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Awards Evening – ACC Annual Symposium 2023

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

At the annual ACC Symposium, an awards evening was held with nominations put forward by Centre members in the lead up to the event.
Our annual awards were a great way of celebrating the achievements of our people and their collaborative efforts over the past 12 months.

2023 winners included:
* Best Collaborative Research output: the 2023 OzCHI workshop “Empowering People in Human-Robot-Collaboration” organised by Australian Cobotics Centre and CSIRO’s Data61 researchers.
* Research Achievement: A/Prof Teresa Vidal Calleja
* Best Event: Swinburne’s ‘Encounters with Cobots’ event held in July (Mats Isaksson, Jagannatha Charjee Pyaraka, Anushani Bibile, Chris McCarthy, John McCormick & Michelle Dunn)
* Contribution to Public Debate: Dr Melinda Laundon
* Quiet Achievers: Dr Fouad (Fred) Sukkar & PhD researcher Barış Balcı
* Emerging Leaders: Dr Stine Johansen & Dr Alan Burden
* EPIC Centre Citizens: Dr Melinda Laundon & PhD researcher, Jasper Vermeulen

Well done to our nominees and winners. We look forward to these awards being part of our future symposiums.

Connect & Share event

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Last night we held the second PhD Connect and Share event at University of Technology Sydney.

We were joined by other Sydney-based ARC funded Training Centres and Hubs (ARC FAAB and ARC Hub for Nutrients in a Circular Economy).

The evening was facilitated by Australian Cobotics Centre (ACC) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Melinda Laundon and included talks from:

  • Professor HK Shon, Director of Nutrients in a Circular Economy from University of Technology Sydney
  • Dr Marc Carmichael, ACC Chief Investigator from UTS Robotics Institute
  • Mohadeseh Montazeri, PhD researcher from ARC FAAB based at Macquarie University
  • Jimit Panchal, Master of Research student from ARC FAAB based at Macquarie University

With over 50 PhD and Postdoctoral researchers in attendance, our speakers shared their experience and gave great advice for our students who are all working with industry as part of the PhD. Key takeaways:

  • Be clear about what you can achieve
  • Get involved in different activities and find common ground to build relationships initially.
  • Be open to feedback and input from all over the business
  • Be open to exploring the many different project ideas that come your way. Some of the more obscure projects can end up leading to helpful future connections and provide momentum in your research career.

Thank you to everyone who came along and to our fantastic speakers! We look forward to hosting more of these events throughout 2024!

TAFE Qld Emerging Technology event

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Last week we went along to the TAFE Queensland Engineering and Emerging Technology Industry night at Eagle Farm.

Centre Director, Jonathan Roberts and program co-Lead, Penny Williams were there along with ARM Hub (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing)‘s Callum Elder.

Lots of demonstrations and opportunities to talk, including with Cornelis Van Niekerk from Weld Australia (one of our industry partners)!

It was a great night that highlighted the importance of collaboration across industry, universities and vocational education and training.

CONGRATULATIONS Victor Hernandez Moreno – Final Seminar

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Congratulations to Victor Hernandez Moreno from the UTS Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, and Associate PhD Researcher from the Australian Cobotics Centre, for successfully passing his final Candidature Assessment.

Victor’s work addresses the problem of making robots easier to program through “Learning from Demonstration” in the industrial context. This is an important tool in helping to increase the utilisation of robotics.

Meet our E.P.I.C. Researcher, Anushani Bibile

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Anushani Bibile is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, based at Swinburne University of Technology. Her project is part of the Quality Assurance and Compliance Program at the Australian Cobotics Centre. Her research is proactive in preserving the quality assurance of cobots in automated processes, where organisations can reap the benefits of cobot automation while minimising risks and maximising productivity.

We interviewed Anushani recently to find out more about why she does what she does.

  • Tell us a bit about yourself and your research with the Centre?

I am proud to say that I was born in the town of Galle, nestled along the southwestern coast of beautiful Sri Lanka, having a huge cultural and historical significance. My bachelor’s degree was in Engineering Physics which I successfully completed with a first-class honour from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2004. I flew to UK to pursue my higher studies and completed my MSc in Mobile, Personal and Satellite Communications. After returning to my motherland, I served as a Lecturer at the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka from year 2009-2012. I taught the subjects Electronics and Telecommunications. I migrated to Australia with my family in 2013 and was offered the opportunity of a PhD from Monash University in 2015. I successfully completed my PhD in Engineering from the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering (ECSE) at Monash University. The research was based on signal processing for moving chipless RFID tag detection. I was privileged to contribute to the Monash, Microwave, Antennas, RF and Sensors (MMARS) team which pioneered this technology. After completing my PhD in 2020, I was working at Cylite optics, Clayton, as a researcher where I contributed towards the development of 3D registration algorithms for sparsely sampled OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) retinal volume data, designed specifically for the anterior of the eye (cornea, lens, and iris). I joined Swinburne University of Technology as a Postdoctoral research fellow in 2022 and am presently the postdoctoral researcher for the Quality Assurance and Compliance research program at the Australian Cobotics Centre.

