High precision material processing using ultrashort laser pulses at MHz repetition rates. The continual miniaturisation of mechanical and electronic components for biomedical, aerospace and industrial products is driving the demand for advanced fabrication techniques. Femtosecond laser micromachining in particular is emerging as a critical manufacturing process for these components and other new and unprecedented applications.
The project will build up strong links between the Photonics Institu ....High precision material processing using ultrashort laser pulses at MHz repetition rates. The continual miniaturisation of mechanical and electronic components for biomedical, aerospace and industrial products is driving the demand for advanced fabrication techniques. Femtosecond laser micromachining in particular is emerging as a critical manufacturing process for these components and other new and unprecedented applications.
The project will build up strong links between the Photonics Institute in Vienna, Austria, which is noted for their achievements in the development of femtosecond light sources, and the CLA, which has an excellent reputation for its expert knowledge in laser material processing. It is therefore believed to be beneficial for research in both countries.
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An Intelligent Robotic System for Underwater Structure Maintenance. This project aims to build a theoretical and experimental foundation for developing robots for underwater structure maintenance in near surface and tidal environments where water current and wave action can be strong. A novel intelligent robotic system with multiple arms is planned to be developed. The project will address research challenges associated with perception, mapping, planning and control, and develop methodologies th ....An Intelligent Robotic System for Underwater Structure Maintenance. This project aims to build a theoretical and experimental foundation for developing robots for underwater structure maintenance in near surface and tidal environments where water current and wave action can be strong. A novel intelligent robotic system with multiple arms is planned to be developed. The project will address research challenges associated with perception, mapping, planning and control, and develop methodologies that enable the realisation of such robotic systems. The intended outcomes will contribute to marine robotics research and its industrial applications, and will improve productivity and occupational health and safety by replacing the humans needed to work in such hazardous environments.Read moreRead less
Biologically inspired robotic system for steel bridge condition assessment. Australia has many thousands of steel bridges which form a key infrastructure supporting urban and rural communities. Periodic inspection is a vital undertaking that minimises risk of bridge failures and associated community impact. This project will develop a robotic inspection system capable of crawling over the structure, inspecting all areas, acquiring essential information and appropriately presenting these to a hu ....Biologically inspired robotic system for steel bridge condition assessment. Australia has many thousands of steel bridges which form a key infrastructure supporting urban and rural communities. Periodic inspection is a vital undertaking that minimises risk of bridge failures and associated community impact. This project will develop a robotic inspection system capable of crawling over the structure, inspecting all areas, acquiring essential information and appropriately presenting these to a human operator to facilitate effective condition assessment. The project's outcomes will lay the foundation for the world-wide use of bio-inspired robots in civil infrastructure condition assessment, significantly increasing worker’ safety and greatly reducing the costs and improving the efficiency of the inspection process.Read moreRead less
Assistive Robotic Systems for Augmenting Human Strength in Industrial Applications. A theoretical foundation needs to be developed in order for assistive robots to collaborate with human workers and optimise the capabilities of both the human and the robot. This project aims to develop methodologies that enable assistive robots to augment the strength of humans conducting physically demanding work, such as abrasive blasting, in complex industrial environments. It aims to address research challen ....Assistive Robotic Systems for Augmenting Human Strength in Industrial Applications. A theoretical foundation needs to be developed in order for assistive robots to collaborate with human workers and optimise the capabilities of both the human and the robot. This project aims to develop methodologies that enable assistive robots to augment the strength of humans conducting physically demanding work, such as abrasive blasting, in complex industrial environments. It aims to address research challenges associated with perception and control of robotic systems that provide assistance as- needed physical support to a worker intuitively and safely. The ultimate objectives are to improve productivity and reduce injuries. The outcomes intend to have significant and immediate impacts on assistive robotics research and industrial applications.Read moreRead less
A New Parallel Robot with breakthrough performance for Manufacturing of Aerospace Components - kinematic and dynamic synthesis, design optimisation and prototyping. The Gantry-Tau is a new parallel type robot manipulator that will have the large workspace benefit of traditional Gantry robots in addition to stiffness and accuracy benefits well beyond the capabilities of existing robots. Preliminary results have shown that the Gantry-Tau can become the most accurate Gantry manipulator to date, wit ....A New Parallel Robot with breakthrough performance for Manufacturing of Aerospace Components - kinematic and dynamic synthesis, design optimisation and prototyping. The Gantry-Tau is a new parallel type robot manipulator that will have the large workspace benefit of traditional Gantry robots in addition to stiffness and accuracy benefits well beyond the capabilities of existing robots. Preliminary results have shown that the Gantry-Tau can become the most accurate Gantry manipulator to date, with the potential of competing with dedicated machines in the manufacturing industry. The expected project outcome is a working prototype of the Gantry-Tau demonstrating machining performance on aerospace components, publications in high-ranked conferences and journals and several patent applications.Read moreRead less
Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in high-speed abrasive waterjet turning. This project will have a significant impact for the manufacturing industry by providing a new abrasive waterjet turning technology for producing highly reliable products from advanced, but difficult-to-machine, materials. It will also develop into a new branch of science by understanding the mechanics associated with the new turning process.
Enabling ambient intelligence for manufacturing processes through distributed camera networks. This project will develop methods to optimise and schedule networks of smart and traditional cameras in a manufacturing environment, enabling knowledge capture, manage performance and identify causes of quality degradation. This research will assist Australian manufacturers to stay competitive in the dynamic global market.
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
Laser-based dynamic measurements, model identification and error compensation for multi-arm robotic pre-fabrication of structural components. The aim is to establish methodologies for laser-based dynamic measurements, accurate model identification and error correction in multi-arm cooperative robotic manipulation systems. The expected outcomes include development of enabling technologies and the world's first automated fabrication system for structural timber components. The novel methodologi ....Laser-based dynamic measurements, model identification and error compensation for multi-arm robotic pre-fabrication of structural components. The aim is to establish methodologies for laser-based dynamic measurements, accurate model identification and error correction in multi-arm cooperative robotic manipulation systems. The expected outcomes include development of enabling technologies and the world's first automated fabrication system for structural timber components. The novel methodologies established will increase safety, and improve and automate the fabrication of wall frames, roof trusses, and floor and ceiling panels for housing, industrial and commercial projects within Australia and overseas. Other application areas include multi-arm manufacturing and handling of large components, materials handling in hazardous environments, and robotic servicing tasks in remote places.Read moreRead less
Modelling of Pulse Current Parameters and Design of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Uniform Metal Transfer in Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding of Aluminium Alloy. The use of aluminium alloys in automotive and aerospace industry is growing across the world. In order to improve the use of aluminium alloy in various industries, the welding process for aluminium need to be improved. The objective of this research is to develop an intelligent controller for welding power source, which is capable of selectin ....Modelling of Pulse Current Parameters and Design of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Uniform Metal Transfer in Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding of Aluminium Alloy. The use of aluminium alloys in automotive and aerospace industry is growing across the world. In order to improve the use of aluminium alloy in various industries, the welding process for aluminium need to be improved. The objective of this research is to develop an intelligent controller for welding power source, which is capable of selecting process parameters automatically for varying pulse conditions in welding of aluminium alloys. The fundamental understanding about development of proposed intelligent system with smart controller for uniform metal transfer will create global interest across the welding industry and will create a new market potential throughout world where use of aluminium as a base material is growing.Read moreRead less