Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,00 ....Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,000 Australians who wear contact lenses. This collaborative research directly supports the mission of a respected non-profit organisation (Institute for Eye Research) and will train scientists in world-leading analytical technologies that are essential to Australia's emerging biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
A Machine Learning Framework for Concrete Workability Estimation . Concrete is the most used construction material in Australia. The project aims to develop a system to measure the workability of concrete in transit in agitator trucks using advanced machine vision and machine learning, and provide a reliable alternative to the current practice of visually testing concrete workability by certified testers. Concrete that fails to meet workability requirements is one of the most frequent reasons fo ....A Machine Learning Framework for Concrete Workability Estimation . Concrete is the most used construction material in Australia. The project aims to develop a system to measure the workability of concrete in transit in agitator trucks using advanced machine vision and machine learning, and provide a reliable alternative to the current practice of visually testing concrete workability by certified testers. Concrete that fails to meet workability requirements is one of the most frequent reasons for rejection at construction sites, resulting in significant costs, waste, and delays. Multimodal data sources will be used to provide a reliable workability estimate in real time, enabling construction teams to identify and rectify workability issues in transit while continuously monitoring the adjustments effects.Read moreRead less
Examination of unique tear lipids and their role in the tear film's structure and function. The tear film lipid layer covers the eye, stabilises the tears and prevents their evaporation. Yet its structure, function and composition are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of this project is to fully characterise the unique lipids in this layer, the long-chain omega-hydroxy fatty acids (not found elsewhere in the body), and to determine their role in its structure and function. The project is signi ....Examination of unique tear lipids and their role in the tear film's structure and function. The tear film lipid layer covers the eye, stabilises the tears and prevents their evaporation. Yet its structure, function and composition are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of this project is to fully characterise the unique lipids in this layer, the long-chain omega-hydroxy fatty acids (not found elsewhere in the body), and to determine their role in its structure and function. The project is significant because the unique combination of skills including synthetic chemistry, mass spectrometry, lipidomics, biochemistry, biophysics which aim to result in a major shift in the understanding of this layer.Read moreRead less
Investigation of the structure of the pre-ocular tear film. Eye care is critical to the elderly e.g. over 50% can expect to suffer from dry-eye which inhibits productivity and independence. Eye-drops are often used for treatment and development of drops will improve the well-being and productivity of the elderly. Formulation of eye-drops is complex because they must be comfortable, easy to use, and preserve the active agent. Better formulations will benefit people both medically and financially. ....Investigation of the structure of the pre-ocular tear film. Eye care is critical to the elderly e.g. over 50% can expect to suffer from dry-eye which inhibits productivity and independence. Eye-drops are often used for treatment and development of drops will improve the well-being and productivity of the elderly. Formulation of eye-drops is complex because they must be comfortable, easy to use, and preserve the active agent. Better formulations will benefit people both medically and financially. It will lead to more compliance, and thus maintain the independence of and productivity of older people. This will increase the market share and the financial gains will be fed back to the community. This project will also train scientists in industrial production and marketing.Read moreRead less
Cochlear Implants: Identifying Current Paths through Computational Modelling of MRI Data. The Cochlear implant is an Australian invention (first prototype 1978), leading to the formation of Cochlear Ltd. to commercialise it. Cochlear Ltd. has now delivered implants to over 60,000 people in 70 nations across the world. Copycat companies have arisen overseas, but Cochlear Ltd. remains the market leader, due to their commitment to ongoing R&D. The present project involves magnetic resonance imaging ....Cochlear Implants: Identifying Current Paths through Computational Modelling of MRI Data. The Cochlear implant is an Australian invention (first prototype 1978), leading to the formation of Cochlear Ltd. to commercialise it. Cochlear Ltd. has now delivered implants to over 60,000 people in 70 nations across the world. Copycat companies have arisen overseas, but Cochlear Ltd. remains the market leader, due to their commitment to ongoing R&D. The present project involves magnetic resonance imaging and finite element analysis to study the current leakage pathways in the cranial cavity for the purpose of optimizing the design and placement of the return electrode. The obvious benefit of this is longer battery life. Better understanding of current leakage over other intracranial nerves is the other anticipated benefit.Read moreRead less
