AusIndustry is the Australian Government's principalbusiness program delivery division in the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

AusIndustry delivers a range of more than 30 businessprograms - including innovation grants, tax and dutyconcessions, small business development, industry support and venture capital - worth about $2 billion to more than 10,000 businesses and about 100,000 individuals every year.

To help customers with product and eligibility information, AusIndustry has customer service managers located in more than 20 offices acrossAustralia, plus a national hotline and website.

AusIndustry offers both entitlement and grant programs.For a grants-based program, customers compete forlimited funds, based on the merit of their application.For entitlements-based programs, such as R&D TaxConcessions, a customer makes a claim, based on their self-assessed eligibility.

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio TintoLimited, which is listed on the Australian SecuritiesExchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processingmineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold,industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc)and iron ore. Activities span the world but are stronglyrepresented in Australia and North America with signifi-cant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe andsouthern Africa.

Shelston IP is one of the largest and most respectedintellectual property firms in Australia and New Zealand,delivering the full range of IP and related legal servicesand advice to our clients.

Built on a strong foundation spanning 150 years,Shelston IP's teams of highly qualified and commerciallyastute specialist patent attorneys, trademark attorneysand IP lawyers are finely attuned to the needs of modern business.

Delivering services that extend from patent, trademarkand design registration to strategic portfolio management,due diligence, licensing and litigation, Shelston IPdemonstrates a thorough commitment to our clientsand their commercial goals, in Australia and beyond.

"Mind to market" reflects a crucial difference betweenShelston IP and other firms. Our experience and knowledge of the processes involved in converting ideas and innovations into intellectual assets, and adeep appreciation of what it takes for our clients to successfully commercialise those assets, sets us apart.

NATIONAL SPONSORS

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The University of Queensland is a leader in research, teaching and technology transfer in acomprehensive range of disciplines. UQ encourages and develops innovative new technologies that will contribute to the future of engineering. The University's Sustainable Minerals Institute and the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology have established research activity in a diverse range of areas including social responsibility, safety, risk management, and sustainablewater use, to complement long-standing expertise in the engineering aspects of mining and processing.This research is commercialised by JKTech Pty Ltd, which helps to bring new technologies to life. Bycombining modern infrastructure with a culture that champions research excellence, UQ and its diversecommunity of scientists and engineers will continue to provide the answers to our most importantengineering questions.

Industry and Investment NSW (I&I NSW) works to develop a diversified State economy that creates jobs.I&I NSW supports innovative, sustainable and globally competitive industries through its strong technicalknowledge and scientific capabilities. The department builds effective partnerships with industry sectors bylinking them to NSW’s knowledge and skills capacity.I&I NSW is the first point of contact for companies wanting to invest and do business in Sydney and NSWand take advantage of economic opportunities in the Asia Pacific, the world’s fastest growing region.I&I NSW works with business to strengthen the State’s global competitiveness through investment and job creation and building business capability.The department can provide international companies and investors with a range of confidential services,including information about investment and partnership opportunities in financial services, ICT, lifesciences, mineral resources, infrastructure and other sectors in NSW.The department’s clients include Australian and international companies and organisations of all sizes. Its services are delivered through a head office in Orange plus a network of regional offices across NSW.For more information visit www.business.nsw.gov.au

The Victorian Government has long supported innovation and technology as a cornerstone to thedevelopment of a vibrant knowledge-based economy. In the past decade nearly $4 billion has beenallocated to innovation-related initiatives, the largest commitment of any state government in Australia. Victoria is the innovation capital of the Asia Pacific, transforming good ideas into thriving industries andrewarding jobs, lifting productivity and creating healthier and more sustainable communities. This commitment and leadership has seen Victoria become home to some of the world's leading researchfacilities and led to the formation of major global partnerships in areas such as biomedicine and informationand communication technology (ICT).The world's most powerful supercomputer dedicated to life sciences research is currently being built inMelbourne - once complete it will be over 800 Teraflops.The Victorian ICT industry has particular strengths in skills and R&D. Victoria has one of the largest R&Dclusters in the southern hemisphere including the NICTA Victoria Research Laboratory, which provides thestate with world-leading commercially-focused research across a range of ICT sectors. Over the last three years, the ICT industry in Victoria has experienced large levels of growth. The industry nowgenerates around $27.4 billion annually and Victorian headquartered ICT companies have annual revenuesof $2.92 billion from overseas operations and exports of ICT equipment and services.The Victorian Government is pleased to support The Warren Centre Innovation Lecture 2010.