  • Why did you decide to be a part of the Australian Cobotics Centre?

I have been engaged in high end industrial projects throughout my doctoral research and have been able to publish journal papers in Q1 journals, conference papers and book articles. My research strengths were based on signal processing and data analysis. I decided to be part of Australian Cobotics Centre since I believed my experience in signal processing can be further utilized in a more real environment and it will be useful in bringing solutions to cobot associated manufacturing processes.

  • What project are you most proud of throughout your career and why?

One of the longest and interesting projects that I was involved in was the implementation of a UHF RFID based smart shopping trolley which can track products and provide item level information to consumers in real time. I was involved in each part of this project, while my biggest contribution was to implement the novel detection algorithm that I developed for moving chipless RFID tag detection into the RFID reader. I am proud to have been a part of this project as it was a low cost chipless RFID sensor which was presented to eliminate the current limitation of conventional RFID sensors and the optical barcode for item-level tagging which is a future 6G intelligent IOT application.

  • What do you hope the long-term impact of your work will be?

The integration of cobots enables the delegation of many human-based skill activities, with cobots able to undertake a range of repetitious tasks, whilst offering high flexibility and increased productivity. It is important to regularly review and update quality assurance protocols to keep pace with evolving technologies and changing workplace conditions. By remaining vigilant and proactive in preserving the quality assurance of cobots in automated processes, organisations can reap the benefits of cobot automation while minimising risks and maximising productivity. With my contribution to the quality assurance and compliance program of the Australian Cobotics Centre, I hope we will be able to make significant impact in achieving these standards in cobot automated processes.

  • Aside from your research, what topic could you give an hour-long presentation on with little to no preparation?

Research has been a fascinating part of my life, but aside from research there is life which we truly live and which brings joy to our lives. So, as a woman, a mother of 3 kids, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teacher, and a child of God I can keep on talking about my life experiences ….no preparation needed!

Robotic Guide Dog project

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Super exciting that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has featured the Robotic Guide Dog project by QUT (Queensland University of Technology) undergraduate students, Santiago Velasquez and Jarrod Fisher!

Santiago and Jarrod are both co-supervised by our Centre Director Jonathan Roberts, and QUT Professor Matthew Dunbabin.

In the interview, Santiago, vision impaired himself and a guide dog user, talks about how important it has been to include others with vision impairment as part of the research to give feedback and help co-design future robot guide dogs.

Read more HERE!

ARTICLE: Navigating Augmented Reality: User Interface and UX in Cobotics

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Written by Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Alan Burden from the Designing Socio-technical Robotic Systems research program in the Centre.  

The rise of collaborative robots (cobots) is a game-changer for various industries. These robots are designed to work alongside humans, enhancing productivity and efficiency. However, the real challenge lies in making this human-robot interaction as seamless as possible. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that has the potential to revolutionise this space by overlaying digital information onto our physical environment.

The Shift in Cobot Interfaces

Traditionally, human-cobot interactions have been facilitated through screen-based interfaces or specialised hardware. While these methods are functional, they often require a strenuous learning curve and can be less intuitive. Augmented Reality offers a paradigm shift. By overlaying digital guides, data, or even real-time analytics onto a workspace, AR can make the interaction with cobots more straightforward and efficient. This reduces the time needed for task completion and makes the process more intuitive, reducing the need for extensive training. As we move forward, we are poised to transition from digital 2D interfaces to more immersive 3D interfaces, further enhancing the user experience.

UX Design Principles in AR

User Experience (UX) design is pivotal in making AR-based cobot interaction effective. The objective is to create interfaces that are not just visually appealing but also user-friendly and functional. This involves a deep understanding of the user’s needs, their tasks with the cobot, and the environmental factors at play. For example, an AR interface for a cobot in a medical lab would need to consider sterility and precision. At the same time, one in a manufacturing setting might focus on speed and durability. The design process should be iterative, continually involving users in testing to refine the interface.

