The microprocessor inside a computer is a single multipurpose chip that has revolutionised people’s life, allowing them to use one machine to surf the web, check emails and keep track of finances. Now, researchers from the University of Bristol and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), have pulled off the same feat for light in the quantum world by developing an optical chip that can process photons in an infinite number of ways.

A device that holds airborne particles - aerosols - for extended periods of time has been jointly developed by a team at the University of Bristol and Portishead-based firm Biral. Aerosols play a vital role in many processes and studying their evolution over time is vital to developing a detailed understanding of fields as diverse as climate change and drug delivery to the lungs.

A form of fast, reliable and low-cost driverless personal transport, developed at the University of Bristol, is now being used by thousands of passengers every day at Heathrow Airport. Researchers from the Department of Aerospace Engineering have removed the queuing and inefficiencies associated with bus transfers to Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.

Technology has changed rapidly over the last few years with touch feedback, known as haptics, being used in entertainment, rehabilitation and even surgical training. Using ultrasound, virtual 3D haptic shapes that can be seen and felt have been developed, described in the University of Bristol research paper ‘Rendering volumetric haptic shapes in mid-air using ultrasound’.

An imaging technique which can detect damage previously invisible to acoustic imaging systems has been developed by researchers at the University of Bristol. The non-linear acoustic technique, developed by the Ultrasonics and Non-destructive Testing (NDT) research group at the university, can increase the safety of engineering structures.