Innovate SA is a South Australian business builder.By providing high level services, advice and support it facilitates the growth, innovation and internationalcompetitiveness of emerging and established business and industry sectors in South Australia.Assistance is targeted at emerging, transforming and transitioning businesses that want to grow and export.Innovate SA assists businesses develop innovative products, services and business models – by providingentrepreneurial skills development programs, independent business advice, diagnostic services andassistance with grant funding and referrals.Innovate SA is the bringing together of the SA Centre for Innovation, Venture Capital SA, the GrowingGlobal Companies Program and Business Sustainability Alliance.Innovate SA’s Programs and Services are offered under a range of targeted support areas;Venture Capital – assisting early stage and mature businesses access business angel, venture capital andprivate equity investment.Growth – assisting early stage businesses with innovative products or services.Sustainability – supporting the sustainability and transformation of mature businesses.For further information go to www.innovatesa.com.au

The University of Adelaide’s Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC)exists to stimulate Australian innovation through entrepreneurship & commercialisation, research,education and training. ECIC's academic leaders pursue cutting-edge research and provide further opportunities for PhDcandidates. The Centre, with campuses in Adelaide and Sydney, offers a range of study programs - withawards to Masters level - in entrepreneurship, science & technology commercialisation and projectmanagement. In 2008, the ECIC launched a new Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship &Innovation and undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity.ECIC is the home of the University of Adelaide's e-challenge. This contest provides mentoring opportunitiesand support, including cash prizes, for young innovators to develop business plans that turn ideas intoviable businesses. ECIC also manages the Incubator, a purpose-built facility at the University's Research Park on its The barton Campus. The Incubator complements and supports participants in the University's GraduateEntrepreneurial Program and provides furnished offices for other early-stage innovative, knowledge-based businesses. ECIC - putting brilliant ideas on the map.

STATE SPONSORS

DR SIMON POOLE - DIRECTOR, NEW BUSINESS VENTURES, FINISAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SYDNEY

Dr Simon Poole is an engineer, innovator and entrepreneur with over 30 years experience in communications andphotonics technologies, academia and industry. A member of the team that invented the Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier,one of the key inventions underpinning the optical communications revolution with a market of $300million p.a. Hefounded the Optical Fibre Technology Centre at Sydney University and the Australian Photonics CRC. He founded andsold two successful photonics companies, Indx and Engana, and has been closely involved in many others.

In 2001, Simon Poole and Steve Frisken founded Engana. Engana developed Wavelength Selective Switching (WSS)technologies, which is now part of Finisar, a leading supplier of optical components and modules. Finisar Australia,located in Waterloo, has 150 staff working on the development and manufacturing of WSS-based products.

DR STEVEN FRISKEN - CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, FINISAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SYDNEY

Dr Steve Frisken was a co-founder of the successful Photonic Technologies company where he developed andprotected the IP culminating in the acquisition by Nortel Networks, becoming the interim CEO. He introduced atelecommunications optical circulator which has been adopted by industry – and passive and dynamic EDFA gain flattening filters leading to the first laboratory DWDM amplifiers.

Steve Frisken co-founded Engana with Simon Poole and was the Chief Technology Officer and CEO of Engana,Australia's most successful optical start-up company. As CTO of Finisar Australia, he is leading the development of WSS technology that Finisar Australia designs, develops, manufactures and sells.

ALEXANDER GOSLING - DIRECTOR, INVETECH PTY LTD, MELBOURNE

Alexander Gosling is a co-founder, Director and Chief Executive of Invetech, a company focused on productdevelopment through the innovative use of technology. The company employs 200 scientists, engineers andtechnicians and supports clients throughout Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. Invetech's subsequent evolution into Vision Systems Ltd was acquired by the US Danaher Group for around $800M.