User Journey Mapping

Mapping the user’s journey is an invaluable tool in this design process. It involves creating a visual representation of all the interaction points between the user and the cobot facilitated by the AR interface. This helps identify potential issues, bottlenecks, or areas for improvement in the interaction process. For instance, if users find it challenging to access certain information quickly, the interface can be tweaked to make that data more readily available. The ultimate aim is to make the AR interface a tool that enhances, rather than hinders, productivity and user satisfaction.

Safety and Ethics

While AR offers many advantages, it raises important ethical and safety considerations. Data privacy is a significant concern, especially when sensitive or proprietary information is displayed in a shared workspace. The AR interface must also be designed to minimise distractions that could lead to safety hazards. For example, overly flashy or intrusive graphics could divert the user’s attention from critical tasks, leading to accidents. Therefore, ethical guidelines and safety protocols must be integrated into the design process.

What’s Next?

As AR technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for its application in cobotics are virtually limitless. Future developments could include gesture-based controls, adaptive learning algorithms that tailor the interface to individual user preferences, and even real-time collaboration features that allow multiple users to interact with a single cobot. These advancements will make the interaction more seamless and open new avenues for automation and efficiency in various industries.

As we stand on the brink of a new era in human-robot collaboration, enabled by the transformative power of Augmented Reality, we must pause to consider some critical questions.

Will AR interfaces become the new standard in cobotics, making traditional interfaces obsolete?

If we integrate more advanced features like gesture controls and adaptive learning algorithms, are we also prepared to address the complex ethical and safety considerations that come with them?

These questions serve as a reminder that while technology offers immense potential for improvement and innovation, it also demands a level of responsibility and foresight. As we navigate this exciting frontier, let’s ensure our approach is technologically advanced, ethically sound, and user-centric.

 

Congratulations Dr Stine Johansen on her ECR Grant

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Congratulations to our postdoc, Dr Stine Johansen on her ECR Grant from the QUT Centre for Robotics!

QUT Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Stine Johansen has been awarded a $20,000 ECR grant from the QUT Centre for Robotics for her Robotics blended sonification project. This project intends to design and evaluate a robotic blended sonification system. The system will enable operators to collaborate with a collaborative robot arm without relying on visual feedback but instead using sound as a feedback modality.

Project 2: Robotic Blended Sonification
Chief Investigator: Dr. Stine Johansen
Abstract: This project introduces a revolutionary approach to human-robot collaboration through sound. Instead of relying on visual feedback, the project focuses on capturing and modifying the sounds robots naturally produce. By processing these sounds based on contextual information, the system aims to reduce the cognitive load of operators and enhance their ability to oversee multiple robots effectively. This innovative approach taps into tacit knowledge and aims to create a prototype for further research and development.

Read more HERE

Meet our E.P.I.C. Researcher, Nadimul Haque

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Nadimul Haque is a PhD researcher based at the University of Technology Sydney and his project is part of the Biomimic Cobots Program at the Australian Cobotics Centre.
His research interests lie in the applications of deep reinforcement learning in robotics.

We interviewed Nadimul recently to find out more about why he does what he does.

  • Tell us a bit about yourself and your research with the Centre?

I graduated from the University of Dhaka from the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering in 2020, just before the pandemic hit. While doing my bachelor’s, I was parallelly working as a research assistant on a funded project on agricultural automation, which I continued till June 2022.

The research I am undertaking under ACC is on the effective manipulation of collaborative robots with learning frameworks. I want to create a generalised cobotic control system for complex manipulation tasks. I envision making a learning framework that will allow the cobot to adapt quickly to any scenario and, hopefully, any task. Current systems are generally optimised to work on a particular task under very specific conditions. My research will look to unlock the potential of generalised learning frameworks that will facilitate fast adaptation to the changing environment. This will eventually be tested and applied to industrial scenarios where a cobot can be counted on to perform effectively with humans in a dynamic environment.

  • Why did you decide to be a part of the Australian Cobotics Centre?

I have always wanted to conduct research in robotics that will have a real-world impact. ACC provides the perfect opportunity for me to do that. There is a persistent fear amongst the general masses that robots will replace the human workforce. The center’s ideal of using collaborative robots in industrial spaces could alleviate this issue. I believe that the only sustainable move forward towards an automated industry would be cobots and humans working together. The center will play a pivotal role in this aspect.

The match in ideals is supplemented by the center’s collaborations with established industry partners. The fact that the robotic systems developed will actively be adapted to the industry makes it the ideal playground for a robotics enthusiast.

  • What project are you most proud of throughout your career and why?

