DSDS 17
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This collection showcases outputs from the third Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium, hosted at STEAM: Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon by Cranfield University in association with DSTL.
It is the only UK conference to provide research students and early career researchers in defence and security with an opportunity to present their work to a sector-wide audience.
Covering both technology and social sciences research, contributions include technical papers, a 3MT (three minute thesis) competition, digital images, posters and an installation competition. In addition, there are plenary talks from thought-leaders, as well as exhibition space for industry and other employers of defence and security researchers.Citation Cranfield University. (2017). DSDS 17. CERES https://doi.org/10.17862/cranfield.rd.c.3924511
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Item Open Access A Human Factors Evaluation of Mixed Reality Technologies for Command and Control Applications(Cranfield University, 2018-01-03 09:56) Bibb, ChristopherTechnical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.This research assesses the Human Factors aspects of adopting Mixed Reality (MxR) technologies for advanced interaction and visualisation techniques within future cockpit environments, where the role of the occupant is envisaged to change from that of a pilot to mission management specialist. Specifically, the work sets out to assess the impact on human perceptual-motor performance, cognition, workload and situational awareness of replacing physical display and control facilities with virtual alternatives. The use of fully virtual displays, viewed through a head-mounted display, allows for the rapid integration of new advanced sensor visualisation methods as well as supporting the tailoring of task-oriented bespoke interface layouts to the end user’s immediate (and dynamically changing) needs, in contrast to the rigid nature of physical displays. Furthermore, a virtual display can reduce the time and cost of changes/upgrades without incurring extensive physical modifications to the platform. When performing continuous gross input tasks, early results indicate that the MxR system promotes minor performance increases in response time when compared to existing systems (touchscreen and HOTAS input methods), with a reduced physical and cognitive workload over prolonged use. However, for complex interaction tasks, the MxR system was subjectively rated as a more cumbersome display and interface method.Item Open Access A Novel Fast Readout, Gamma Detector System for Nuclear Fingerprinting(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:01) Giroletti, Alessia; Velthuis, J.J.; Scott, T.Technical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium. In order to be effective, decommissioning of nuclear facilities as well as recovery procedures following a nuclear accident require a precise estimation of the amount, type, and topological distribution of nuclear material present at the scene. In this work we present a novel, fast readout, spectroscopy system suitable for high radiation level environment which we estimate to be 10 times faster than current deployed systems.The proposed device is based on semiconductor materials: when hit by a photon they generate electron-hole pairs, which in turn give rise to a current pulse that is proportional to the incident photon energy. This mechanism allows recognizing the incident radiation source. The proposed apparatus is composed of five semiconductor materials (Silicon, Gallium Arsenide, Uranium Dioxide, Cadmium Zinc Telluride and Diamond), which allow the cover the detection of a wide range of energies. This multi-material platform enables the precise identification of 27 isotopes which can be found after a nuclear accident or when a nuclear plant is in decommissioning. The amplifier stage uses the Amptek A250 charge sensitive preamplifier which shows low-noise (<100 electrons rms) and fast (rise time 2.5 ns) response behaviours. The readout chain consists of a MAROC3 chip and an FPGA (field programmable gate array). To prove the validity of the system, several Monte Carlo simulations, using Geant4, were performed. Simulation results have shown that gamma spectroscopy and material abundance study are possible. The system is under test at the present.Item Open Access A Standard European Tank? Technology Transfer and the Quest since 1945 for a Joint International Main Battle Tank within Europe and NATO(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 11:53) Cubbin, MikePoster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.International cooperation in defence has long been a feature of diplomacy, and there are many theoretical advantages to both international technology transfer and standardisation within military alliances, from military organisation and logistics to political consolidation, and on to economic savings in both development and production. International collaboration in the defence industry has produced many successful weapon systems, from technologically advanced fighter aircraft to anti-tank missiles. Given the success of many joint defence projects such as the Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft, and the Roland and Brimstone missile systems, the question emerges as to why there have been no successful collaborative international main battle tank projects. The quest for a standard tank design within NATO began with the Franco-German ‘standard European tank’ project in 1956, and NATO countries have since made several further attempts towards a joint Main Battle Tank (MBT) design. At the time of writing there is talk of yet another potential joint European tank project, this time between France, Germany and possibly Poland. An important question that arises from the many works on armoured warfare, armoured vehicle technology and military technology transfer then is, why has NATO yet to agree and produce a standard tank despite several attempts since 1945? To date, there has been only one successful truly collaborative main battle tank design, and that was the Anglo-American Mark VIII ‘International’ in 1917.Item Open Access A Standard European Tank? Technology Transfer and the Quest since 1945 for a Joint International Main Battle Tank within Europe and NATO(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:02) Cubbin, Mike3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.International cooperation in defence has long been a feature of diplomacy, and there are many theoretical advantages to both international technology transfer and standardisation within military alliances, from military organisation and logistics to political consolidation, and on to economic savings in both development and production. International collaboration in the defence industry has produced many successful weapon systems, from technologically advanced fighter aircraft to anti-tank missiles. Given the success of many joint defence projects such as the Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft, and the Roland and Brimstone missile systems, the question emerges as to why there have been no successful collaborative international main battle tank projects. The quest for a standard tank design within NATO began with the Franco-German ‘standard European tank’ project in 1956, and NATO countries have since made several further attempts towards a joint Main Battle Tank (MBT) design. At the time of writing there is talk of yet another potential joint European tank project, this time between France, Germany and possibly Poland. An important question that arises from the many works on armoured warfare, armoured vehicle technology and military technology transfer then is, why has NATO yet to agree and produce a standard tank despite several attempts since 1945? To date, there has been only one successful truly collaborative main battle tank design, and that was the Anglo-American Mark VIII ‘International’ in 1917.Item Open Access Behavioural Consequences of Risk are Inadequately Embedded in Contemporary Project Management Practice Leading to Sub-optimal Outcomes(Cranfield University, 2017-12-14 10:52) Kipp, Michael3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The current methodology for the management of projects is driven by a plethora of guidance, techniques and practice often lacking the evidence from successful implementation particularly in projects with significant risk.Causes of project failure are well documented and research indicates there are underlying reasons for failure including a shortage of relevant theory, inadequate skills and insufficient experience. There may also be over-reliance on systematic processes at the expense of behavioural inputs in decision-making when managing risk. Conceivably, there is something important missing from contemporary practice in project management today.Current practice in project management, including traditional, agile and hybrid models, have been analysed to determine the fundamental characteristics of each and the extent to which behavioural factors are embodied. The research concludes, firstly, that agile methods take more account of human factors than traditional techniques and, secondly, that a hybrid approach offers additional benefits in terms of both operational assurance and governance and delivers more favourable outcomes.Item Open Access Characterization and Micromechanical Modelling of a Temperature Dependent Hyper-viscoelastic Polymer Bonded Explosive(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:01) Li-Mayer, Joanna; Williamson, D.; Lewis, D.; Connors, S.; Iqbal, M.; Charalambides, M. N.Technical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium. Polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) are highly filled binary particulate composites, typically >90% volume fraction. The composites consist of a compliant matrix binder and rigid filler crystals. In order to predict the bulk composite behaviour, the polymer matrix material properties and a suitable constitutive model was determined for use in a multi-scale micromechanical finite element model.The matrix material was characterized using monotonic tensile tests at room temperature as well as small strain and large strain shear rheometric tests at different temperatures. A temperature-dependent visco-hyperelastic constitutive model combining the use of the Prony series and the Van der Waals potential was used to describe the matrix material behaviour. Material