Invetech has designed new strategic platform instruments for seven of the world's top ten diagnostic companies. An example is the Bioplex 2200, the leading random access clinical chemistry analysis system which is alsomanufactured by Invetech on contract for Bio-Rad globally.

Invetech has generated several billion dollars worth of value for its clients by converting new science and coretechnology into commercial products and processes.

PROFESSOR GERNOT HEISER - UNIVERSITY OF NSW, NICTA & OPEN KERNEL LAB, SYDNEY

Professor Heiser has built one of the world's leading computer operating systems research groups, and his productsinclude the L4 microkernel, the core technology of Open Kernel Labs, where he is the C.T.O. This US company performs all research and development in Sydney, and has shipped its microkernel operating system in more than 500 million mobile phones.

He currently is developing embedded systems that are secure, safe and reliable by guaranteeing that the system willnever “crash”, or be subverted by malware. The market for this technology is estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

Gernot pioneered, with members of UNSW's Photovoltaics Special Research Centre, advanced techniques to improvethe operations of silicon solar cells, contributing to increased solar-cell efficiencies.

DR BOB JOHNSON - FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MAPTEK PTY LTD, ADELAIDE

Maptek is a pioneer of innovative software technology in the mining industry, with offices in Adelaide, Brisbane,Newcastle, Perth and Sydney; Brazil; USA; Chile; Mexico; UK; Peru; and RSA; and employs 250 staff.

Maptek Vulcan software provides advanced 3D spatial information, modelling, visualisation and analysis. Its linkingcapabilities have led to the development of Maptek I-Site Laser Imaging hardware and software products. Laserscanning can be used in the mining, engineering and surveying and forensic industries to create 3D models for a variety of spatial and volumetric analysis tasks. It is the only scanner with an integrated digital camera, enabling capture of 3D laser point clouds with overlaid photo pixels.

Maptek MineSuite provides a complete production monitoring and fleet management solution. Maptek Services help mine operations improve performance, productivity and profitability.

NEIL O'SULLIVAN - MANAGING DIRECTOR, NOJA POWER SWITCHGEAR PTY LTD, on behalf of his seniormanagement team: Oleg Samarski, Jay Manne, Quynh Anh Le and Tony Stacey in Brisbane.

NOJA Power designs and manufactures low and medium voltage switchgear products incorporating manyinnovations. The company conducts an extensive research and development program that involves market research to identify changing customer needs and the regulatory environment.

The environmental benefits of NOJA Power's products represent a unique selling point for the company. It hasdeveloped a range of products that completely eliminate the need for the oil or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) typically used in the industry as insulants. Both of these have negative environmental implications – the IPCC considers SF6 to be the most harmful greenhouse gas it has evaluated.

INNOVATION HEROES AWARDS

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PROLOGUEWhat do the words “Autonomous Systems” conjure up inyour minds? How about “Field Robotics”, “Mechatronics”and “Artificial Intelligence”? Are you thinking of humanoidmachines with super powers or car productions lines fullof welding robots? To our Innovation Hero and this year'sInnovation Lecturer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte,these words embrace a world leading centre of excellencespread across three Sydney-based universities which isbringing science-fiction into practical reality.

His international teams are working on human robotinterfaces and all kinds of machine and systems whichcan improve the safety and productivity of our industries,enhance our lives and help us do things we have neverbeen able to achieve until now. Recently elected as aFellow of The Royal Society (FRS) Professor HughDurrant-Whyte is a true Innovation Hero, leading teams where innovation is a daily occurrence.

This year we recognise other innovation heroes in vastlydiffering engineering-based fields. Neil O'Sullivan leadsthe drivers of NOJA Power Switchboard, a Queenslandbased company, which produces leading edge switchgearsystems. In the communication and photonics industry werecognise two outstanding men who coincidently workfor the same company, Finisar Australia. In the 1980's Dr Simon Poole was a co-inventor of a key component in optical communications, the Erbium-Doped FibreAmplifier (EDFA) which has a current market volume of$300 million per annum. His colleague, Dr Steven Frisken,was a co-founder of photonic technologies in 1993 and isthe brains behind the world leading WSS technology thatFinisar produces for the global market.

Mr Alexander Gosling is co-founder and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Invetech, a company focussed on productinnovation and development which now employs over200 scientists, engineers and technicians (recently sold to the US Danaher Group for about $800 million).

