Robert Caddell Atkinson

• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of Strathclyde

There are several image inverse tasks, such as inpainting or super-resolution, which can be solved using deep internal learning, a paradigm that involves employing deep neural networks to find a solution by learning from the sample itself rather than a dataset. For example, Deep Image Prior is a technique based on fitting a convolutional neural net...

With the rise of edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), there is an increasing demand for models with low memory footprints. These models must be adaptable to embedded system applications, while being able to leverage the large quantities of data recorded in these systems to produce superior performance. Automatic Neural Architecture Sear...

Partial discharge (PD) that occurs due to insulation breakdown is a precursor to plant failure. PD emits electromagnetic pulses which radiate through space and can be detected using appropriate sensing devices. This paper proposed an enhanced radiolocation technique to locate PD. This approach depends on sensing the radio frequency spectrum and the...

Optical satellite images of Earth frequently contain cloud cover and shadows. This requires processing pipelines to recognize the presence, location, and features of the cloud-affected regions. Models that make predictions about the ground behind the clouds face the challenge of lacking ground truth information, i.e., the exact state of Earth’s sur...

This work explores capabilities of the pre-trained CLIP vision-language model to identify satellite images affected by clouds. Several approaches to using the model to perform cloud presence detection are proposed and evaluated, including a purely zero-shot operation with text prompts and several fine-tuning approaches. Furthermore, the transferabi...

Contemporary Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems are hindered by several reliability-related issues, especially, the dynamic behavior of IoT systems caused by limited and often unstable network connectivity. Several intuitive ad-hoc approaches can be employed to test this behavior; however, the effectiveness of these approaches in detecting defects an...

Following the publication of the article [...]

The use of supervised Machine Learning (ML) to enhance Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) has been the subject of significant research. Supervised ML is based upon learning by example, demanding significant volumes of representative instances for effective training and the need to retrain the model for every unseen cyber-attack class. However, retra...

Long Range Wireless Area Network (LoRaWAN) provides desirable solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) applications that require hundreds or thousands of actively connected devices (nodes) to monitor the environment or processes. In most cases, the location information of the devices arguably plays a critical role and is desirable. In this regard, th...

Monitoring and classification of dairy cattle behaviours is essential for optimising milk yields. Early detection of illness, days before the critical conditions occur, together with automatic detection of the onset of oestrus cycles is crucial for obviating prolonged cattle treatments and improving the pregnancy rates. Accelerometer-based sensor s...

Cloud cover remains a significant limitation to a broad range of applications relying on optical remote sensing imagery, including crop identification/yield prediction, climate monitoring, and land cover classification. A common approach to cloud removal treats the problem as an inpainting task and imputes optical data in the cloud-affected regions...

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools into mechanical devices in routine use within the aviation industry has heightened cyber-security concerns. The extent of the inherent vulnerabilities in the software tools that drive these systems escalates as the level of integration increases. Moreover, these concerns are be...

The rich, complementary data provided by Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite constellations host considerable potential to transform Earth observation (EO) applications. However, a substantial amount of effort and infrastructure is still required for the generation of analysis-ready data (ARD) from the low-level products provided by the European Sp...

Utilising deep learning image classification to automatically annotate subsea pipeline video surveys can facilitate the tedious and labour-intensive process, resulting in significant time and cost savings. However, the classification of events on subsea survey videos (frame sequences) by models trained on individual frames have been proven to vary,...

A variety of compression methods based on encoding images as weights of a neural network have been recently proposed. Yet, the potential of similar approaches for video compression remains unexplored. In this work, we suggest a set of experiments for testing the feasibility of compressing video using two architectural paradigms, coordinate-based ML...

A variety of compression methods based on encoding images as weights of a neural network have been recently proposed. Yet, the potential of similar approaches for video compression remains unexplored. In this work, we suggest a set of experiments for testing the feasibility of compressing video using two architectural paradigms, coordinate-based ML...

Conditions that lead to undesired fouling events in oscillatory flow crystallisers are investigated. The moving fluid oscillatory baffled crystalliser is used to mimic the operating conditions of continuous oscillatory baffled crystallisers, while reducing materials and energy consumption. A non-invasive imaging method is deployed to determine foul...

Coordinate-based Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) networks, despite being capable of learning neural implicit representations, are not performant for internal image synthesis applications. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are typically used instead for a variety of internal generative tasks, at the cost of a larger model. We propose Neural Knitwork,...

Utilising deep learning image classification to automatically annotate subsea pipeline video surveys can facilitate the tedious and labour-intensive process, resulting in significant time and cost savings. However, the classification of events on subsea survey videos (frame sequences) by models trained on individual frames have been proven to vary,...

