Intelligent wireless sensor, the UtterBerry, designed and patented by CSIC PhD student Heba Bevan, has received the Premier Digital Innovation Award at the CIOB International Innovation & Research Awards 2014.
The Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) International Innovation and Research Awards acknowledge the brightest industry newcomers already making a valuable contribution in their field, with potential to lead on innovation in the future. The Digital Innovation Award recognises the most forward-thinking use of digital technologies in the design, construction or operation of the built environment.
The applicant field for this award was very competitive and consisted of the country’s most standout innovations. Candidates were assessed on originality, improvement in best practice and delivery of significant benefits and impact.
The UtterBerry self-powered wireless sensors are able to perform on-board calculations to derive tunnel displacement in real-time without human intervention. No access is required to keep the system running at potentially unsafe sites. The device is about the size and weight of two £1 coins, compares favourably to current larger and heavier sensors, and is portable and easy to install.
Professor Kenichi Soga, CSIC Co-Investigator and Heba’s PhD supervisor, said: “This is a great achievement for Heba. Her UtterBerry device has already delivered value in some challenging monitoring environments and this award is testament to the strength of the innovations it delivers.”
Heba said: “The Chartered Institute of Building’s is the largest and most influential professional body in the world for construction management and leadership. Winning the International Innovation and Research Premier Award for Digital Innovation is a very great honour. The CIOB panel consists of the leading experts in the construction industry, and it is very humbling that my innovation was chosen from such a high standard of applicants to win the award.”
Last year the UtterBerry won the Crossrail Best Practice/Innovation Award for contractors Costain-Skanska who deployed the technology on a live project at a partially sealed adit complex at its Eleanor Street site in London.
Nigel Marsh, Senior Surveyor for Costain, said: “Not only is the UtterBerry 100 per cent remote but it uses almost no power, is very robust, highly accurate and was cheaper than both the traditional alternatives and newer technologies such as fibre-optics at Crossrail’s Eleanor Street site. There’s no doubt it could be used in many different applications in the construction industry.”
Heba will receive her award and £2000 prize money at an official ceremony to be held in March.
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