This year's crop of Innovation Heroes are fine examplesof what can be achieved with limited resources andunlimited drive and imagination.

I have just completed a delightful but difficult task aschairman of Judges for the 2010 Australian ConstructionAchievement Award, won by Brookfield Multiplex for thenew Melbourne Convention Centre. View the finalistsand marvel at the strength of the Australian ConstructionIndustry at the ACA website, http://www.constructors.com.au

The Warren Centre has recently commenced the secondphase of two ground breaking projects. With strongsupport of a broad cross-section of players in thecommercial office business, the Low Energy High RiseStage 2 project will develop and disseminate practicaltools to improve energy performance by implementingthe findings of the first stage. The Professional Performance,Innovation and Risk in modern Australian engineeringpractice phase 2 (PPIR2) commenced in May and willinvolve the rollout of the concepts and protocol toprofessional engineers and project personnel at all steps in the supply chain delivering engineering basedproducts, projects and services. Of special interest arecustomer organisations, and I am pleased to announcealready Queensland Main Roads and Railcorp are among

the pioneers willing to test the protocol along withLeighton Group, Worley Parsons, Thales and GHD.

To achieve the rollout of massive infrastructure projects,the skill shortage in engineering & technology must beaddressed and The Warren Centre has developed a webbased interactive venture called Engineering Icons(www.engineeringicons.org.au). Aimed at high schoolstudents, teachers and career advisors this exciting sitehighlights large and small Australian achievements such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Wandoo GiantOffshore Oil Platform and the Cochlear Ear Implant. The website features pictures, fast facts, quizzes, videos and young talent snapshots, as well as opportunities tonominate Icons, Engineering Heroes and Young Engineers.

The ads are going out for the appointment of the InauguralProfessor to The Warren Centre Chair of EngineeringInnovation, within the Faculty of Engineering & IT atSydney University. It is hoped that the new post graduatecourses will provide the aspiring leaders of Australiantechnology-driven companies with the skills andexperiences they need to ultimately assume thoseleadership roles.

To encourage interaction between industry, academia andgovernment, The Warren Centre will join with the Facultyin holding Roundtables on Biomedical Engineering(including an international presentation at the AustralianPavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010), Electric Vehicle LifeCycle, Energy Storage, Water and ICT. We are setting upa Residential Energy Management Forum to bring togetherall players in a new industry which will grow from theintroduction of Smart Grids and energy optimisation.

Many more projects are in the pipeline but are held backby a lack of funds and human resources. If you like whatwe do and can contribute your time (or money) to help us achieve our bold vision to advance Australia fairly and sustainably, then don't be shy. Become an ExecutiveVolunteer or join one of our teams. Contact me or one ofour small team. We would love to have you on board.

In the meantime, we will continue to be dedicated to“Networking Innovation”.

Professor Michael DureauChairman and Executive DirectorThe Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering Limited

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Fortune favours the Brave, Virgil, Aeneid

AN INTRODUCTION TOROBOTICSI was immensely fortunate to be in at the start of modernrobotics research. In 1983 I won a Thouron Scholarshipto study at the University of Pennsylvania wherepioneering work in areas of computer vision andperception were then being undertaken. This was anespecially exciting time in robotics, as it always is at theinception of a new field, where many new ideas werediscussed and tried and where I had the opportunity to work with many great people. This was a time when I had the opportunity to develop some of my first workin sensing and data fusion for robotics.

After completing my PhD in 1986, I returned to the UK to work in the Robotics Research Group then beingestablished by the legendary (Sir) Mike Brady at OxfordUniversity. I was given great opportunities to develop my ideas in new areas and in particular to start thinkingabout mobile robotics. I built up a small group with afocus on mobile robot navigation and perception. Thisproved to be an exceptionally productive time both formy research and my personal development. Many of theleading ideas now in standard use in the mobile roboticsfield were developed by my group at this time. I was alsofortunate to have a long string of outstanding graduatestudents, many of whom have become leading researchersin their own right.