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools into mechanical devices found in aviation industry has raised security concerns. The more integrated the system, the more vulnerable due to the inherent vulnerabilities found in ICT tools and software that drives the system. The security concerns have become more heightened as...

The monitoring of diver health during emergency events is crucial to ensuring the safety of personnel. A non-invasive system continuously providing a measure of the respiration rate of individual divers is exceedingly beneficial in this context. The paper reports on the application of short-range radar to record the respiration rate of divers withi...

Monitoring cattle behaviour is core to the early detection of health and welfare issues and to optimise the fertility of large herds. Accelerometer-based sensor systems that provide activity profiles are now used extensively on commercial farms and have evolved to identify behaviours such as the time spent ruminating and eating at an individual ani...

Cyber-attacks continue to grow, both in terms of volume and sophistication. This is aided by an increase in available computational power, expanding attack surfaces, and advancements in the human understanding of how to make attacks undetectable. Unsurprisingly, machine learning is utilised to defend against these attacks. In many applications, the...

Cyber-attacks continue to grow, both in terms of volume and sophistication. This is aided by an increase in available computational power, expanding attack surfaces, and advancements in the human understanding of how to make attacks undetectable. Unsurprisingly, machine learning is utilised to defend against these attacks. In many applications, the...

The lifespan assessment and maintenance planning of high-voltage power systems requires condition monitoring of all the operational equipment in a specific area. Electrical insulation of electrical apparatuses is prone to failure due to high electrical stresses, and thus it is a critical aspect that needs to be monitored. The ageing process of the...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the main research fields in the Cybersecurity domain. This is due to (a) the increased dependency on automated device, and (b) the inadequacy of general-purpose Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to be deployed for special purpose networks usage. Numerous lightweight protocols are being proposed for IoT devices...

Delaminations within aerospace composites are of particular concern, presenting within composite laminate structures without visible surface indications. Transmission based thermography techniques using contact temperature sensors and surface mounted heat sources are able to detect reductions in thermal conductivity and in turn impact damage and la...

Cyber situational awareness has been proven to be of value in forming a comprehensive understanding of threats and vulnerabilities within organisations, as the degree of exposure is governed by the prevailing levels of cyber-hygiene and established processes. A more accurate assessment of the security provision informs on the most vulnerable enviro...

Sandwich panels consisting of two Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) outer skins and an aluminium honeycomb core are a common structure of surfaces on commercial aircraft due to the beneficial strength–weight ratio. Mechanical defects such as a crushed honeycomb core, dis-bonds and delaminations in the outer skins and in the core occur routinel...

Cyber situational awareness has been proven to be of value in forming a comprehensive understanding of threats and vulnerabilities within organisations, as the degree of exposure is governed by the prevailing levels of cyber-hygiene and established processes. A more accurate assessment of the security provision informs on the most vulnerable enviro...

Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) have been used for building Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). The increase in both the number and sheer variety of new cyber-attacks poses a tremendous challenge for IDS solutions that rely on a database of historical attack signatures. Therefore, the industrial pull for robust IDSs that are capable of...

The recent active development of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in various domains has led to an increased demand for security, safety, and reliability of these systems. Security and data privacy are currently the most frequently discussed topics; however, other reliability aspects also need to be focused on to maintain smooth and safe operatio...

The recent active development of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in various domains has led to an increased demand for security, safety, and reliability of these systems. Security and data privacy are currently the most frequently discussed topics; however, other reliability aspects also need to be focused on to maintain the smooth and safe oper...

Fibre orientation within composite structures dictates the material properties of the laminate once cured. The ability to accurately and automatically assess fibre orientation of composite parts is a significant enabler in the goal to optimise the established processes within aftermarket aerospace industries. Incorrect ply lay-up results in a struc...

Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) have been broadly used for building Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). The continuing increase in new unknown cyberattacks requires corresponding improvements to the performance of IDS solutions at identifying new zero-day attacks. Therefore, the need for robust IDS capable of flagging zero-day attacks i...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the main research fields in the Cybersecurity domain. This is due to (a) the increased dependency on automated device, and (b) the inadequacy of general purpose Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to be deployed for special purpose networks usage. Numerous lightweight protocols are being proposed for IoT devices...

The use of supervised Machine Learning (ML) to enhance Intrusion Detection Systems has been the subject of significant research. Supervised ML is based upon learning by example, demanding significant volumes of representative instances for effective training and the need to re-train the model for every unseen cyber-attack class. However, retraining...

As the world moves towards being increasingly dependent on computers and automation, building secure applications, systems and networks are some of the main challenges faced in the current decade. The number of threats that individuals and businesses face is rising exponentially due to the increasing complexity of networks and services of modern ne...

Partial discharge is a well-established metric for condition assessment of high-voltage plant equipment. Traditional techniques for partial discharge detection involve physical connection of sensors to the device under observation, limiting sensors to monitoring of individual apparatus, and therefore, limiting coverage. Wireless measurement provide...

