Hybrid resonant acoustics for microfluidic materials synthesis. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of sound waves as a microfluidic micronisation platform for high throughput particle synthesis and crystallisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients.It will use theoretical and numerical studies to research the fundamental physics of a hybrid between bulk and surface waves. This platform is expected to improve energy efficiency a thousandfold, providing an economical ....Hybrid resonant acoustics for microfluidic materials synthesis. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of sound waves as a microfluidic micronisation platform for high throughput particle synthesis and crystallisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients.It will use theoretical and numerical studies to research the fundamental physics of a hybrid between bulk and surface waves. This platform is expected to improve energy efficiency a thousandfold, providing an economical and environmental alternative to conventional processes such as spray drying, and potentially transforming practice across the pharmaceutical, food and other industries.Read moreRead less
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
Image Based Visual Servo Control of Dynamic Under-Actuated Systems. The project builds on earlier work on visual servo control of under-actuated rigid body dynamics to develop and implement sophisticated and robust image based visual servo control for a wide class of under-actuated and fully actuated dynamic systems. The scope of the project extends far beyond basic testing of preliminary results to address key technical issues facing visual servo control algorithms at this time. The project i ....Image Based Visual Servo Control of Dynamic Under-Actuated Systems. The project builds on earlier work on visual servo control of under-actuated rigid body dynamics to develop and implement sophisticated and robust image based visual servo control for a wide class of under-actuated and fully actuated dynamic systems. The scope of the project extends far beyond basic testing of preliminary results to address key technical issues facing visual servo control algorithms at this time. The project is strongly motivated by the host of emerging applications for visual servo control of unmanned aerial vehicles. The experimental program within the project is based on control of a four rotor VTOL `hoverbot'.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
Developing a hybrid waterjet-laser micromachining technology and associated process models for damage-free fabrication of silicon substrates. This hybrid micromachining technology will make it possible for damage-free, fast micro-fabrication of high-integrity devices such as high performance silicon solar cells. It will open new directions for the Australian manufacturing industry in micro-technologies. The environmental and economic benefits to the nation will be highly significant.
Large-volume gradient materials: Manufacturing and deformation mechanism. This project aims to develop a low-cost and high productivity process to produce large-volume metals with high strength and good ductility, suitable for engineering application. Ultrafine grained (UFG) materials and nano-grained (NG) materials are usually strong, but not very ductile. This project will use an accumulative skin-pass rolling (ASPR) technique to fabricate the metallic strips with gradient structure. The numer ....Large-volume gradient materials: Manufacturing and deformation mechanism. This project aims to develop a low-cost and high productivity process to produce large-volume metals with high strength and good ductility, suitable for engineering application. Ultrafine grained (UFG) materials and nano-grained (NG) materials are usually strong, but not very ductile. This project will use an accumulative skin-pass rolling (ASPR) technique to fabricate the metallic strips with gradient structure. The numerical simulations developed in the project are expected to contribute to understanding the deformation mechanism of gradient materials.Read moreRead less
Guaranteeing the safety of short welds in automotive applications. Most safety-critical welds in the automotive and related industries are of short duration (less than three seconds). We will develop a unified theoretical model of short welds which accounts for all important phenomena. Using this model, we will create the first system to check every safety-critical weld in real time, with 3D data objects that use all the data available from the non-stationary process. The outcomes will be a comp ....Guaranteeing the safety of short welds in automotive applications. Most safety-critical welds in the automotive and related industries are of short duration (less than three seconds). We will develop a unified theoretical model of short welds which accounts for all important phenomena. Using this model, we will create the first system to check every safety-critical weld in real time, with 3D data objects that use all the data available from the non-stationary process. The outcomes will be a comprehensive understanding of short welds, which will be an essential step towards the development of more reliable welding procedures, and a weld fault monitor ready for industrial application.Read moreRead less
Mechanics of mixed film lubrication in strip rolling. Rolling speeds of tandem cold rolling mills for thin steel strip are often limited by hot scratches and self excited chatter vibration, which forces the mill to slow down. Consequently the output is reduced and significant out-of-specification materials produced. Operating practices are guided by experience and trial-and-error method. In this project, a comprehensive model will be produced to quantify the effects of relevant parameters that c ....Mechanics of mixed film lubrication in strip rolling. Rolling speeds of tandem cold rolling mills for thin steel strip are often limited by hot scratches and self excited chatter vibration, which forces the mill to slow down. Consequently the output is reduced and significant out-of-specification materials produced. Operating practices are guided by experience and trial-and-error method. In this project, a comprehensive model will be produced to quantify the effects of relevant parameters that can provide a much better understanding of the rolling process at speeds higher than previously possible, and help to improve its productivity as well as product quality.Read moreRead less