POSTED: 02 Jan, 2026

We’re kicking off our 2025 research program highlights with Program 1 – Biomimic Cobots, led by Prof Teresa Vidal Calleja (University of Technology Sydney) and Prof Mats Isaksson (Swinburne University of Technology) with postdoc Dr Sheila Sutjipto.

In 2025, the team delivered outstanding progress in enabling robots to perceive, learn, adapt and collaborate safely with humans, demonstrating what it takes to deploy advanced robotics “in the wild” in real industrial environments.

Here’s what stood out over the last year

• Our continued collaboration with InfraBuild, culminated in the successful demonstration of an AI‑enabled “shorts” detection system operating on a live steel production line. This project demonstrated:
  • Real‑time quality inspection in a dynamic setting
  • Reduced waste through flexible, AI‑driven automation
  • Improved operator safety and reduced fatigue
• The launch of EmbodX, founded by former ACC postdoc Dr Fouad (Fred) Sukkar. EmbodX is making AI‑powered robotics more accessible for SMEs, with ACC researchers Dr Sheila Sutjipto and Dr Tony Le also on the team
• Research excellence across perception, sensing and learning
  • Publications across IEEE CASE, ROBIO, HRI, RA‑L, TRO and RSS, including outputs led by PhD researchers Jagannatha Charjee Pyaraka and Nadimul Haque
  • Innovative low‑cost solutions emerging from biomimetic research, including audio‑based sensing approaches validated in industrial contexts
  • Recognition of the difficulty — and value — of conducting high‑quality research directly on factory floors
• Collaboration across Australia and internationally
  •  Strong cross‑university collaboration between UTS, Swinburne and QUT
  • New academic collaborations, with Prof Teresa Vidal‑Calleja and Dr Sheila Sutjipto in Japan collaborating with Tokyo University of Science and others
  • Hands‑on engagement through workshops, demos and showcases across Australia and internationally, led by HDRs, postdocs and CIs including Swinburne University of Technology‘s Industry 4.0 workshops, demonstrations for MPs (Zongyuan Zhang, Jonathan Roberts), and countless industry visits.

Congratulations to the entire Biomimic Cobots team for an exceptional year of research excellence and real‑world impact. We can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.