Media releases
Australian researchers leading world in robotics
6 May 2009
Australian researchers have taken a leading position globally in developing robotics for mining, agriculture, marine and air applications says new Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte.
He says Australia is one of the best placed countries in the world for the development of robotics and automated systems as some of our major industries such as mining, agriculture and forestry are well suited to automation and are becoming increasingly automated. He says these industries currently provide, and will continue to provide, major support to the robotics industry.
Professor Whyte is Research Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems at the University of Sydney. He is one of sixteen new Fellows speaking about their work today and he will be formally admitted to the Academy tomorrow as part of the Academy’s peak annual event Science at the Shine Dome.
His team at the University of Sydney has taken several projects to commercialisation including automated container handling, remote underwater vehicles for ocean study, and automated trucks and drills for surface mining. The Centre has several start-up companies for various systems and employs over 200 people.
Professor Whyte stressed that development in automation is all about increasing safety and production not taking people out of the equation.
‘The point is not taking people off their tractors, but increasing the safety, accuracy and efficiency of how things are done to minimise input and provide best use practice’.
He believes that improved interaction is needed between robots and people and that we will become increasingly integrated. He says there needs to be safety and softness built in to robots to make them more compatible for human use.
Becoming a Fellow of the Academy was a surprise for Professor Whyte. He said he was ‘honoured and very pleased’ at the appointment.
Further information on Science at the Shine Dome: www.science.org.au/sats2009/index
What: Science at the Shine Dome
When: 6–8 May 2009
Where: Shine Dome, Gordon St, Acton, Canberra
Contact: Mona Akbari: (02) 6201 9452, 0447 679 612, mona.akbari@science.org.au