Regulatory requirements for sub-sea oil and gas operators mandates the frequent inspection of pipeline assets to ensure that their degradation and damage are maintained at acceptable levels. The inspection process is usually subcontracted to surveyors who utilize sub-sea Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), launched from a surface vessel and piloted...

Cloud-based infrastructures have grown in popularity over the last decade leveraging virtualisation, server, storage, compute power and network components to develop flexible applications. The requirements for instantaneous deployment and reduced costs have led the shift from virtual machine deployment to containerisation, increasing the overall fl...

The convergence of information technology and vehicular technologies are a growing paradigm, allowing information to be sent by and to vehicles. This information can further be processed by the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Controller Area Network (CAN) for in-vehicle communications or through a mobile phone or server for out-vehicle commun...

The convergence of information technology and vehicular technologies are a growing paradigm, allowing information to be sent by and to vehicles. This information can further be processed by the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Controller Area Network (CAN) for in-vehicle communications or through a mobile phone or server for out-vehicle commun...

Partial Discharge (PD) occurs when insulation containing voids is subjected to high voltage (HV). If left untreated PD can degrade insulation until, eventually, catastrophic insulation failure occurs. The detection of PD current pulses, however, can allow incipient insulation faults to be identified, located and repaired prior to plant failure. Tra...

With the ever growing networking capabilities and services offered to users, attack surfaces have been increasing exponentially, additionally, the intricacy of network architectures has increased the complexity of cyber-defenses, to this end, the use of deception has recently been trending both in academia and industry. Deception enables to create...

This paper describes a key element of any modern wireless sensor system: data processing. We describe a system consisting of a wireless sensor network and algorithmic software for condition-based monitoring of electrical plant in a live substation. Specifically, the aim is to monitor for the presence of partial discharge using a matrix of inexpensi...

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) is increasingly used for aero-structure applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. The integration of the on-board electrical power system (EPS) with CFRP is challenging due to the requirement to thermally and electrically isolate these systems to meet existing safety standards. By capturing the...

Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of composite aerospace components requires rigorous stress and strain analysis, including mechanical and thermal, as part of the repair process. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as a standard and robust method of determining the transfer of transient thermal results of materials is well established for remanufactu...

With the ever growing networking capabilities and services offered to users, attack surfaces have been increasing exponentially, additionally, the intricacy of network architectures has increased the complexity of cyber-defenses, to this end, the use of deception has recently been trending both in academia and industry. Deception enables to create...

Partial discharge (PD) is regarded as a precursor to plant failure and therefore an effective indication of plant condition. Locating the source of PD before failure is key to efficient maintenance and improving reliability of power systems. This paper presents a low cost, autonomous partial discharge radiolocation mechanism to improve PD localizat...

Partial discharges (PDs) are symptomatic of some localised defects in the insulation system of electrical equipment. PD activity emits electrical pulses in the form of radio frequency (RF) signals which can be captured using appropriate sensors. The analysis of the measured RF signals facilitates localisation of PD. This study investigates the plau...

The term partial discharge (PD) refers to a partial bridging of insulating material between electrodes that sustain an electric field in high-voltage (HV) systems. Long-term PD activity can lead to catastrophic failures of HV systems resulting in economic, energy and even human life losses. Such failures and losses can be avoided by continuously mo...

Two effective partial discharge (PD) measurement techniques are used; a galvanic contact measurement technique similar to the IEC 60270 standard measurement and free-space radiometric (FSR) measurement. Several types of PD sources are specially constructed: two internal PD emulators and an emulator of the floating-electrode type. An AC power supply...

Partial discharge is a well-established metric for condition monitoring and assessment of high-voltage plant equipment, such as switchgear, transformers and transmission lines. Traditional techniques for the detection of partial discharge pulses involve physical connection of sensors to the device under observation, requiring separate sensors for e...

A useful technique to estimate the degradation of insulation in high voltage (HV) installations is the measurement of partial discharge (PD). Free-space radiometric (FSR) detection of PD is a relatively new technique. Several types of PD emulator sources have been constructed: two internal PD emulators and a floating electrode emulator. The emulato...

Partial discharge (PD) is measured simultaneously using free-space radiometric (FSR) and a galvanic contact measurement technique based on the IEC 60270 standard. The PD source is an emulator of the floating-electrode type. The radiated signal is captured using a biconical antenna. A method of estimating absolute partial discharge (PD) activity lev...

Partial discharge is measured simultaneously using free-space radiometry (FSR) and a contact measurement approach based on the IEC 60270 standard. The PD source is a specially constructed emulator of the floating-electrode type. The power supply applied to the source is DC. A biconical antenna is used to capture the radiated signal and the frequenc...