One of the most significant research projects weundertook was the development of the 'OxNav' robot.The work undertaken on this robot underpins much of what I have achieved in the past 15 years and alsomuch of the technology used in all mobile robot systems.OxNav was one of the first robots to be capable of fullyautonomous navigation; that is to map an environmentand use this map in planning and control. OxNav alsoimplemented the first simultaneous localisation andmapping (SLAM) algorithm that is now the mainstay of almost all mobile robotics systems. OxNav was uniquein other ways; it was designed to be fully modular andscalar both in its sensing and control functions, andindeed developed important algorithms for networked

operations of sensors and controllers which have servedas precursors to modern sensor network systems. We will return to various elements of this project throughoutthis presentation.

FIRST FIELD ROBOTICS SYSTEMIn the spring of 1990 I was visited by an ex-ArmyColonel by the name of David Avery (who looked everybit the British ex-Army Colonel of popular imagination).He had been hired as a logistics consultant by a groupwho were planning a new container terminal in theThames-Medway estuary. He had the idea of designingthis new terminal to take advantage of future automationsystems and wanted some assistance choosing sensors for an automated rail-mounted gantry crane. Amazingly,we hit it off straight away, I loved his container yards, and he loved my robots. We came up with a plan todevelop a large flat-bed automated vehicle capable ofmoving containers between quay and gantry cranes.David went off to look for money, I sat down to try andwork out how this could be technically accomplished.We both had a much larger task on our hands than either had anticipated. To cut a long story short, Davideventually put together a consortium including TerbergBV, a terminal equipment producer; Thamesport,operator of the new terminal; and various grants from the EEC and UK governments. I worked out the basicmathematics for large vehicle navigation and control andalso made links into GEC Marconi to provide mm-waveradar technology for the main sensor systems.

By 1993, after a huge amount of hard work both on thetechnology and commercial front, we had a system

together that wecould demonstrate. I look back now and am amazed athow much we learntin such a short spaceof time. Essentialideas about vehiclemodelling, systemsintegrity, radarperception, real-timevehicle control and

many others were developed in this project; far moreindeed than could or would have been achieved in amere university research project! Equally we learnt manyhard facts about running a commercial business, aboutmoney and customers, how selling things is just asimportant as the technology development. Ultimately,while the FRAIT system was a huge technical success, the end-users were just not ready for the technology, andin a capital-intensive risk-averse industry, were certainlynot going to take a chance on an ex-army colonel and anOxford academic. By late 1994 it was clear that we werenot going to sell the FRAIT system in the near term. Thecompany we had formed pursued other lines of work inradar sensing and materials handling, but gradually thecompany broke-up as key people saw that the vision wehad was not going to materialise. However, I had beenbitten by the 'Field Robotics' bug and there was no goingback to indoor robotics.

THE ROBOTS ARE COMING! The Robotic Revolution in Australian Industry

DELIVERED BY

PROF HUGH DURRANT-WHYTE FRS

The OxNav mobile robot

The FRAIT 80 automated cargohandling vehicle

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MOVING TO AUSTRALIAIn mid 1994 I came across a job advert in the IEEESpectrum for a Professor of Mechatronics at theUniversity of Sydney. Australia: Big, empty and a long way from anywhere; the perfect place to do fieldrobotics! I showed my wife who more pragmatically saw sun, surf and a sister also living in Sydney. I sent in an application by e-mail. John Kent, then head ofschool called me the very next day and I flew out thefollowing week. John took me to the beach at Manly,introduced me to an Alumni, John Young, who had juststarted a senior management position at Patrick, and Imet the group in mechatronics who I could see had greatenthusiasm and potential. The deal was done.

We hit the ground running. It seemed like Australia wasready for robotics. As a group, Eduardo Nebot, Gamini(Dissa) Dissanayake, David Rye and myself resolved towork closely together on 'field robotics'. We established a very important 'team' ethos that has persisted to thisday and underpins the success of the ACFR.

Field robotics is distinguished from more traditionalautomation research by its focus on large-scale outdoorautonomous systems in applications that are characterisedby relatively unstructured, difficult and often hazardousenvironments. It draws together the most advancedresearch areas in robotics, including navigation andcontrol, sensing and data fusion, safety and reliability, andplanning and logistics. It aims to develop autonomousrobotic systems capable of operating in highly challengingapplications sectors including mining, construction, cargohandling, agriculture, undersea and aerospace systems.Field robotics is an area notable for focussing the mostadvanced ideas from robotics and mechatronics researchto solve demanding real-world engineering applications.

