4TU.Ideation Labs connect researchers with entrepreneurial students to explore the market and societal potential of research outputs through guided workshops and coaching. This supportive environment allows researchers to contribute to innovation and entrepreneurhsip without taking on the role of founders or leading commercialisation efforts themselves.
4TU.Ideation Labs collaborates with the 4TU High Tech for Sustainable Future onderzoeksprogramma. 11 teams, with a total of 20 fellows, worked through the programme, exploring the market potential of their research results. Among these teams, professor Peter Steeneken (TU Delft) and fellow Konstantinos Chanioglou (TU Eindhoven) embarked on the journey to explore the business potential of Magnetic Levitating Accelerometer technology MLA).
The technology: Magnetic Levitating Accelerometer
MLA is currently being developed by professor Peter Steeneken and his team at TU Delft. The technology addresses part of the localization challenges in GPS-denied environments, in other words in areas where GPS-signals are weak or unavailable. In such locations, autonomous vehicles and drones rely on Inertial Measurement Units (IMU's) accelerometers and gyroscopes.
Cost efficient accelerometers lack the necessary precision due to noise, leading to poor localisation accuracy. High-end accelerometer options do offer better precision, but those are too costly for mass production, leading to IMU manufacturers making a trade-off in accuracy versus costs.
The MLA technology of Steeneken and his team theoretically can achieve accuracy comparable to high-end accelerometers while remaining cost-effective, thus: bridging the gap between accuracy and cost in accelerometers for autonomous navigation.
From research to market: a case study
Steeneken spent 5 years on developing the technology, resulting in publications in scientific journals. “But bringing the technology to market, is a whole different story”, he explains. That’s why he joined the Ideation Lab, driven by the belief that the Ideation Lab enhances the innovation capacity of the university.
During the initial matchmaking event, Steeneken was paired with fellow Konstantinos Chanioglou, a master student from TU Eindhoven.
Navigating market exploration: testing, learning and pivoting
The first phase of the Ideation Lab focused on understanding the technology and conducting market research. Konstantinos: “At first, it was difficult to understand the potential of the technology.” After identifying two possible applications, Konstantinos conducted interviews to assess their viability.
The first application, though technically feasible, had a limited market demand. This prompted a pivot toward the autonomous vehicle industry, where the accelerometer technology showed greater potential. This application was included in an NWO grant proposal submitted during the Ideation Lab.
Overcoming challenges and securing funding
Gaining insights from industry professionals was not straightforward. "When interviewing people about the accelerometer, I found that they were hesitant to share information," Konstantinos recalls. With guidance from one of the Ideation Lab coaches, he adjusted his approach, leading to more productive interviews. The positive feedback received validated their pivot, reinforcing their decision to explore the autonomous vehicle market further.
For Steeneken the help of a student-fellow was very welcome, saving him time to focus on research. "And Konstantinos fully delivered," says Steeneken. "We even acquired the NWO take-off grant to further explore the business case in detail”.
After the lab
With these insights, Steeneken and Konstantinos will continue their business case exploration and develop a prototype to showcase the technology’s real-world performance, made possible by their secured funding. Their journey underscores the importance of testing, adapting, and pivoting - essential steps in bridging the gap between academia and market success.