The ALFA Seal project builds on previous R&D projects aiming to make air travel more environmentally sustainable through the enablement of wing laminar flow, supporting the Government to committing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our Project: – seeks to mature a novel laminar-flow-friendly assembly sealing solution for the key issues around space allocation and structural joining (steps and gaps) that meets aerodynamic tolerances, a ramp-up in production rates, and in-service operability requirements – contributes to laminar flow exploitation on future wings — natural laminar flow for short-range aircraft and hybrid laminar flow for long-range – addresses priority
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The Connect-R project aims to develop an industrial-scale self-building modular robotic solution to provide access to worksites in hostile and hazardous environments. The initial deployment of the Connect-R system focuses on a nuclear decommissioning use case, but the system can also deliver capability in other sectors, such as offshore oil and gas, deep mining, and space exploration. The Connect-R system unlocks huge potential in a variety of sectors, and reduces the risk to human life by removing people from extreme and dangerous environments. A key enabler to our Connect-R self-reconfigurable modular robotic structure is the Genderless Mechanical Connection (GMC). We
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Jigsaw and City, University of London are pleased to announce that the ALFA Seal project has received the backing from Innovate UK, BEIS – UKRI, ATI and NATEP. The project will start in May 2021 and last for 18 months. View the Project Summary
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Similar to a lot of organisations, Jigsaw’s commercial experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has been like the proverbial ‘Curate’s egg’ – mostly bad but with redeeming features. At least on a personal level we are grateful that, as yet, we at Jigsaw and our immediate families have not had close dealings with the virus itself. It is perhaps trivial but nevertheless profound to observe how social distancing and our physical proximity with others has impacted every area of our lives and how this has accelerated the implementation of autonomous and remote services, which segues into an update on our robotics
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Jigsaw’s snap-fit Laminar Flow Seal Technology receives Patent approval – a key achievement moving forward with the ambition to mature and exploit our innovative technology.
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Our Crowd-Funding campaign has been a great success. Thank you to all our backers and please share with other enthusiasts of piano, music, design, engineering or invention. The Standing Grand will be light and compact enough to bring the fullness of a grand piano’s sound into modern spaces. The Future Piano team is aiming to significantly reduce the total piano weight by building a hybrid demonstrator, using a combination of traditional (metal and wood) and advanced materials (composites) for the optimum sound, cost and weight ratio. As we build this first piano prototype, we are a step closer to making
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Second part of a series of short videos describing the innovative engineering design features built into the lightweight Future Piano ‘Standing Grand’. In 1675, English scientist Robert Hooke discovered “the true… …manner of arches for building,” which he summarised with a single phrase: “As hangs the flexible line, so but inverted will stand the rigid arch.” Accordingly, a structurally efficient option identified for the ‘Standing Grand’ top frame is an ‘upside-down’ catenary – or in other words a funicular arch.  Click here to watch the video
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This post is the first in a series of Jigsaw Structures video blogs. In this short video we describe the innovative engineering design features built into the lightweight Future Piano. The undisputed “star of the show” is our revolutionary lightweight strut with its remarkable load-bearing capabilities. Strength enough to deal with loads equivalent to 2 London buses! Click here to watch the video.
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Is it a bird, is it a plane – no, it’s a lightweight grand piano! Chris and Tim have spent most of their careers underwriting the structural integrity of safety critical components, providing consultancy services to the likes of Airbus and Rolls-Royce. You might think that there is little or no connection between aircraft wings or aero-engine fan blades and grand pianos – but that is where you would be wrong. Structural engineers must constantly ask the same two questions: Is the structure strong enough? Is the structure stiff enough? And when the challenge of weight reduction is additionally posed,
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The Standing Grand will be light and compact enough to bring the fullness of a grand piano’s sound into modern spaces. With this crowd-fund money, the Future Piano team is aiming to significantly reduce the total piano weight by building a hybrid demonstrator, using a combination of traditional (metal and wood) and advanced materials (composites) for the optimum sound, cost and weight ratio. If we build this next piano, we’ll be a significant step closer to making acoustic grand pianos much more accessible. Help make our plans a reality and revolutionise pianos for the future! Please click here to visit
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