In our first year, 1996, we successfully secured three ARCfunded projects. One of these was to result in the keySLAM algorithms which have become arguably the mostimportant single piece of international robotics researchin the past 15 years and which went a long way toestablish the international reputation of the group atSydney. A second project was a Linkage grant with Patrickaimed at developing new high-speed crane technology.This was also very important as our first industrypartnership and appeared at a critical juncture as Patrick,under the leadership of Chris Corrigan, began investingin new technology with a view to improving efficiency on the Australian waterfront. My first meeting with Chriswas when he came to see the scale-model crane we haddeveloped and to demonstrate the control and operationof the system. He asked what else we could do and Ishowed him a video of the FRAIT vehicle. He asked if we could automate a straddle carrier. No problem I said.

THE AUTOSTRAD PROJECT

The AutoStrad project (as it was to become) had a greatmany things going for it. First, it was essentially anopportunity to re-visit the port automation question asecond time with all the knowledge and experiencegained at Thamesport. Second, it benefitted from thedirect support of senior management in Patrick whichproved to be essential when the going got tough. Third,we assembled a hugely talented team, not just the groupat Sydney, but two critical people who worked with me at Oxford and on the earlier FRAIT project, Mike Stevensand Phil Avery, and also a great management team fromPatrick in Grahame Nelmes and John Young. Our firststraddle carrier arrived in Sydney in late 1997 and workbegan at a secret site at St Mary's. At this time Patrick also began their dispute with the Unions which added acertain clandestine spice to the proceedings.

AutoStrad involved much technical innovation, especiallyin the areas of navigation and systems engineering. Manyideas we had been researching and thinking about sincethe FRAIT project came to fruition. To again cut a longstory short, the first demonstration to the Patrick boardoccurred at Port Botany in early 2000. This was followedby Patrick acquiring a new terminal at Fisherman's Islandin Brisbane which was planned to be fully automated. A new company, Patrick Technology and Systems wasestablished and two leading engineers from Sydney, Ben Rogers and Daniel Pagac, moved to the newcompany. By 2003, four AutoStrad systems wereoperating at the new terminal unloading commercialships and demonstrating that the complete systemsconcepts worked. By 2005, with the addition of newberths, eighteen AutoStrad systems were in operation.The Brisbane terminal became the most advancedautomation system anywhere in the world, a far cry

The AutoStrad System

Brisbane automated container terminal

from where Patrick started in 1995. Of course, thisdescription hides many traumatic moments, the hardwork of a great team of engineers over a sustained periodand the commitment and investment made by Patricksenior management over the period.

An interesting spin-off from the work with Patrick wasthe establishment of another new company, NavTechEngineering, which commercialised the mm-wave radar technology used for the navigation system. Thiscompany has gone on to be a major force in this nichearea, building and supplying radar technology not just for container terminals, but also for security, debris-monitoring on airport runways, traffic monitoring andmany other applications.

MINING In parallel with our work with Patrick, in 1996 I was commissioned to undertake a detailed study andcost-benefit analysis of automation for CRA. This was amajor formative project as I had never previously beeninvolved with the mining industry. It resulted in a reportthat had major ramifications, but a decade later. At the conclusion of this work, CRA merged with RTZ tobecome Rio Tinto. At the time, Rio Tinto saw themselvesas “fastest followers” rather than innovators and so workin automation was put firmly off the agenda.

In the meantime, we joined the CRC for MiningTechnology and Equipment (CMTE). We undertook asignificant project to automate underground miningvehicles and another project with Komatsu in support of their automated mine haul trucks. Neither of thesewere ultimately successful in a commercial sense,although they introduced and developed a number ofnew automation concepts. It is interesting to speculatewhy these projects were not successful. My belief is thatwe had not yet understood that automation really neededto be considered as a total solution rather than in theform of individual automation platforms. The commercialfailure of these projects made us reconsider our positionwith the mining industry and to re-focus on developingsystems which would add safety or value to existingmanned operations. This proved to be a good move. We developed concepts such as HaulCheck, a systemusing lasers to maintain large haul trucks on a roadway,mm-wave radars for monitoring stopes and ore-passes in underground mining, and proximity monitoringsystems for mine operations to ensure safety. All of theseprojects were developed in partnership with CMTE andits successor CRC Mining, and commercialised through a new company Acumine.

