Smart Systems
Innovating systems to power a smarter, greener world
The Smart Systems Research Cluster is at the forefront of designing and advancing Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) that tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges — from climate change and the energy transition to the resilience of critical infrastructure and services like healthcare, transport and power.
Our research explores how technology, data, and engineering can work in harmony to create systems that are adaptive, intelligent, and capable of responding to complex and unpredictable environments.
By bridging engineering, data science, materials research and systems thinking, our work unlocks new capabilities in autonomous control, infrastructure resilience, and sustainability. We aim to not only solve technical problems, but to shape how society can better respond, adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration and challenge-led research we can deliver impactful solutions that benefit both society and the planet.
Our research
Resilient autonomy
- Symbiotic Multi-Robot Fleets: We investigate how fleets of autonomous robots can operate cooperatively and reliably in dynamic, high-risk environments. Our work supports real-world applications in disaster response, offshore energy, and other mission-critical scenarios.
Energy transition
- Cyber Physical Systems for Net Zero: To support a just and sustainable energy transition, we design CPS that integrate data, sensing, and control to create smarter, more resilient energy systems. Our whole-systems approach helps drive innovation across grids, renewables, and community-level energy infrastructures.
Fundamental systems understanding
- We explore the building blocks of complex systems, from materials and sensors to system-scale behaviour. This includes research into how new technologies interact across different scales and lifecycles — crucial for engineering robust and efficient future systems.
Research division
- Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
PhD opportunities
Find out more about PhD opportunities with Smart Systems:
- PhD opportunities
Updates and announcements
Student projects
Each year the Smart Systems Research Cluster present a wide range of challenges to MSc and MEng students with the aims to help develop their interpersonal and Technical Skills. The students are given a real-world challenge and a technology to advance the state of the art and are closely supervised by our staff and PGRs along the duration of their project.
- Visit our Youtube to find out more.
Energy transition
Our research is accelerating the UK's energy transition through real-world demonstrators and stakeholder-focused hydrogen integration.
Prognostics and health management
Coming soon
Resilient autonomy
We tackle both top-down and ground-up challenges relating to robotics within resilience, reliability and self-certification of robots to extend and optimise autonomous missions.