Development

Robotic Motion

2D actuators are being designed and manufactured to enable vertical and horizontal motion to be applied to geotechnical models, whilst the centrifuge is spinning at 130 g. An on-board 4D robot is being purchased from Actidyn to provide 2 additional degrees of freedom and tool changing capabilities.

New Laboratory

The new laboratory opened in 2016 is located in the world-class Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre. Operating three centrifuges at once is challenging and requires careful planning and organisation of the laboratory space. The centrifuge laboratory is being designed to facilitate a smooth and efficient workflow between the soil preparation, test setup and centrifuge testing areas, ensuring full control over the operation in a safe and comfortable environment.

Telepresence

The NGCF collaborates with academic and industry partners worldwide. The control command room will feature telepresence capabilities, enabling users and partners to access live video and data streams from on-going experiments, and interact with researchers and engineers at the NGCF from anywhere in the world.

Full-feature Website

In the coming months, the NGCF website will be improved and expanded to include the following features:

• an online booking system, where users will be able to request access to the centrifuge facilities and technical support, and follow the progress of their testing,
• a live feed of what is happening with the centrifuges for authorised users,
• access to the NGCF tool and accessories database, where users can choose equipment such as cells, sensors and models to meet their modelling needs,
• a downloading centre, where users can access data and images immediately after completion of their tests.

Community Engagement

The NGCF is developing outreach programmes to interact with the local community, including engineering companies and high schools. Follow the news and twitter feed for upcoming events.