It was a simple project where I, with another group member, created a line-following robot equipped with reinforcement learning. The idea was that rather than hard coding the robot to follow a line, the robot would learn how to traverse any path, with the signals from simple IR sensors. Of course, it was not anywhere near as efficient as an optimised LFR, it was exhilarating to watch it learn and slowly but surely, get better. Although most of the projects I have taken on so far have yielded more tangible results, I am most proud of this one as it got me hooked on robotics and reinforcement learning.

  • What do you hope the long-term impact of your work will be?

I hope that my research with the center will pave the way towards generalised robotic controls that can be redeployed into any situation, preferably for multiple different tasks.

  • Aside from your research, what topic could you give an hour-long presentation on with little to no preparation?

Football (The one you play with your feet)

ARTICLE: How to ensure quality assurance when integrating a cobot

Posted on by Katherine Christensen

Written by Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Anushani Bibile and Research Program Co-Lead, Dr. Michelle Dunn, both from SUT

A collaborative robot (or cobot) is designed to work side-by-side with people and can support applications from welding, pick and place, injection moulding, CNC, packaging, palletising, assembly, machine tending and materials handling. The integration of cobots enables the delegation of many human-based skill activities, with cobots able to undertake a range of repetitious tasks, whilst offering high flexibility and increased productivity.

A collaborative robot arm is compact, occupying a smaller floorspace than a conventional robot and can offer great flexibility for ‘low-volume, high-mix’ production, or high specialisation environments.

It is easier to re-program and re-tool a cobot to undertake a range of actions, providing greater agility as well as reductions in cost of operation. As cobots are also designed to work safely side-by-side with human operators, reduced safety measures are required when compared with a conventional robot.

If you are thinking of integrating a cobot into your manufacturing process it is important to look at the quality assurance of your system. When implementing a conventional robot, you would ensure the quality assurance was satisfied during initial setup, but when you use a cobot, which can be reconfigured for different processes, you need to consider the quality assurance every time you make a change. Changes to the code by non-experts, will have to be checked and verified very closely and safety always needs to be considered. Therefore, quality assurance is critical for human-cobot systems in automated processes as it ensures that the products or services produced meet the required specifications and are safe for use.

Why are continuous quality assurance checks important for human-cobot systems?

  • Productivity: Quality assurance measures can help optimise the performance of a human-cobot system, improve productivity and reducing waste. This can include monitoring and controlling the system to ensure that it is working efficiently and identifying areas where improvements can be made.
  • Safety: Safety is a critical concern when it comes to human-cobot systems. A cobot does not need to be caged, therefore a malfunctioning or improperly programmed cobot can cause serious injury or damage to humans or equipment. Quality assurance measures help ensure that the cobot system is designed and programmed correctly, and that it is safe for use.
  • Compliance: Quality assurance measures can help ensure that a human-cobot system meets regulatory and industry standards. This can include performing audits and inspections to ensure that the system is operating within the required parameters and that all safety regulations are being followed.

If proper quality assurance measures are not in place, there are potential risks associated with human-cobot systems. Some of these risks include:

  • Malfunctioning: A cobot that is not properly programmed or maintained can malfunction, causing damage or injury to humans or equipment.
  • Inaccuracy: A poorly calibrated or inaccurate cobot can produce defective products or services, leading to waste, customer dissatisfaction, and potentially legal liabilities.
  • Cybersecurity: Human-cobot systems are susceptible to cyber threats, which can lead to system failures, data breaches, and other security issues. Quality assurance measures can help ensure that the system is secure and that appropriate cybersecurity protocols are in place.

Design of safety mechanisms must meet the corresponding industrial standards which are exemplified in the figure below. First, a cobot must meet the relevant safety requirements, laws and directives for general machinery such as the European Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). Basic safety rules and regulations (known as Type A standards) must also be met. Specific applications of a cobot system must meet type B standards. Finally, the cobots as products must meet type C standards.

Safety Assurance standards and regulations for human and machine collaboration [1]

Finally, it is important to regularly review and update quality assurance protocols to keep pace with evolving technologies and changing workplace conditions. By remaining vigilant and proactive in preserving the quality assurance of cobots in automated processes, organisations can reap the benefits of cobot automation while minimising risks and maximising productivity.

[1]Bi, Z. M., et al. (2021). “Safety assurance mechanisms of collaborative robotic systems in  manufacturing.” Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 67.

[2] Vicentini, F. (2021). “Collaborative Robotics: A Survey.” Journal of Mechanical Design 143(4).

[3] Cobot – Wikipedia