parameters at room temperature were first optimized by minimisation of the error function between the experimental and predicted behaviour (MATLAB, MathWorks). Temperature dependence for higher temperatures was then determined using time-temperature superposition. A 3D micromechanical finite element model, reconstructed from X-Ray tomographic data, was used for prediction of the composite fracture behaviour. Due to the loss of the smaller filler particles during image processing, a multi-scale hierarchical model was developed to incorporate the missing volume fraction.Item Open Access Considering Culture When Using Unexpected Questions in Detecting Deception(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:04) Tache, Irina; Warmelink, Lara; Taylor, Paul; Hope, LorrainePoster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Researchers and practitioners must be careful not to interpret differences in how people respond to questions as indicative of deception without first considering cultural background. This research encourages discussion on how cultural backgrounds might best be considered to guide interviews. Asking unexpected questions during interviews is an effective method of detecting deception. However, most of the existing evidence for this comes from studies of people from individualist cultures (e.g., Sweden, UK). Studies of cultural norms and interpersonal beliefs suggests that what counts as unexpected may differ between individualist and collectivist cultures (e.g., China, Ukraine). Our study compared the responses of individualist and collectivist truth-tellers and liars to expected and unexpected questions. Second-language English-speaking participants (N = 120; 58 individualists; 61 liars) were interviewed, in English, about a future intention. They responded to three questions grouped into four types: expected by all cultures, unexpected by all, individualist-expected, collectivist-expected. These were derived from a pilot. Analyses were run on the language participants used, comparing liars and truth tellers as a function of culture and question expectedness. This study is the first to suggest that question expectancy may be culturally dependent. Moreover, we find that differences in language use, known to be indicators to deception (e.g. negations, pronoun use), were explained much better by cultural background. Whether someone is lying or not explains some of the differences in people’s language but is not meaningful when accounting for people’s cultural background.Item Open Access Designing 3D Printed Horn Antennas for Landmine Detection(Cranfield University, 2018-01-03 15:24) Wirth, Sebastian3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.This work presents the novel design and manufacture of a 3D-printed X-band horn antenna as a single part . This design considerably reduces manufacturing and assembly costs, is sixty percent lighter than an equivalent commercial antennas and offers similar performance. The antennas are particularly suitable for operational scenarios were weight is a key system requirement such as UAVs or as intended in this research for near field ground penetrating radar applications.Item Open Access Do you trust me?(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 11:52) Field, MeganPoster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Automation of technology and systems across such domains as defence, nuclear, transportation and healthcare is forecast to increase dramatically in the coming decades, and with that, levels of automation (LOA) are set to change the role of operators.However, the shift from of working directly with and within a system to one characterised by supervision and (sometimes remote) surveillance, brings a range of human-centred issues and limitations. These issues are not solely focused on how the operator can cope with the huge amounts of real-time data and information; they also concern how individuals react and behave towards computerised teammates. This is especially critical in military environments, such as static and mobile Command and Control (C2) centres. These facilities must accurately and appropriately analyse, fuse and display considerable amounts of C3I (Communications, Command, Control and Intelligence) material. The ability to trust (or mistrust) a system is, therefore, vital for human safety and mission success.Nonetheless, human actions and behaviours are not formed in a ‘cognitive vacuum’ – they are influenced by the context of tasks, environments, prior experiences and memories. Trust formation with technology and automation is affected by many precedents, in a process similar to which humans endow others with levels of trust and confidence. These include prior knowledge, experiences with similar technology (or people) and how expectations, lack of transparency and failures can lead to mistrust.This research seeks to explore behaviours and attitudes of human operators, and how military culture shapes operator heuristics and naturalistic decision making. The qualitative inquiry will also probe whether these circumstances foster maladaptive behaviour which differs or deviate to those of civilian and defence personnel.Item Open Access Engineering Interfaces in Polymer Nanocomposites for Self-Healing Applications(Cranfield