Progress on the development of an insulation defect detection and location system using a partial discharge (PD) wireless sensor network (WSN) will be presented. Such a PD WSN based on intensity-only measurements has cost and scalability advantages over existing detection and location technologies based on time-difference-of-arrival measurements su...

Partial Discharge (PD) occurs in damaged high-voltage insulation. PD results in UHF electromagnetic radiation which can be used to detect and locate insulation faults in HV power systems equipment such as transmission lines and transformers thereby providing early indication of equipment failure [1-5]. The majority of the power in the PD radiation...

Partial Discharge (PD) occurs when insulation containing voids is subjected to high voltages. If left untreated PD can degrade insulation until, eventually, catastrophic insulation failure occurs. The detection of PD current pulses, however, can allow incipient insulation faults to be identified, located and repaired prior to plant failure. Traditi...

The location of partial discharge (PD) sources by free-space UHF detection is an attractive approach for condition monitoring of high voltage equipment in substations. A low-cost, radiometric, PD wireless sensor network (WSN) has been proposed to provide continuous real-time coverage for an entire substation (J.M. Neto, Y. Zhang, A. Jaber, M. Zhu,...

This paper studies novel localization methods of multiple partial discharge sources in electrical substations. The three compressive sensing algorithms of Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP), Homotopy technique, and Dichotomous coordinate descent (DCD) are presented. The simulation results demonstrate excellent performance with the compressive sensin...

Monitoring of partial discharge (PD) activity within high voltage electrical environments is frequently used for the assessment of insulation condition. Traditional measurement techniques employ technologies that require either offline installation or high power consumption and cost. A wireless sensor network is proposed that utilizes only received...

Partial discharge (PD) refers to the release of energy that occurs due to insulation cracks that partially bridge conductors. The ultimate consequence of PD activity in high voltage systems is catastrophic failure. The continuous monitoring of PD activity contributes to avoidance of such failures. In this paper a novel localization algorithm is pro...

Partial discharge (PD) refers to the release of energy that occurs due to insulation cracks that partially bridge conductors. The ultimate consequence of PD activity in high voltage systems is a catastrophic failure. The continuous monitoring of PD activity contributes to avoidance of such failures. In this paper, a novel localization algorithm is...

With the increasing number of network threats it is essential to have a knowledge of existing and new network threats in order to design better intrusion detection systems. In this paper we propose a taxonomy for classifying network attacks in a consistent way, allowing security researchers to focus their efforts on creating accurate intrusion dete...

With the world moving towards being increasingly dependent on computers and automation, one of the main challenges in the current decade has been to build secure applications, systems and networks. Alongside these challenges, the number of threats is rising exponentially due to the attack surface increasing through numerous interfaces offered for e...

With the world moving towards being increasingly dependent on computers and automation, one of the main challenges in the current decade has been to build secure applications, systems and networks. Alongside these challenges, the number of threats is rising exponentially due to the attack surface increasing through numerous interfaces offered for e...

With the increasing number of network threats it is essential to have a knowledge of existing and new network threats in order to design better intrusion detection systems. In this paper we propose a taxonomy for classifying network attacks in a consistent way, allowing security researchers to focus their efforts on creating accurate intrusion dete...

The measurement of partial discharge provides a means of monitoring insulation health in high-voltage equipment. Traditional partial discharge measurements require separate installation for each item of plant to physically connect sensors with specific items. Wireless measurement methods provide an attractive and scalable alternative. Existing wire...

Particle processing industries, such as pharmaceutical, food processing and consumer goods sectors, increasingly require strategies to control and engineer particle attributes. In both traditional batch and continuous processes, particle size and shape need to be effectively monitored through in-line measurements from Process Analytical Technologie...

The term partial discharge (PD) refers to a partial breakdown in an insulator which bridges two conductors. PD occurs due to insulation defects which arise as a result of high voltage stresses or insulation cracks. Continuous monitoring of PD activity can have a significant impact towards mitigating catastrophic failures. In recent times, it has be...

Continuous measurement of partial discharge plays a vital role in monitoring the status of high voltage equipment in electricity substations. This requires a comprehensive supervisory system to detect, monitor, collect and locate partial discharge activities. Most of the sensors developed so far require a dedicated software and hardware platform to...

Continuous measurement of partial discharge plays a vital role in monitoring the status of high voltage equipment in electricity substations. This requires a comprehensive supervisory system to detect, monitor, collect and locate partial discharge activities. Most of the sensors developed so far require a dedicated software and hardware platform to...

The term partial discharge (PD) refers to a partial breakdown in an insulator which bridges two conductors. PD occurs due to insulation defects which arise as a result of high voltage stresses or insulation cracks. Continuous monitoring of PD activity can have a significant impact towards mitigating catastrophic failures. In recent times, it has be...