Chief Investigator Dr Sean Gallagher featured on ABC Radio Melbourne’s lunchtime program with Jacinta Parsons on 17th February. He talked about presenteeism and burnout. You can listen via the link below.
Category: News
Current Developments in Medical Robotics seminar from Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute
Join one of the Centre’s Chief Investigators, Dr. Mats Isaksson on 15th February to hear him talk about current developments within Medical Robots.
Dr Isaksson, leader of the Intelligent Robotics Program at Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, will provide an overview of medical robotics with a particular focus on surgical robots and the increasing use of collaborative robots in medical applications.
Collaborative robots (or cobots) are designed to safely interact with humans. The availability of mass-produced, low-cost, collaborative robots has enabled the introduction of numerous new medical robot applications. This presentation will provide a brief overview of such applications in addition to details about our research into using collaborative robots for photobiomodulation therapy and ultrasound applications.
Date: Tue, 15 February 2022
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM AEST
Thank you for an E.P.I.C 2021!
As we approach the end of 2021, we often take stock of the year that has just passed. We look back on the successes, look for opportunities to enhance or improve in some area, and of course we
begin to look forward to a well-earned rest from our day to day work responsibilities.
We would like to thank all our Australian Cobotics Centre members, industry partners and stakeholders for their hard work, commitment and support during this year. Our unique combination of people, expertise and backgrounds is what makes us successful as a Centre.
As we head into a new year, we look forward to another E.P.I.C year, and we are excited to embrace new opportunities and collaborations.
We wish you and your families a happy holiday season!
Teresa Vidal-Calleja on ‘Let’s Talk Robotics’ podcast
Our Biomimic Cobots program co-lead, the amazing Teresa Vidal Calleja (Associate Professor at UTS Robotics Institute) featured in today’s episode of “Let’s Talk Robotics” with 🤖Nicci Rossouw.
Listen to Teresa and Nicci talk about the importance of collaborating not just with industry but across universities as well! This is how we will innovate and build capability across Australia. Our PhD researchers will work with partners for at least 12 months to understand the workplace and work with staff to help identify how cobotics can assist them with their work.
Teresa also talked about her other projects including a Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) that helps blind people to navigate with a wearable device!
Editorial feature in AU Manufacturing’s ‘Leadership in Factory Automation’ series
The Australian Cobotics Centre features in the latest editorial series of Au Manufacturing!
Au Manufacturing is the news and analysis website of the Australian Manufacturing Forum Linkedin networking group – the largest on social media. Their mission is to extend the reach and influence of the views of our 8,000 manufacturer members through curated news, commentary and analysis.
The article that was written by Centre Director, Jonathan Roberts, highlights that “today Leadership in factory automation looks at the potential of collaborative robots as a low-cost, more flexible and safer alternative to traditional factory robots.”
Click below to read the full article titled ‘Leadership in factory automation -exploring collaborative robotics’ – Australian Manufacturing forum.
Let’s talk robotics with Professor Jonathan Roberts
Centre Director, Jonathan Roberts featured in the latest episode of “Let’s talk robotics” by Nicci Rossouw from Expatec.
The robotics capability in Australia has great growth and particularly in Queensland, there is the potential to be world leading. Although this technical capability is important, to be truly successful, collaborative robotics research and its application within industry also needs to address the design and human components that are involved in technological change.
As noted by Nicci and Jon: “It’s easy to buy a robot, but what do you do with it?”
If collaborative robots are used in the right way, everyone is a winner. The worker will develop more interesting skills, the company becomes more efficient and the technology companies keep growing.
By including the workers in the design process, the Centre will ensure that cobot or technical solution addresses the challenges the worker and company may have. They are the experts in their job and their field and therefore the solution will be designed for them. For example, a worker might advise that a repetitive task creates a physical pain point and if that were removed, the risk of injury almost completely disappears. A company may also find it difficult to find staff to complete dangerous, dirty or repetitive tasks and a cobot allows this work to continue with no impact on production or efficiency.