University, 2017-12-13 16:22) Gupta, Ranjeetkumar3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are finding various applications and its obvious since nanocomposites for example can effectively couple the flexibility of polymer and high strength of carbon, thus offering the combination of highest performance and processibility. Though the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer is the biggest challenge. And unless achieved so, the nanocomposite won’t serve the useful properties as desired of it. This eventually relates to the issue involving large interfaces formed by the included nanoparticles. The proposed research work deals with the critical aspect of controlling the interfacial structure-property-functions relationships, by functionalisation of nanoparticles for controlling their interfaces and forming hierarchical networks with designed dispersion techniques for dictated positioning of nanoparticles. Thus, reducing total cost and weight of parts, with autonomous damage detection and self-healing characteristics; by engineering the interfaces accordingly. The autonomic self-healability triumphs even in the problematic cases where damage, or its site is hard to identify or even inaccessible. Specifically, such PNCs can be designed as insulating/conducting fabric/layer, electromagnetic-shielding, microwave absorption, corrosion & fire retardants, refractive index tuned optical fibres, and the list can be extended indefinitely. Popularity of PNCs are increasing in applications for micro UAVs, armours/liners, composite jet-vanes, wings and propellers for LCA, etc.Item Open Access Forensic Signatures of Nuclear Materials Processing(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:04) Thompson, NathanPoster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The field of nuclear forensics has been noted of relevance in the effort to tackle illicit trafficking of nuclear material.1 Forensic signatures can be considered a 'fingerprint' of the material, obtained by analytical methods such as X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The forensic signatures obtained from characterising nuclear material may help to determine the origin and processing conditions of the sample. The aim of this project is to investigate how the physical and chemical characteristics of UO3 powder produced from aqueous reprocessing are affected by the processing route, conditions and impurities present. This will be used to develop a library of characteristic forensic signatures to aid in the discrimination of material from different sources.To date, work in this project has included the investigation of forensic signatures of studtite calcination products, whereby calcination products up to 1050 ˚C were characterised. Additionally, a screening investigation into the effect of a matrix of processing variables on UO3 signatures (from studtite intermediate) has been conducted.Item Open Access Fundamental Research(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:01) Lancereau, DamienDigital image presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.On this picture: My supervisor (Hugh Goyder) and me, in front of my experimental workbench. This image presents two generations of researchers. It reminds us of the continual evolution of the sciences. Behind, the metal frame isolates the suspended test items from ambient vibration. The two large cast iron beds minimize the transmission of ground vibration (car traffic seismic, steps). A beam is suspended by two almost invisible fishing wires from the frame; it is ready for vibration testing. With this setup, it is possible to do fundamental research on the dynamics of built-up structures. Our goal is to understand what is happening inside a connection between two parts of the beam during vibration.Item Open Access Giving an Antenna a Pair of Glasses(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:02) Wirth, SebastianDigital image presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.This shows a close up image of a novel 3D printed flat microwave lens. The lens synthesises a conventional hyperbolic profile by digitally adjusting the air/ABS plastic density in the radial direction. The resultant synthetic lens is light and compact and offers a performance enhancement component to many antennas and arrays.Item Open Access Hives and Honeypots: Understanding Malicious Activity In Online Accounts(Cranfield University, 2017-12-11 16:15) Onaolapo, Jeremiah3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Account credentials are attractive to cybercriminals who often seek ways to monetise the valuable and sensitive data in online accounts that such credentials guard. However, it is unclear what exactly cybercriminals do with compromised accounts after gaining access. To protect users, it is important for researchers and law enforcement agencies to understand the modus operandi of these criminals. To this end, my research focuses on understanding how cybercriminals compromise and abuse online accounts, with a view to providing insights that will be useful in the development of mitigation techniques. I have developed an open-source infrastructure that is capable of monitoring the activity of cybercriminals that connect to webmail accounts. Similarly, I have studied what happens to compromised documents in the cloud. During the 3MT presentation, I plan to present an overview of my work so far, and also provide a brief glimpse into what comes next.Item Open Access How to Predict the Vibration Energy Dissipation of Bolted Joint?