Abstract: Modular armour is provided. The armour comprises a series of regularly-shaped armour elements and corresponding anchor elements releasably to anchor the armour elements to a platform. Each anchor element comprises an armour engaging section extending between first and second ends thereof, the first end being engageable with an armour mount on the platform and the second end including means releasably to secure the armour element, while engaged with the anchor element, to the platform. The platform may be fixed or mobile and includes land, water-born and air vehicles.

Abstract: A method of localising portable apparatus (200) obtains: a stored experience data set comprising a set of connected nodes; captured location representation data provided by at least one sensor associated with the portable apparatus, and a current pose estimate of the portable apparatus within the environment. The pose estimate is used to select a candidate set of the nodes that contain a potential match for the captured location representation data. The pose estimate is used to obtain a set of paths from path memory data, each said path comprising a set of said nodes previously traversed in the environment under similar environmental/visual conditions. The set of paths is used to refine the candidate set. The captured location representation data and the refined candidate set of nodes is compared in order to identify a current pose of the portable apparatus within the environment.

Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a component including a supercapacitor and a method of producing same. The component comprises a first (12) and second (14) electrode and a separator structure (16) which separates the two electrodes and contains a liquid or gel electrolyte. The first and second electrode structures are each formed from a composite material (10) which includes electrically conductive fibers and electrochemically active material in a binder matrix and the supercapacitor is formed to be structurally inseparable from the rest of the component. Further, the component forms a structural capacitor. The obtained structural capacitor could be used in aircraft structure to save weight.

Abstract: In an arrangement for transmitting power or data through a solid rigid substrate without penetrating the substrate, acoustic transducer components are mounted on the substrate by means of strain isolator elements which are welded or otherwise bonded to the substrate and providing an attachment surface to which the attachment interface of the acoustic transducer may be attached. The strain isolator element is of the same or similar acoustic impedance as the rigid substrate and may indeed be formed of the same material. Various geometries of strain isolator are disclosed, including a plain spacer block, and one comprising a stalk attached to the solid rigid substrate and topped by a disc in a ‘mushroom’ configuration.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for facilitating communication with a software component (102A) that uses a middleware component (106A) includes receiving (304) data representing an information model (206) of a middleware component, and using the information model data to automatically generate (306, 308) code for a middleware bridge component (108) that, in use, facilitates communication between the software component (102A) that uses the middleware component (106A) and a second software component (102B) that uses a second middleware component (106B).

Abstract: The invention relates to improved structural health monitoring, particularly to structural health monitoring of fiber reinforced polymer composites, more particularly at bonded joints and methods thereof. There is provided a method of structural health monitoring a composite structure (12), wherein said structure (12) comprises at least one non-reinforcing thermal element (18), such as electrically conductive fibers, comprising the steps of applying a stimulus to cause heating of said thermal element (18), removing the stimulus, and measuring the electrical resistance of said element (18) as a function of time, to provide a thermal decay profile (41, 42) indicating whether damage has occurred in the composite structure (12).

Abstract: A display apparatus (1) for use in displaying an image to a viewer, comprising a transparent optical waveguide display unit (2) arranged for receiving image-bearing light (4) into the optical waveguide display unit, for guiding the received light therealong to an output area (24) thereof, and for outputting from the output area the image-bearing light (6) collimated to present a viewable image. A light-emitting display screen (3) arranged adjacent to and behind the output area of the optical waveguide display unit is visible therethrough behind the output area (24). This combines the light from the light-emitting display screen (e.g. imagery) with the viewable image (6).

Abstract: This invention relates to the formation of standby structural composite electrical energy storage devices, and a method of producing same. The device may be a standby battery or supercapacitor with first and second electrodes which are separated by a separator structure, wherein the device contains an electrolyte retained in a reservoir. The use of at least one valve allows the addition, removal of electrolyte fluids, and venting of any outgassing by products.

Abstract: A communication system 100 is configurable to operate in either a transparent mode or a data streaming mode. In the transparent mode data is transferred to a data requesting component 112 from a data source 102 using a request-response protocol. In the data streaming mode a second data transfer component 106 is configured to obtain 606 data from the data source component via a third data link 104, and to transfer 608 the data to a first data transfer component 110 via a second data link 106, which has a relatively higher latency, without using the request-response protocol. The first data transfer component is configured to store 610 the transferred data and to transfer 614 the stored data to the data requesting component via the first data link upon receiving a request for the stored data from the data requesting component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: providing redundancy for camera sensor signals to be passed through an optical rotating joint (2) by: (i) passing signals from a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70) to the optical rotating joint (2); and/or (ii) passing signals for a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) toward the camera sensors (28, 30) from the optical rotating joint (2) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70). The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: routing optical signals through an optical rotating joint (2) by using a first optical circulator (64) on a first side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive an optical signal and direct the optical signal onward to a first side of the optical rotating joint (2), and using a second optical circulator (93) on a second side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive the optical signal from the second side of the optical rotating joint (2) and direct it onwards. The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of mitigating the effects of anomalous propagation in a Radar system, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of returns from a plurality of transmit pulses; calculating a difference in magnitude between each of the plurality of returns and its successor; if one of the calculated differences indicates a first step change greater than a first predetermined threshold, calculating a first average magnitude of the returns received after the first step change, and replacing the returns received before the first step change with synthesised returns having a magnitude equal to the first calculated average magnitude.

