Senceive: protecting people and infrastructure through real-time monitoring technology

Problem to be solved

Critical infrastructure such as rail cuttings, embankments and construction assets can fail suddenly, especially during periods of heavy rainfall or ground movement. Asset owners need reliable, real-time information and early warning so they can intervene before incidents occur, protect passengers and the public, and reduce disruption and repair costs.

Solution

Senceive developed wireless remote condition monitoring solutions that combine high-precision sensors, communications and analytics to track movement and other risk indicators. One example is the Barnehurst railway cutting in south-east London - a steep Victorian-era cutting through layers of silt, gravel and clay that can be vulnerable to landslip during heavy rain. Systems can increase sampling automatically and trigger cameras when early signs of instability appear-helping engineers make timely decisions. In February 2019, monitoring at Barnehurst raised an early alert of earthworks slippage, allowing trains to be stopped before a serious incident occurred.

As Graham Smith, Senceive’s CEO explains: “At Barnehurst, Network Rail used an array of wireless enabled tilt sensors and automated cameras. This integrated monitoring system responds to the first signs of earthworks movement by speeding up sampling and triggering cameras to send images and data to stakeholders, allowing Network Rail’s engineers to make critical decisions, plan their response and protect at-risk assets.”

How UCL Ventures helped

Originating in UCL’s Electronic & Electrical Engineering research, Senceive was supported by UCL Ventures from early prototype through to spinout in 2005. UCL Ventures provided proof-of-concept support, helped clarify market needs and facilitated early pilot deployments, including introductions that supported work with Network Rail. As the business matured, UCL Ventures continued to support the company through leadership and growth phases alongside grant and debt funding partners.

Where is the project now

Senceive built a global client base with deployments in 40+ countries and a team of 60+ people across the UK, Australia and the USA. In April 2021 it was acquired by Canadian industrial technology group Previan (previously Eddyfi/NDT), creating a platform for continued growth and wider adoption. 

The next chapter focuses on extending monitoring capabilities across additional asset types and industries, helping infrastructure owners manage safety and resilience in a changing climate. Senceive's recent efforts have seen the spinout scaling real‑world deployments of its long‑life wireless sensors and monitoring platform, integrating with partners like Proqio to give engineers unified access to tilt, displacement and camera data, rolling out specialised solutions for rockfall and slope failure detection on railways, and expanding large‑scale installations that reduce site visits, cut whole‑life costs and provide early warnings that prevent infrastructure failures and keep people safe.