Improved effectiveness of cochlear implants through new simultaneous stimulation techniques. Cochlear implants have brought the gift of hearing to 250,000 people worldwide and are an excellent example of Australian innovation. This project will examine an improved "high fidelity" stimulation strategy with the objective of defining a safe stimulus range for clinical use and providing a commercial advantage for Cochlear Ltd.
A highly sensitive and selective nano-engineered sensor for the online monitoring of mercury vapour emissions from harsh industrial processes. The Australian alumina and aluminium industries contribute over $11 billion export income annually. All refineries, except one, operate in rural areas and are the main economic drivers in these regions. In order to maintain the industry's commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its processes and remain economically sustainable, innovative technol ....A highly sensitive and selective nano-engineered sensor for the online monitoring of mercury vapour emissions from harsh industrial processes. The Australian alumina and aluminium industries contribute over $11 billion export income annually. All refineries, except one, operate in rural areas and are the main economic drivers in these regions. In order to maintain the industry's commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its processes and remain economically sustainable, innovative technologies are required to monitor mercury emissions. The aim of this project is to develop robust sensors, for online monitoring of mercury vapours, that operate under challenging industrial environments. This project will also provide excellent training for young researchers in established international industrial research groups, thereby meeting skill shortages in the Australian resource sector.Read moreRead less
Interactive companion robot with nanowire-based electronic skin. Interactive companion robot with nanowire-based electronic skin. This project aims to design an interactive companion robot with electronic skin which can communicate with people by touch and enhance their psychological development. Interactive companion robots can improve the social life quality of people with communication disorders and help elderly people. Although touch is extremely important in human communication, most compan ....Interactive companion robot with nanowire-based electronic skin. Interactive companion robot with nanowire-based electronic skin. This project aims to design an interactive companion robot with electronic skin which can communicate with people by touch and enhance their psychological development. Interactive companion robots can improve the social life quality of people with communication disorders and help elderly people. Although touch is extremely important in human communication, most companion robots lack haptic sensing, which degenerates the human-robot interaction. The anticipated outcome is a touchable robot with developmental benefits for autistic children and psychological benefits for elderly people.Read moreRead less
Indoor Photovoltaics Enabled by Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Quantum Dots. This project aims to develop a high-efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology to provide reliable low-cost power in the multi-billion dollar “Internet of Things” (IoT) market. There are currently no devices that meet the requirements for maximum operating efficiency under indoor illumination. We propose to solve this problem by fabricating PV cells using colloidal perovskite quantum dots that offer class-leading stability ....Indoor Photovoltaics Enabled by Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Quantum Dots. This project aims to develop a high-efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology to provide reliable low-cost power in the multi-billion dollar “Internet of Things” (IoT) market. There are currently no devices that meet the requirements for maximum operating efficiency under indoor illumination. We propose to solve this problem by fabricating PV cells using colloidal perovskite quantum dots that offer class-leading stability and band gap tunability across the required range, enabled by quantum confinement. The outcome is the development of integrated self-powered IoT devices potentially impacting Advanced Manufacturing growth in Energy, Cyber Security, Food and Agribusiness, as all of these will ultimately rely on networked smart devices.Read moreRead less
Digital technologies and the private rental sector in Australia. This project aims to show how digital technologies are transforming the private rental sector in Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the growing global reach of digital technologies aimed at private renters, landlords and property managers. The expected outcomes of this project include the production of social scientific knowledge about the potential of digital technologies to be both socially pernicious ....Digital technologies and the private rental sector in Australia. This project aims to show how digital technologies are transforming the private rental sector in Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the growing global reach of digital technologies aimed at private renters, landlords and property managers. The expected outcomes of this project include the production of social scientific knowledge about the potential of digital technologies to be both socially pernicious and socially progressive. This project should provide significant benefits for Australian renters and our tenant advocacy partners who represent them, and to show how digital technologies can be used to create a better housing system.Read moreRead less
Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. This project aims to develop technology to manufacture large scale, wear resistant components, involving new materials, computer-aided-design and direct hybrid manufacturing comprising laser additive and machining processes. The technology could produce more wear resistant components, using new iron-based powders, designed mesoscale graded structures a ....Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. This project aims to develop technology to manufacture large scale, wear resistant components, involving new materials, computer-aided-design and direct hybrid manufacturing comprising laser additive and machining processes. The technology could produce more wear resistant components, using new iron-based powders, designed mesoscale graded structures and microscale reinforcing phases of appropriate morphology and size. The proposed approach is expected to lead to lower cost manufacturing mining products which perform better and have a lower environmental footprint, and more competitive Australian mining manufacturing operations.Read moreRead less
Connecting man to machine: Wireless brain-machine interface. This project aims to enable direct wireless transmission of brain signals leading to reliable thought control of computers, wheelchairs, exoskeletons and vehicles. Such technology is currently limited by the fidelity, reliability, safety and longevity of the electrodes used to record signals from the brain. Partner organisation, SmartStent, has developed a novel stent-based electrode array which allows the extraction of high fidelity n ....Connecting man to machine: Wireless brain-machine interface. This project aims to enable direct wireless transmission of brain signals leading to reliable thought control of computers, wheelchairs, exoskeletons and vehicles. Such technology is currently limited by the fidelity, reliability, safety and longevity of the electrodes used to record signals from the brain. Partner organisation, SmartStent, has developed a novel stent-based electrode array which allows the extraction of high fidelity neural information without risky brain surgery and implant rejection. The project aims to combine SmartStent's stent-electrode technology with the diamond materials technology developed by the research team for hermetic encapsulation of electronics.Read moreRead less
Wideband Silicon-Based Radio-Frequency Front-End Module for 5G New Radio . The project aims to advance knowledge in radio-frequency integrated circuit design in low-cost silicon technologies, particularly power amplifiers design with enhanced energy efficiency at output power back-off levels. The intended outcome of this project will be a wideband RF front-end module with beam steering capability that can cover the 24-50 GHz spectrum band. This will ultimately enable the creation of a low-cost a ....Wideband Silicon-Based Radio-Frequency Front-End Module for 5G New Radio . The project aims to advance knowledge in radio-frequency integrated circuit design in low-cost silicon technologies, particularly power amplifiers design with enhanced energy efficiency at output power back-off levels. The intended outcome of this project will be a wideband RF front-end module with beam steering capability that can cover the 24-50 GHz spectrum band. This will ultimately enable the creation of a low-cost and energy-efficient 5G millimetre-wave network that could potentially trigger the development of ultra-reliable low latency communications, which is critical for emerging intelligent transportation systems and will maintain Australia’s leadership position in the development of break-through wireless technology.Read moreRead less
Dissecting the physiology of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells to develop vaccine candidates for respiratory disease. The project aims to gain an understanding of how a type of adult stem cell inhibits immune responses that cause asthma. The project will produce new stem cell products and facilitate the design of a vaccine for asthma and other respiratory diseases, which would greatly reduce the burden of such conditions.
Micro-roll forming of metal bipolar plates for fuel cells. This project aims to develop a novel forming technology for the production of metal bipolar plates for fuel cells: micro-roll forming. This poses a number of challenges particularly due to the low material thickness to be formed. These challenges include the development of advanced models that account for size effects in the process and represent the unique deformation conditions and material fracture behaviour. The project plans to prod ....Micro-roll forming of metal bipolar plates for fuel cells. This project aims to develop a novel forming technology for the production of metal bipolar plates for fuel cells: micro-roll forming. This poses a number of challenges particularly due to the low material thickness to be formed. These challenges include the development of advanced models that account for size effects in the process and represent the unique deformation conditions and material fracture behaviour. The project plans to produce prototypes and to compare part complexity with that achievable by conventional micro stamping. The intended outcome of the project includes advanced computer models for process design and the new micro-forming technology validated through extensive laboratory and plant trials.Read moreRead less