A Micro-Physiological System to Mimic Human Microbiome-Organ Interactions. This project aims to mimic gut microbiome-organ interactions by developing a microbial-gut coculture chip, which can reversibly interface with other organs-on-chips. This is achieved through the systematic integration of highly customisable biofabrication and microfluidic technologies. This project fills a critical technological gap in the availability of an animal-alternative system to investigate microbiome-host interac ....A Micro-Physiological System to Mimic Human Microbiome-Organ Interactions. This project aims to mimic gut microbiome-organ interactions by developing a microbial-gut coculture chip, which can reversibly interface with other organs-on-chips. This is achieved through the systematic integration of highly customisable biofabrication and microfluidic technologies. This project fills a critical technological gap in the availability of an animal-alternative system to investigate microbiome-host interactions, which will greatly complement existing meta-omics approaches. The deliverables include a proof-of-concept system validated for gut-liver axis as well as the creation of new knowledge and framework to assimilate design thinking and advanced manufacturing to elevate tissue engineering into physiology engineering. Read moreRead less
Antibacterial impact assessment of nanopillar surfaces on titanium implants. This project aims to further understand the bactericidal properties of nano-pillared/textured surfaces, onto orthopaedic implants. It will do so by mimicking the nano-pillar structures derived from cicada wings by using Helium ion microscopy (HIM) and also Hydro Thermal techniques. The project also aims to study the physical mechanisms of the fracture of bacteria using numerical modelling. This project will result in ne ....Antibacterial impact assessment of nanopillar surfaces on titanium implants. This project aims to further understand the bactericidal properties of nano-pillared/textured surfaces, onto orthopaedic implants. It will do so by mimicking the nano-pillar structures derived from cicada wings by using Helium ion microscopy (HIM) and also Hydro Thermal techniques. The project also aims to study the physical mechanisms of the fracture of bacteria using numerical modelling. This project will result in new generation implants with minimal bacterial infection that could result in cost savings to the Australian healthcare, improved quality of life in aged population, and may lead to the establishment of new implant industry sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Image-based teleoperation of semi-autonomous robotic vehicles. This project will contribute strongly to Australia's robotic service industry in the development of semi-autonomous robotic inspection vehicles by; developing core technology in image-based teleoperation, training experts in the area, promoting the study of this topic within the Australian academia, and developing test facilities and prototype vehicles. Robotic inspection vehicles have the potential to replace direct human presence i ....Image-based teleoperation of semi-autonomous robotic vehicles. This project will contribute strongly to Australia's robotic service industry in the development of semi-autonomous robotic inspection vehicles by; developing core technology in image-based teleoperation, training experts in the area, promoting the study of this topic within the Australian academia, and developing test facilities and prototype vehicles. Robotic inspection vehicles have the potential to replace direct human presence in difficult, dangerous or simply uncomfortable inspection tasks such as; inspection of industrial pressure vessels, piping and conduits in factories or mines, undersea cabling, inspection of bridges, dams and other large scale civil buildings, amongst many other possibilities.Read moreRead less
Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrica ....Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrication industry. The research will open up remarkable opportunities for young researchers to work in one of the most frontier fields in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
A new lapping process for difficult-to-machine brittle materials. This project aims to address a timely bottleneck issue in the conventional lapping of difficult-to-machine optoelectronic brittle materials. An innovative chemically enhanced lapping technology for fabricating such materials is expected to reduce machined subsurface damage. This is significant because it would shorten the subsequent finishing process and minimise the manufacturing cost. Intended outcomes from this project also inc ....A new lapping process for difficult-to-machine brittle materials. This project aims to address a timely bottleneck issue in the conventional lapping of difficult-to-machine optoelectronic brittle materials. An innovative chemically enhanced lapping technology for fabricating such materials is expected to reduce machined subsurface damage. This is significant because it would shorten the subsequent finishing process and minimise the manufacturing cost. Intended outcomes from this project also include an advanced machining theory and innovations in material removal characterisation. This breakthrough technology should benefit the design and fabrication of high performance electronic devices for energy, medicine and communication sectors with considerable impact on the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a ....Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a new branch of manufacturing science by uncovering the cutting mechanisms in AWJ machining with and without nozzle oscillation, and have significant impact to the manufacturing industry by providing machining information and cutting performance models to increase the technological and economic performance of AWJ machining.Read moreRead less
Developing machining technologies for single crystal gallium oxide. Gallium oxide is a new semiconductor material that can be used to make diodes and transistors with lower loss than silicon (Si), and power electronic devices with lower cost and better performance than silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). This project aims to understand the nature of deformation and removal of this unique class of materials during machining. A successful outcome will not only develop an enabling mach ....Developing machining technologies for single crystal gallium oxide. Gallium oxide is a new semiconductor material that can be used to make diodes and transistors with lower loss than silicon (Si), and power electronic devices with lower cost and better performance than silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). This project aims to understand the nature of deformation and removal of this unique class of materials during machining. A successful outcome will not only develop an enabling machining technology for this next generation power semiconductor, but new understanding of machining and materials science will be generated.Read moreRead less
Ductile grinding mechanism and technology of brittle single crystals. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the removal mechanics of emerging brittle single crystals under grinding-induced loading. A successful outcome will not only develop a new theoretical model for predicting the ductile removal regime of this class of difficult-to-machine materials, but their cost-effective ductile grinding processes will also be generated. It will address a longstanding bottleneck prod ....Ductile grinding mechanism and technology of brittle single crystals. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the removal mechanics of emerging brittle single crystals under grinding-induced loading. A successful outcome will not only develop a new theoretical model for predicting the ductile removal regime of this class of difficult-to-machine materials, but their cost-effective ductile grinding processes will also be generated. It will address a longstanding bottleneck productivity issue in advanced manufacturing. The breakthrough technology developed in the project is expected to significantly benefit a number of industrial sectors for the fabrication of more affordable high-performance devices including mobile phones, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, sensors, and laser systems.Read moreRead less