Listen to the podcast here: Let’s talk robotics with Professor Jonathan Roberts — EXAPTEC
Prestigious Academy of Social Sciences recognises Professor Paula McDonald
The Australian Cobotics Centre congratulates Professor Paula McDonald who has been newly elected as a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
Professor McDonald is one of the select group of leading social scientists from across Australia’s universities and research institutes who have been elected to the Academy this year.
Professor McDonald is one of the Research Program Co-lead for the Australian Cobotics Centre’s Human-Robot Workforce program led at QUT; a Professor of Work and Organisation; and Associate Dean, Research in the QUT Faculty of Business and Law.
Each year, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia elects the most distinguished social scientists in Australia as Fellows. These New Fellows will join the ranks of over 700 of Australia’s leading researchers and professionals across the social science disciplines. For 50 years, research and advice from Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has shaped government policies, been called on by Australia’s leaders, and played a key role in shaping our nation. Today’s announcement brings the number of Fellows in the Academy to 742.
A list of 2021 new Fellows can be found here.
An online event featuring brief presentations from each of the new Fellows will be held on 24 November, 4:30-7:00 pm AEDT. This event is open to the public via the Academy’s website: https://socialsciences.org.au/events/2021-new-fellows-presentations/.
Human Robot Interaction at the Centre for Biomedical Technologies 2021 conference
Centre Director, Jonathan Roberts was joined by Human-Robot-Interaction Program co-lead, Jared Donovan and industry partner, Cook Medical‘s Alex Buddery at the 2021 Centre for Biomedical Technologies conference.
Although the conferenced was focused on the biomedical technologies Jon highlighted that the aim of the Centre is for the outcomes to be translated to different manufacturing industries. The focus of cobotics is not to replace the human worker but to create a safer environment, the ability to work longer and an opportunity to increase skills.
Associate Professor Jared Donovan presented on the importance of considering the design and human interaction when creating robotic systems.
Continuous Innovation Manager at Cook Medical talked about the challenges that could not be addressed by fully automated solutions and highlighted the importance of their staff and where cobotics could assist.
Australian Welding Magazine features the Australian Cobotics Centre!
The Australian Cobotics Centre features in the latest edition of Australian Welding Magazine, the Official Journal of Weld Australia!
Weld Australia are one of the Centre’s industry partners and represent the welding profession in Australia. Their primary goal is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains both locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future.
One of Weld Australia’s members, IR4, is also an industry partner. IR4 offer flexible automation solutions that seek to leverage industry 4.0 technology as well as machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. The Centre’s research programs complement the work of IR4 by providing human intent considerations and the research and development experience required for capability advancement. CEO Geoff Crittenden notes that Weld Australia is able to offer practical solutions to industry that flow on from the work of the Centre.
The article also features an interview with Australian Cobotics Centre Director, Jonathan Roberts, who highlights the holistic and multidisciplinary approach the Centre will take in addressing the technological advances and the human and design factors that need to be considered when implementing collaborative robotics.
Click below to read the full five page feature article titled ‘Australian Cobotics: Safer More Efficient, Globally Competitive, Manufacturing Industry’
Find out more about our Programs and Industry Partners
For more information on Weld Australia visit weldaustralia.com.au
“Robots create jobs” – ARM Hub visit to Mackay
Centre Director Jonathan Roberts and Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub CEO Cori Stewart recently visited the Resources Centre of Excellence in Mackay to discuss how technology can help businesses stay ahead
of global competition.
ARM Hub works with small to to medium-sized businesses to help them embrace robotics and new technologies. By seizing new opportunities in technology, workers will be upskilled, enabling them to perform functions that are otherwise unreachable.
Professor Jonathan Roberts has previously worked with Brisbane-based UAP Company on projects including a machine that could linish steel and also teaming up with Airlie Beach Consolidated Linen Services on a towel sorting robot. Both innovations reduced the manual labour associated with the tasks but not the need to human interaction in the tasks.
“UAP for instance, for every piece of robotic machinery that they put on, they’ve employed at least six new people,” Ms Stewart said. “They’ve got better capability, they’ve been more competitive, they’ve won different jobs.
Read more: How robotics could help alleviate Mackay’s skill shortage | The Courier Mail
