James’s Human–Robotic Interaction Prototyping Toolkit provides an accessible, low‑cost platform for designing and testing robot behaviours in a safe, intuitive way before transitioning concepts to actual robotic systems. You can learn more about the project here:
https://www.australiancobotics.org/project/project-2-2-human-robotic-interaction-prototyping-toolkit/

This semester, UTS students applied the toolkit to potential scenarios with industry partner Infrabuild, designing new end‑effectors that support collaborative robotics tasks in steel manufacturing environments. By iterating through physical prototypes, testing motion, and experimenting with interaction affordances, the students gained valuable experience in human‑centred design for cobotics.

The collaboration showcases the growing strength of cross‑university engagement within the Australian Cobotics Centre, with researchers, students, and industry partners all contributing to shared problem‑solving. It also highlights how research tools like James’s puppet can accelerate learning and spark innovation across multiple projects.

It’s fantastic to see this level of cross‑university collaboration in action and to see students meaningfully contributing to an industry‑aligned research challenge.

Read more on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7401580610944995330