In 2007, at the height of the mining boom, I was approachedby Andy Stokes from Rio Tinto, who had also workedwith me on the mine automation work for CRA a decadeearlier. Rio Tinto now wished to innovate in the area ofautomation and wished to establish a long-term researchand development program aiming to automate surfacemining. This was a seismic shift from the stance of anyprevious endeavour. Rather than focusing on short-termgains and automation of individual platforms, Rio Tintosaw that long term investment was needed and thatautomation needed to be understood as an integratedsystem. The work of the Rio Tinto Centre for MineAutomation (RTCMA) aims to automate surface mining as a process, especially focusing on issues of data fusion,systems architecture and integration of platforms andinformation into the mining operation. A large group ofresearchers at Sydney and engineering staff at Rio Tintoare supporting the development. It is a very exciting place to be at this juncture with key new systems beingdeveloped and deployed including automated drills, new sensing and data fusion technology as well as theinfrastructure for the complete “mine of the future”.

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Acumine HaulCheck safety SystemAutoDrill and remote operation cabin developed as part of the Rio Tinto Centre for Mine Automation

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DEFENCEOne of the key ideas in the original OxNav project was tomake all components both physically and algorithmicallymodular; essentially building a robot from a network ofinterchangeable parts. To do this we developed a numberof new ideas in the theory of network sensing anddecentralised data fusion (DDF). In the early 1990'snobody was interested in the idea of sensor networks and so, initially, when I came to Australia, I let the ideadrop. However, by the late 1990's sensor networks and,in particular ideas such as “network-centric warfare” had come of age. BAE Systems was a company I hadcollaborated with in the UK and who had supportedsome of my earlier work in DDF. They came with the idea of demonstrating DDF on a fleet of cooperativeunmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to show network-centricoperations in a military-relevant context. The resultingANSER project, initiated in 1999 was a massiveundertaking which we seriously underestimated. It aimed to fly a fleet of autonomous UAVs all sharing andfusing data in a network in real time. At its peak, theproject engaged 50 staff spread across three continents.While challenging, the ANSER project produced a long-list of world-first operations including the use of multiple UAVs and demonstration of real-time

network-centric data exploitation. Major outcomes were achieved in terms of applications in defence systems for BAE Systems and established a majorpresence for BAE Systems Australia in the internationalUAV and autonomous systems domains. The ANSERproject was a tremendously exciting program that reallypushed the state-of-the-art in autonomy and has hadmajor ramifications for developments in these areas.ANSER was followed by a number of projectsdemonstrating combined fusion of information withground systems, including humans, and work incooperative control. These programs were supported byboth BAE Systems and a number of US defence agencies.

On the ground, the group also developed major outcomesin areas of perception and data fusion for unmannedground vehicles (UGVs), as part of the DSTO Centre forAutonomous and Uninhabited Vehicles. One interestingoutcome of this work was a project to develop a robot for sniper-target training. This is a system in whichmultiple robots act as targets on which snipers can train.The idea for this came from the Australian Army and was developed in the Centre in to a now operationalsystem. A new start-up company, Marathon Robotics, has since commercialised the system and has recently sold its first system to the US Marines. This is one of the great benefits of having a wealth of high-qualityresearchers who are able to adapt their ideas to anoutcome and who are motivated to build and innovatenew companies on the back of these ideas.

ANSER UAV Systems

MEANWHILE BACK IN THERESEARCH WORLDAll of these different commercial activities were beingundertaken against a backdrop of major successes in theresearch sphere. The ACFR grew rapidly both in size andin terms of fundamental research outcomes. Researchersand students were attracted to the ACFR both by ourcommercial work and by the success we were having in fundamental research. The ACFR become an ARC Key Centre in 1999 and an ARC Centre of Excellence in2003. Staff and student numbers rose from 10 to 250.The Centre grew from almost nothing to being the secondlargest robotics group in the world. It is interesting also to see the synergistic role played between ourfundamental research program and industry supportedwork. Each feeds on the other, successively challenging,implementing and learning from each other. Animportant success in the ACFR has been to marry both fundamental and applied research in this manner.This marriage has also been essential in being able toattract the very best researchers and students to work in the group.