A Vision Controlled Autonomous Multi-Robot Welding System. This developed system will increase the application of robotic welding in more Australian industries thereby increaseing the productivity and competitiveness of the nation. The system will provide a safer work environment for workers by reducing and potentially eliminating direct exposure of workers to the welding process. This fully automated welding system will give the Lincoln a significant advantage in commercialise this technology b ....A Vision Controlled Autonomous Multi-Robot Welding System. This developed system will increase the application of robotic welding in more Australian industries thereby increaseing the productivity and competitiveness of the nation. The system will provide a safer work environment for workers by reducing and potentially eliminating direct exposure of workers to the welding process. This fully automated welding system will give the Lincoln a significant advantage in commercialise this technology both in Australia and overseas. Therefore, this will reap considerable economic benefit for the company, and the nation. This project will also provide a realistic industrial environment for PhD student training.Read moreRead less
The effect of cochlear implants on cognitive decline in ageing Australians. This project aims to investigate the impact of cochlear implants on cognitive function in elderly people with deafness. Deafness has been found to be independently associated with a 30–40 per cent accelerated rate of cognitive decline in elderly adults. There is currently no effective treatment for cognitive decline. The intended outcomes of this observational study will help us to understand the biological process of co ....The effect of cochlear implants on cognitive decline in ageing Australians. This project aims to investigate the impact of cochlear implants on cognitive function in elderly people with deafness. Deafness has been found to be independently associated with a 30–40 per cent accelerated rate of cognitive decline in elderly adults. There is currently no effective treatment for cognitive decline. The intended outcomes of this observational study will help us to understand the biological process of cognitive decline, whether hearing loss is causal, and whether the process can be altered. These findings should be applicable to all individuals with hearing loss. If cochlear implants delay cognitive decline, this would significantly affect policy, quality of life for the elderly, and the cost to society.Read moreRead less
Visual methods for advanced automation of underwater manipulation. This project will increase the autonomy of underwater robotic systems engaged in intervention and inspection tasks. Such activities are essential for the operation of subsea robotic systems used in offshore industries, scientific exploration and defence. Our approach will improve perception and situational awareness through the principled fusion of multiple navigation and camera sensors. We will use this improved scene understand ....Visual methods for advanced automation of underwater manipulation. This project will increase the autonomy of underwater robotic systems engaged in intervention and inspection tasks. Such activities are essential for the operation of subsea robotic systems used in offshore industries, scientific exploration and defence. Our approach will improve perception and situational awareness through the principled fusion of multiple navigation and camera sensors. We will use this improved scene understanding to effectively plan the motion of vehicles and manipulators through larger and more complex workspaces, enabling semi-supervised and autonomous task execution. Our project will demonstrate these capabilities in real-world deployments relevant to industry and marine science.Read moreRead less
Developing key vision technology for automation of aquaculture factory. This project aims to investigate structural, coloured textural, and hyperspectral analysis approaches to achieve automated lobster molt-cycle staging and classification to the level required for commercial production. High labour cost, water contamination, and disease transmission are major barriers in Australian bay lobster aquaculture inhibiting its large scale production. Automation of the production process and reducing ....Developing key vision technology for automation of aquaculture factory. This project aims to investigate structural, coloured textural, and hyperspectral analysis approaches to achieve automated lobster molt-cycle staging and classification to the level required for commercial production. High labour cost, water contamination, and disease transmission are major barriers in Australian bay lobster aquaculture inhibiting its large scale production. Automation of the production process and reducing the human contact with animals are of high priority in the development of this Australian-led emerging industry. The project aims to develop technology to bring this world- first aquaculture factory to large scale production, and create new export opportunities for lobsters and production systems.Read moreRead less
Learning Medical Image Knowledge. We aim to develop Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition techniques for automated recognition of features in medical images, and to provide decision support for diagnosis from medical images. The project is innovative in its use of layered learning, where the computer first learns to recognise low-level image features that are then used to learn more complex features. The project is also innovative in combining a variety of automatic learning methods, includ ....Learning Medical Image Knowledge. We aim to develop Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition techniques for automated recognition of features in medical images, and to provide decision support for diagnosis from medical images. The project is innovative in its use of layered learning, where the computer first learns to recognise low-level image features that are then used to learn more complex features. The project is also innovative in combining a variety of automatic learning methods, including relational learning, with human-assisted knowledge acquisition methods. The expected outcomes will be new techniques for image understanding, particularly for our test domain, namely, High Resolution Computed Tomography scans of the lung.Read moreRead less