(Cranfield University, 2017-12-13 16:19) Lancereau, Damien3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The objective of this PhD is to investigate and understand the dynamics of joints in built-up structures. Currently, we do not understand the influence of the joints on the damping or the stiffness of a system. Our work will try to improve the quality of dynamics in finite element simulations. The aeronautic industry is currently limited in there design by the lake of dynamic joint model. For example, a problematic joint on the wing of the new Airbus A380 cost around one billion pounds to the company. Our approach is to start by focusing on experiments. We excite a structure and measure the response. Currently, we are investigating a two layer sandwich beams connected by bolts, which is already complex. The main challenge is the nonlinearity of built-up structures. To understand it, we decompose the response signal into different resonance modes, and then we fit short intervals of the signal to a mathematical model. This method gives time varying parameters which are simple to interpret. For example, a measurement of the size of a contact patch has been obtained from the shift in natural frequency. Also, measurements of the damping when correlated with measurements using a pressure film provided an insight of the position of the micro-friction interfaces in the system. And the use of shims in the interfaces allowed a better understanding of the interface.Item Open Access I feel it in my bones! An investigation into the mechanical and structural changes to bone as we age(Cranfield University, 2017-12-12 08:33) McGivern, Hannah3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Bone biomechanics is concerned with the study of the ailments and performance of our musculoskeletal system. Our knowledge of this field has been propelled forward by those in the automotive industry, who specialise in applied biomechanics and engineering. Their interest in this subject matter stems from the continual need to improve vehicle safety, but our skeletons also provide anthropological records of our lives, and can even act as a record of a criminal act. The aim of this research is to conduct a detailed assessment to examine the changes that occur to the structural and mechanical properties of the rib and clavicle bones, as we age. This multimethod approach will combine a non-invasive technique, micro-computed tomography (µ-CT), with multiple invasive methods including nanoindentation, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and DSC-TGA. The proposed outcome of this research will be to use the resulting data to create a more comprehensive overview of the microarchitecture and mechanical behaviour of the rib and clavicle bones, which can then be used collaboratively with various disciplines. Understanding how these bones deteriorate with age will be particularly helpful for mitigating skeletal brittleness in some vulnerable groups like the elderly, by informing orthopaedic surgeons on the structure and condition of bone, which in turn could assist with the management of fractures through treatment and rehabilitation. Forensic anthropology, in parallel, will draw information to establish mechanisms of trauma, providing critical information for forensic investigations, as well as archaeological case studies that bear injuries, and in grasping the historical context for archaeological studies of past populations.Item Open Access Imaging and Discrimination of High-Z Materials with Muon Scattering Tomography(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 12:03) Frazao, Leonor; Maddrell-Mander, S.; Thomay, C.; Velthuis, J.; Steer, C.Technical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.We have developed methods to define the edges of uranium blocks embedded in concrete, and to discriminate them from different high-Z materials, using muon scattering tomography. There is a need to characterise containers of nuclear waste without having to open them. This is particularly important for legacy waste, which includes large containers with unknown materials. Muon scattering tomography uses as probes the natural occurring cosmic muons, which are highly penetrating particles. Muons undergo multiple Coulomb scattering in matter, and the amount of scattering depends on the atomic number Z of the material, so it is possible to perform imaging of different materials by measuring the incoming and outgoing muon tracks. We carried out simulations in Geant4 of uranium objects of different lengths, enclosed in concrete. These lengths were measured with a new algorithm and compared to the simulated lengths, resulting in a resolution of 0.9 mm, with a 0.2 mm error. The smallest length measured was a uranium sheet with a width of 2 mm. In the material discrimination study, a multivariate analysis was performed with the variables obtained, such as scatter angle distribution, and other correlated variables, in order to distinguish materials from different simulations with