Abstract: A communication system 100) comprises a first set (204, 206) of transducers and a second set (210, 212) of transducers. The system further comprises a first signal processing device (106) configured to produce a signal for transmission by at least some of the transducers in the first set to at least some of the transducers in the second set, and a second signal processing device (110) configured to process signals received from at least some of the transducers in the second set in order to select a best said signal that is used for further processing. The first set of transducers comprises a first subset (204) comprising at least one said transducer, and a second subset (206) comprising at least one said transducer. Transducers in the first subset transmit on a first channel and transducers in the second subset transmit on a second channel having a different frequency.

Abstract: Communication apparatus comprises a first transceiver unit (205A) and a signal processing device (106) configured to receive a signal from the first transceiver unit and to produce a signal for transmission by the first transceiver unit. A cable (201A) connects the first transceiver unit to the signal processing device. The first transceiver unit comprises a housing; a first pair of transducers (204T, 204R) located at, or adjacent, a first end of the housing, and a second set of transducers (206T, 206R) located at, or adjacent, an opposite end of the housing.

Abstract: A method of sensing strain in a structural component, the method comprising the steps of providing, embedded within said structural component, at least one carbon fibre element (10) coated with an electrically conductive material (12), measuring the electrical resistance of said coated carbon fibre element and determining strain in respect of said carbon fibre element based on changes in said electrical resistance thereof. A method of manufacturing a carbon fibre element, a carbon fibre element so manufactured, and a carbon fibre reinforced structural component including such a carbon fibre element are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical inertial measurement method for determining a 6DOF pose in respect of a moving platform, the method comprising providing, in respect of said moving platform, a camera unit (10) comprised of at least three monocular cameras (14, 16, 18) connected rigidly together and configured such that their fields of view do not overlap and cover motion of said platform in each of three principal, substantially orthogonal axes; receiving video outputs from each of said cameras; determining individual point correspondences from said video outputs, and estimating therefrom, for each camera, a transform that includes translation values representative of direction of translation in the x and y axes, rotation about the optical axis and a scale factor, each transform being expressed with respect to a local 3D coordinate system associated with a respective camera; and mapping said translation values in the x and y axes to a global 3D coordinate system, having its origin defined by a point between said cameras, and multi

Abstract: A cartridge casing comprises a casing tube having a first end and a head cap. The first end of the casing tube abuts and is joined with the head cap such that an orifice in the first end of the casing tube is aligned with a passage in the head cap to define a flash passage. The head cap and casing tube are held together by a deformable member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a common carrier munition ammunition device, more particularly to common carrier payload delivery shell. There is provided a common carrier munition comprising a tail unit, a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a payload, a fuze, and located between said main body and the fuze an ogive element, wherein the tail unit and main body comprise cooperatively engaging male and female threaded portions, wherein at least one of the threads is a shearable thread.

Abstract: There is disclosed a surveillance apparatus comprising:—a retractable support member the member having a first end and a second end; a housing; a spooling mechanism mounted at the housing, and being rotatable relative to the housing, and being attached to the second end of the retractable support member, the spooling mechanism being: Operable to rotate in a first direction to convert the retractable support member from a coiled condition to an extended condition and thereby pay-out the support member from the housing, Operable to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first to convert the retractable support member from the extended condition to the coiled condition and thereby retract the support member into the housing; A mount attached to the first end of the retractable support member; A surveillance device attached to the mount for receiving environmental signals, a human interface remote from the surveillance device; and an electrical connection operably connecting the surveillance device to the h

Abstract: A Peltier effect heat transfer system (208) comprising: a plurality of heat transfer elements (301-308); wherein each heat transfer element (301-308) comprises at least one semiconductor element pair arranged to yield Peltier effect heat transfer, each semiconductor element pair comprising a P-doped semiconductor element (408) and an N-doped semiconductor element (410); and the heat transfer elements (301-308) are independent such that each heat transfer element (301-308) can be activated so as to yield Peltier effect heat transfer independently of each other heat transfer element (301-308).