ERC Proof of Concept Grant Awarded to RT-FLOW to Advance Real-Time Flow Field Measurement

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a Proof of Concept (PoC) Grant under the 2025 call to RT-FLOW (Real-time data-driven flow diagnostics with event-based cameras, Grant No. 101292611), a project led by Stefano Discetti from the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

RT-FLOW aims to address one of the main limitations in experimental fluid dynamics: the high cost and slow feedback of current flow measurement techniques. Traditional pointwise probes provide only sparse information or statistical data, while optical measurement systems can capture full flow fields but require complex and expensive instrumentation, generate large data volumes, and often deliver delayed results.

The project will demonstrate a compact, event-based imaging velocimetry system enhanced by data-driven techniques, capable of providing real-time flow field measurements. Event-based sensors differ from conventional cameras in that they record only changes in light intensity rather than full image frames, resulting in lower data throughput, higher sensitivity, and low-latency measurements, even when using inexpensive illumination sources.

By combining event-based vision sensors with data-driven spatio-temporal reconstruction techniques, RT-FLOW seeks to enable high-frequency, real-time flow diagnostics suitable for integration into design processes and active flow control loops. This approach lowers the entry barrier to advanced aerodynamic testing and opens new possibilities for both research laboratories and industrial applications.

RT-FLOW will define the requirements for a fast, quantitative flow visualization platform tailored to research and industrial stakeholders, and will address the challenge of scaling data-driven resolution enhancement techniques to realistic wind tunnel operating conditions. In addition, the project will outline a path towards commercialization and exploitation, assessing potential markets and application domains.

By demonstrating the potential of real-time flow field feedback, RT-FLOW aims to lay the groundwork for a transformative change in aerodynamic testing, enabling on-the-fly design validation and optimization.

This award marks the sixth ERC grant obtained by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at UC3M, which has secured a total of €7.3 million in ERC funding, including two ERC Starting Grants (NEXTFLOW and ZARATHUSTRA), two ERC Consolidator Grants (ROCINANTE and SPANDRELS), and two ERC Proof of Concept Grants (NEPTUNE and RT-FLOW).