the same geometry. Cubic blocks of different sizes and materials were simulated, with sides ranging from 2 cm to 10 cm, with scanning times ranging from a few hours up to 80 hours depending on the sizes of the blocks. From these simulations, we show that it is possible to distinguish uranium blocks from lead, tungsten and plutonium blocks of the same size. The smallest blocks with a good discrimination were cubes with 2 cm side.Item Open Access Infrared Based Relative Navigation for Active Debris Removal (ADR)(Cranfield University, 2018-01-03 08:45) Yilmaz, Ozgun3MT presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The risk of orbital collisions for operational satellites have been increasing overtime due to the uncontrolled space debris environment over years. The studies show that sustainable space environment can only be achieved by performing remediation actions such as ADR where a chaser spacecraft collects large space debris and perform necessary orbital disposal procedures. Even though overall mission has significant similarities with already demonstrated space Rendezvous and Docking (RvD) missions, they have more challenges due to uncertainties link to the target which is uncooperative. In this context, there are few technologies that need to be specifically developed and robust relative navigation is one of them. In current RvD missions, the relative navigation with cooperative targets are aided with RADAR, LIDAR which are not attractive due to limitations in spacecraft power budget and visual camera which suffers in certain illumination conditions. In this context, we propose infrared technologies as an alternative robust solution which have inherent advantage of illumination invariance as well as being resistant to damages caused by sun in the field of view. We have first proved that space debris is observable under space thermal environment. We have also demonstrated that there are trackable features and can be used for navigation purposes. From these findings, we have developed a robust infrared based relative navigation algorithm that can operate in ADR like applications.Item Open Access Insulating Polymer Nanocomposites for High Thermal Conduction and Fire Retarding Applications(Cranfield University, 2017-12-06 14:27) Gupta, Ranjeetkumar; Huo, Dehong; Pancholi, Mehul; Njuguna1, James; Pancholi, KetanTechnical paper presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The possibility of combining the flexibility and light-weight of polymers with the highest insulation and dielectric permittivity of ceramics, drives the field of nanocomposites for potential commercial application. The inclusion of nano-sized insulating particles in the polymer matrix, and orienting the fillers along the direction of heat flow results in modifying the induced interfaces for effective phonon propagation. Such flexible polymer nanocomposites (PNC) offer easy workability and refined insulating effect with high thermal conductivity and fire-retardancy. Hence, opening a wider arena of applications with the advantage of their light-weight. With selective combination of the inclusions, other properties like anti-corrosion, UV-protection, etc. can be effortlessly induced. The engineering of the interfaces, is the key for dictating the desired properties at the macro-scale. Consequently, silane functionalisation of nanoparticles with designed dispersion technique was tried for achieving this purpose. This paper reports that surface modification of the nanoparticles can effectively solve the dispersion problem and reduces the electric field charge concentration at the interface. Presenting an effective way of resulting in a promising PNC suitable for various defence applications of radome technology, energy storage (like batteries), structural bodies and cables in general, etc.Item Open Access Interviews of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Officers(Cranfield University, 2017-11-15 11:55) Nunan, Jordan; Milne, Rebecca; Shawyer, Andrea; Walsh, Dave; Stanier, IanPoster presented at the 2017 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Intelligence led policing is deemed a proactive measure to counter criminal activity. The use of both overt and covert practices are used to support this proactive approach to policing England and Wales. There are a variety of methods that agencies can use to collect intelligence. First amongst collection capabilities is the discipline of HUMINT, the branch charged with eliciting intelligence through interaction with human sources, such as Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS). The use of covert means can potentially disrupt, dismantle or prevent serious crime and its related organised crime networks. Therefore, it is a particularly important element of security. However, research is yet to explore the perceptions and experiences of gathering HUMINT within England and Wales. Hence, this research comprises of semi-structured interviews with practitioners who have worked within HUMINT. This provides an empirical exploration of the current successes and challenges in gathering intelligence, covering key topics such as training, rapport, intelligence gathering approaches, memory, and communication. The ethical challenges and preliminary findings will be discussed.