Michaelmas 2025
Using citizen social science to increase the representation of “less
Innovator : Dr Kelly Fagan Robinson, Social Anthropology & ABC Website: Anthropology by Children (ABC) Dr. Robinson is developing and trialling a methodological programme aimed at improving individual decision-making in a range of contexts including local government, families, medical care and education. The goal of the “Anthropology by Communities” and “Anthropology by Children” approach is to…
Using VR to increase confidence in English as a foreign
Inventors: Arina Zinoveva, Viktorija Koluzajeva & Dr Maria Cristina Cioffi The inventors are aiming to address the challenges faced by temporary and permanent residents in the UK who speak English as a foreign language. These range from language anxiety and fear of negative judgement to avoidance of social situations. Such challenges not only affect the day-to-day…
Crisis simulation to improve planning and preparedness for companies, NGOs
Innovators: Professor Brendan Simms & Adam Wurr, Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics, Strategic Simulation Programme & Isabelle Macrae Upcoming event: Simulated Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) crisis meeting as part of the Cambridge Alumni Festival For the past decade, the research team have been running effective and highly immersive experiences modelling crisis responses to global geopolitical events…
Investigating the market for a new device to assess battery
Inventors : Professor Michael de Volder & Heng Wang, Institute for Manufacturing Battery materials expand when charged and contract when discharged, which can affect the battery performance, its functional lifetime and its safety, as well as mechanical issues such as how the individual battery cells fit together. Building on years of systematic experimentation, the inventors…
Using wearable electronics to monitor and identify cardiac conditions in
Inventor : Ruben Ruiz-Mateos Serrano, Electrical Engineering & Polytecks Polytecks is a newly-formed spin-out from the University of Cambridge, which participated in the Maxwell Centre’s impulse programme in 2025. Based on work from the founder’s PhD research, Polytecks is focused on improving the measurements used to diagnose and monitor cardiac conditions by both doctors and…
Assessing the quality and safety of metal components by using
Inventor : Dr Matteo Seita, Granta Design Assistant Professor in Engineering & XtaLight The performance of metal parts depends on the material’s microscopic structure, which thus must be assessed routinely for quality control of engineering components. Existing characterisation techniques are either slow, quantitative and expensive, or qualitative and fast. The inventor has developed a new…