As part of our research program, new application areas ofrobotics for Australia have been developed. In particular,under the leadership of Stefan Williams, the group hasgrown substantial capability in marine robotics. Thisapplies many of the same navigation and data fusionprinciples developed in ground and air systems to the

underwater domain. The group runs some of the mostsophisticated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)now in operation, able to undertake precise mapping anddata interpretation tasks for scientists and industry. Muchwork has also been done on developing robotics foragriculture. In particular, the development of UAVs tofind and eradicate weeds, with precision, plant-by-plant.

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The Sirius AUV, sub-sea maps

Weed management UAV

Weed Map

DisclaimerThe ideas and assertions put forward in this handbook are from the presentation of the 2010 Warren Centre Innovation Lecture, an event held at:• the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on 8 June 2010• the Long Room, Customs House in Brisbane on 10 June 2010• the RACV Club in Melbourne on 16 June 2010 and• the Hotel Intercontinental in Adelaide on 17 June 2010.

While a review and editing process has been performed on the material, it is not the intention of The Warren Centre or its management or the Centre’s many sponsors, or the events’ sponsors to present a formal Warren Centre, Sydney University or sponsor view of any of the matters presented. While care has been taken in compiling the information presented in this book with regards to accuracy, no responsibility will be accepted for errors or omissions.

Copyright© The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering Limited, June 2010

This document is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

INTO THE FUTUREWe have only just begun the journey that will see robotics becoming a major Australianindustry. In the near-term mining will be a key driver in the development of robotics andautomation technology with some of the largest programs now underway and being run inAustralia. In the further future, one of the next big applications for robotics will be in thestewardship of our environment, both in the marine domain and for terrestrial ecosystems.Australia has the skills and opportunity to lead the way in these endeavours. Yet further,there are great opportunities for using robotics in remote health care, infrastructure main-tenance and management of disasters including bush fires.

In the past fifteen years Australia has come to lead the world in the development andapplication of robotics in large-scale outdoor field applications. Robotics and autonomoussystems will be one of the most important and transformational technologies in the futureof this country. It is an exciting future with enormous opportunities.

We have also ventured into the media-art world andexhibited robotic art forms in museums across the globe.

Fish-Bird robotic art form

The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering

The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering Ltd is the leading Australian forum for advanced

engineering issues, recognised for its inclusive, forward-looking approach and the wide impact

of its many achievements.

The Centre is a self-funding, independent, not-for-profit company operating within the Faculty

of Engineering at the University of Sydney, controlled by representatives from industry appointed

by the University.

It has three principal objectives:

• to stimulate the application and further development of new engineering technology.

• to encourage the integration of innovation and engineering technology into the development

of Australia’s public policy and wealth creation.

• to provide independent comment and advice to government and industry on these

and related issues.

The Warren Centre:

• identifies and supports major projects that bring together people at the leading edge in

selected fields of engineering technology to develop new technical insights and knowledge

in those technologies and accelerate their application in Australian industry.

• holds industry forums for companies in specific industry segments to explore opportunities of

common or joint interest that will accelerate the development and/or exploitation of technology.

• organises events such as seminars, lectures and conferences that explore contemporary

technology issues and disseminates the results of the Centre’s activities.

• produces electronic and printed material to promote discussion and build awareness of

contemporary, advanced engineering issues.

• recognises people and projects that make a unique contribution to encouraging excellence

and innovation in all fields of advanced engineering.

Since opening in 1983, the Centre has gained wide recognition for its unique approach and its

achievements in diverse fields of engineering technology and industry development.

The Warren Centre Innovation Lecture is an annual activity of the Events Committee aiming

to highlight role models to promote understanding of new technologies and innovation and

to encourage their use among Australian businesses.

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The Warren CentreEngineering Link Building J13Sydney University NSW 2006

Australia

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