MULTIDISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH STRENGTHS
ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGIES
ROBOTICS
This important research theme brings together expert researchers from a range of
disciplines and industries to address fundamental research issues within the field
of autonomous systems and field robotics applications, particularly in industrial
environments, such as agriculture, stevedoring, mining and aerospace.
Our Australian Centre for Field Robotics is dedicated to the scientific advancement
and uptake of autonomous and intelligent robots for operation in outdoor
environments, including on land, in air and underwater. It is one of the largest
robotics research institutes in the world and has been instrumental in developing
breakthrough field robotic technologies, principles and systems.
AGRICULTURAL ROBOTICS
Agriculture is a key growth area for robotics, which is transforming modern farming. Our
work with Australian farmers is helping to ensure global food supplies keep pace with
population growth and maximising Australia’s potential as a major regional food supplier.
We have developed robots with the capability to conduct autonomous farm
surveillance, mapping, classification and detection for a variety of vegetables.
Working with Australian farmers, we are also testing robots that fly over crops
and orchards to precision-spray weeds, minimising herbicide use and protecting
the wider ecosystem. In addition, collaborations with colleagues from veterinary
science, agriculture, science and business are designed to develop new ideas and
technologies to improve our complex food production systems.
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGIES
The Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology undertakes transformational
research in the broad biomedical engineering and technology fields such as image
processing and data management, image visualisation and analysis, bioinformatics
and data mining, medical devices and networking, biomaterials and regenerative
tissue engineering.
This research significantly supports, complements and enhances other fundamental
life sciences and clinical research undertaken at the University, in particular the
Charles Perkins Centre. The University is also working with key international
institutions like Shanghai Jiao Tong University to bring together world-class
biomedical researchers to collaborate on joint projects.
HUMAN-CENTRED TECHNOLOGY
This multidisciplinary research group is focused on the creation of future
technologies to enrich and transform our lives through research centred on
people and their needs. It combines research from fields such as design sciences,
psychology, education, human-computer interaction, device engineering and data
mining.
At the hardware level, we are investigating new device technologies including
sensors for emotion and affect as well as sensors for audio and social robotics. At
the software level, we draw on the faculty’s strengths in machine learning and data
mining, including social mining and personalisation, natural language understanding
and robotics, to create novel interface technologies based on visualisations, natural
language, touch and movement.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
The complex systems research theme brings together leading academics and
professionals to develop holistic approaches to the coordination and management
of large-scale complex systems. This includes social, organisational, biological and
living systems and covers a wide range of applications – from disaster recovery
management, disease outbreak coordination, fraud detection, human and computer
interactions, and organisational risk management.
Our complex systems research has a strong focus on theory and covers such
areas as social networks, self-organisation, complexity in organisations and chaos
theory. Our research projects with industry have delivered benefits to state health
departments, emergency services and financial services organisations.
MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
Many of the big questions facing our society today – including those relating to
energy technology, food technology, human health and environmental sustainability
– can only be addressed with an advanced understanding of materials, structures
and their performance under various conditions.
The materials and structures research group was established in July 2012 as a
means of supporting and encouraging multidisciplinary research into materials and
structures science at the University.
Given the response to the increasingly pervasive role of materials and structures in
contemporary technological platforms, this research group has potential to establish
the University as a world-class hub of research and engineering in this field.
FOOD PROCESSING
Our ARC Training Centre for the Australian Food Processing Industry in the 21st
Century supports Australian business to design better methods of food processing
and storage, as well as develop advanced manufacturing techniques aimed at
reducing costs and increasing energy efficiency.
A key objective is to boost Australia’s capacity to compete in the global market
particularly in the production of nutraceuticals - food products fortified with
vitamins or minerals, which provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment
of chronic and acute diseases. The Centre will design cost-effective and sustainable
processes for producing these products with a view to minimising waste, enhancing
efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
CLEAN INTELLIGENT ENERGY NETWORKS
Our research in this field focuses on new technologies for the electricity, gas, water,
transportation, communications and medical health fields in order to develop more
interoperable, secure and efficient critical infrastructure networks.
Our research team’s skills cover complex systems, micro grid, cyber systems, load
monitoring, optimisation, control design, power system stability and vulnerability and
associated software and data mining tools. Their experience extends to working with
grid technologies, power system operations and planning, market modelling, risk and
forecasting. We also work with leading international institutions, including with alliance
partner Tsinghua University to undertake joint research programs in energy networks.
sydney.edu.au/engineering/research
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
RESEARCH
Professor Archie Johnston
Dean
T +61 2 9351 4739
E [email protected]
Professor John Patterson
Associate Dean (Research)
T +61 2 9351 2796
E [email protected]
Produced by the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies, the University of Sydney, November 2014. The University reserves the right to make alterations to any
information contained within this publication without notice. 10/2186 ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A