPROMS® mathematical models and advanced computational techniques to manage the risk associated with manufacturing, enabling Toyota to minimise production costs while maximising the performance and lifetime of the fuel cells they are developing.

Professor Pantelides says: “For me, this award recognises Imperial’s pioneering contribution in establishing the theoretical basis for a model-based engineering infrastructure for the process industries. It is also an expression of appreciation for PSE’s role in bringing what is rather complex technology to daily industrial practice worldwide.”

Improving combustion engines
New Fellow, Professor Alex Taylor is recognised for his work on improving combustion engines. In particular, Professor Taylor has developed a technique using laser beams and computer programs that enables him to model the processes inside combustion engines. This provides new insights for companies including Honda, UniLever, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Shell and PowerGen, enabling them to improve the fuel efficiency of engines and reduce their im pact on the environment.

Developing imaging, sensing and robots to improve surgery
Professor Yang, who is director of the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, is elected for his pioneering work in imaging, sensing and robotics for healthcare. Among his many achievements, Professor Yang and his colleagues are credited with developing a new surgical device called the i-Snake, which is a flexible surgical tool that can be used by surgeons to carry out minimally invasive surgery. The i-Snake improves safety and enhances the precision and dexterity of surgeons during procedures, enabling them to operate on parts of the body that are inaccessible using conventional techniques.

Professor Yang says: "It is a great honour to be elected a new Fellow. I’d also like to thank my hard working team. Together, we are working on developing a range of new medical te chnologies that will directly benefit patients in the future.”