From sustainable electronic tags to zero-gravity 3D printing, it has been a remarkable month for UoG technology.
The Glasgow Guardian takes a closer look at research into AI and engineering, reviewing this month’s ‘world-changing’ research being produced at the University of Glasgow,
In the University’s School of Computer Science, efforts are being made to improve AI performance in a new United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Dr Paul Harvey, Lecturer in Low Carbon and Sustainable Computing at the University of Glasgow, took on the role as Vice-Chair of the Focus Group on AI-Native Networks in October 2024. The aim of the ITU group is to push AI’s potential to develop the role of artificial intelligence in telecommunications technology.
Dr Harvey explains, “bringing more automation or autonomy to the network can reduce the operating costs while increasing the service provision. In future AI-native networks, the power of AI technology can be brought into use across the network to solve problems as they happen or even before they can cause disruption, helping to improve stability and reducing operating costs.”
The James Watt School of Engineering has also achieved success this month as lecturer, Dr Gilles Bailet, has been awarded a patent for contributions towards discoveries in 3D printing and space technology. Dr Bailet, along with his colleagues, have found a solution to 3D printing in environments with low gravity. It was previously understood that gravity was a necessity for 3D printers so that layers can dry properly. Overcoming this problem of heat management in zero gravity is not only a huge advancement in space technology, but also means that the limitations of transporting materials from Earth will be minimized.
At the University’s Engineering department this January, researchers have been working towards reducing the environmental impact of electronic tags. Single-use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology involves wireless communication, interacting with the electromagnetic spectrum. However, the metals which are required for the production of RFID technology are single-use, leading to a greater environmental impact. In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of RFID technology, university researchers have developed an alternative tag which does not require microchips. These tags are assembled with silicon coils, which are less costly and less wasteful. This new form of electronic tag is a step towards improved packaging for retailers in the future, in which the tags may play a role in detecting temperature or pH changes, benefiting, for instance, food retailers.
Dr Mahmoud Wagih, a lecturer in Implantable Electronics who has been involved in the electronic tag research project, said, “Developing wireless sensing tags is crucial for monitoring temperature across supply chains, particularly in food safety and medical applications. By eliminating the need for microchips, these chipless tags could significantly reduce both cost and electronic waste compared to traditional RFID sensors.”
Dr Benjamin King, a Research Associate who worked alongside Dr Wagih said that, “The new technology we’ve developed uses materials which are cheap and widely-available, and the tags can be manufactured using a simple, scalable process.”
“Our hope is that those unique characteristics could help the technology become widely-adopted in the years to come, helping to reduce the environmental harms currently being caused by single-use RFID tags.”
The Times Higher Education subject rankings this year featured eight out of eleven subjects from the University of Glasgow in the global top 100. The university itself is ranked 87th in the world. The 2025 Subject Rankings place the following areas in its top 100: Law at 44th, Clinical and Health at 50th, Psychology at 52nd, Arts and Humanities at 56th, Life Sciences at 77th, Social Sciences at 91st, Education Studies at 96th, and Business and Economics at 99th.
