NUMBER 207 | SEPTEMBER 2018

ARE WE ON TRACK? Our experts talk

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A NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT REBATE The daunting challenges we face as a society demand solutions that take all of us into account. As a research-intensive, top 100 university and home to Australia’s top-ranked Now available to all businesses. engineering faculty, Monash is ideally positioned to be at the forefront of change. Our diverse, interdisciplinary teams are tackling today’s challenges and anticipating those of tomorrow.

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Deakin University CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2019 The Clunies Ross Awards have a proud 28-year tradition of recognising contributions by dedicated individuals who have shared their vision and knowledge with others to apply technology for the benefit of Australia. Do you know a science and technology entrepreneur? Someone who has commercialised technology? Or someone who had led the adoption of technology?

NOMINATE THEM FOR A 2019 CLUNIES ROSS AWARD Nominations are now open and must be submitted by 2pm AEDT on Friday 26 October 2018. In 2019 the Clunies Ross Awards will be awarded in three categories with a single winner in each category. CLUNIES ROSS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL WINNER ONLY. A typical awardee will have played an integral role in the discovery and translation of a major technology-based product or service that has led to financial success and demonstrated impact for Australia, and in which they have personally had a significant input in the inventorship and/or development of the technology. Such a person would typically have business responsibility as a CEO or a senior manager and may be working in either an early stage SME or a mature company environment. The individual will have been associated with the development of the technology and have overseen its deployment into commercial use with economic returns to Australia. Such individuals display long-term commitment to achieve the successful end use of the technology they invent or develop. Typically, this would be an entrepreneurial person leading an activity that is disrupting well-established vendors or commercialising new opportunities through innovative use of new technologies. CLUNIES ROSS KNOWLEDGE COMMERCIALISATION AWARD OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A SMALL TEAM (NORMALLY OF UP TO THREE PEOPLE). For those who have been responsible for the discovery, development and adoption of a technology and for sharing their knowledge leading to commercialisation, for example by licensing, with a significant financially successful outcome. Typically, this could be a researcher and/or developer (or research or development team) in a Public Funded Research Organisation, university and/or a private company who has successfully passed a product/invention/service to a third party to commercialise, and has generated significant revenue to the person and/or organisation(s) they are associated with. CLUNIES ROSS INNOVATION AWARD OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A SMALL TEAM (NORMALLY OF UP TO THREE PEOPLE). For those who have been responsible for the discovery, development and adoption of a technology that has significantly improved societal and/or industry capabilities. In this case, the primary outcome is not a direct financial benefit but has measurable broad community or industry impact. Typically, this could be a researcher or developer (or team) in a Public Funded Research Organisation, university or a private company, where the outcome is in the form of industry development, or measureable improvement in community well-being or sustainability measures. Examples could include technologies that improve remote monitoring of agriculture/ecosystems, or improved access to remote learning and health care.

For further information: visit atse.org.au/cluniesrossawards Submit your completed nomination form by 2pm AEDT Friday 26 October 2018 Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) administers the awards via an online nomination process. The Awards will be presented at the annual ATSE Innovation Dinner held in Sydney on 13 June 2019. For more information contact the Clunies Ross Awards coordinator via email [email protected]

AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Clunies Ross NominationCall_A4_2019.indd 1 10/9/18 2:11 pm SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

CONTENTS

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2019 The Clunies Ross Awards have a proud 28-year tradition of recognising contributions by dedicated individuals who have shared their vision and knowledge Focus is the biannual magazine of the with others to apply technology for the benefit of Australia. Do you know a science and Australian Academy of Technology technology entrepreneur? Someone who has commercialised technology? and Engineering. Publisher: Or someone who had led the adoption of technology? Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering NOMINATE THEM FOR A 2019 CLUNIES ROSS AWARD Address: Level 6, 436 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

Nominations are now open and must be submitted by 2pm AEDT on Friday 26 October 2018. Postal Address: In 2019 the Clunies Ross Awards will be awarded in three categories with a single winner in each category. GPO Box 4055 Melbourne Vic 3001 CLUNIES ROSS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD Telephone: 03 9864 0900 Facsimile: 03 9864 0930 28 OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL WINNER ONLY. A typical awardee will have played an integral role in the discovery and translation Email: [email protected] of a major technology-based product or service that has led to financial success and demonstrated impact for Australia, and CEO: Dr Margaret Hartley FTSE in which they have personally had a significant input in the inventorship and/or development of the technology. Editor: Anthea Batsakis 48 09 35 Such a person would typically have business responsibility as a CEO or a senior manager and may be working in either an Print Post Publication No 341403/0025 early stage SME or a mature company environment. The individual will have been associated with the development of the ISSN 1326-8708 (print) technology and have overseen its deployment into commercial use with economic returns to Australia. Such individuals 2207-8223 (electronic) display long-term commitment to achieve the successful end use of the technology they invent or develop. Design and production: Coretext 03 9670 1168 Typically, this would be an entrepreneurial person leading an activity that is disrupting well-established vendors or www.coretext.com.au commercialising new opportunities through innovative use of new technologies. ATSE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet CLUNIES ROSS KNOWLEDGE COMMERCIALISATION AWARD and work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. 22 Graham Currie: Autonomous 46 Murray–Darling Basin: the OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A SMALL TEAM (NORMALLY OF UP TO THREE PEOPLE). For those who have been responsible Copyright © Australian Academy of vehicles are ‘over-hyped‘, public case for more science, not less for the discovery, development and adoption of a technology and for sharing their knowledge leading to commercialisation, Technological Sciences and Engineering transport is the future BY ROBERT VERTESSY for example by licensing, with a significant financially successful outcome. (ATSE) 2018 BY ANTHEA BATSAKIS 48 Breaking stereotypes, Typically, this could be a researcher and/or developer (or research or development team) in a Public Funded Research 26 How 19th century innovators not electronic devices Organisation, university and/or a private company who has successfully passed a product/invention/service to a third party transformed travel tech to commercialise, and has generated significant revenue to the person and/or organisation(s) they are associated with. BY MAX LAY 51 Female science video hosts face trolls on YouTube CLUNIES ROSS INNOVATION AWARD 28 Can we break the petrol habit? OPEN TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A SMALL TEAM (NORMALLY OF UP TO THREE PEOPLE). For those who have been responsible for BY DOREEN THOMAS AND IVEN MAREELS 52 Ewa Goldys: making light work of disease the discovery, development and adoption of a technology that has significantly improved societal and/or industry capabilities. 32 The road to a CAV future In this case, the primary outcome is not a direct financial benefit but has measurable broad community or industry impact. BY PETER SWEATMAN 57 ATSE Fellow leading Typically, this could be a researcher or developer (or team) in a Public Funded Research Organisation, university or a 35 I can’t believe it’s not diesel Australians into space private company, where the outcome is in the form of industry development, or measureable improvement in community well-being or sustainability measures. Examples could include technologies that improve remote monitoring of 36 Vision splendid BY DIMITY DORNAN agriculture/ecosystems, or improved access to remote learning and health care. Regulars 38 Grenfell: never again 8 From the President‘s desk BY PETER JOHNSON For further information: visit atse.org.au/cluniesrossawards Read Focus online or sign up for a free 9 News electronic subscription at Submit your completed nomination form by 2pm AEDT Friday 26 October 2018 42 Climate of denial 48 Women in Technology atse.org.au/focus BY IAN LOWE The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) administers the awards via an online nomination 52 ATSE People process. The Awards will be presented at the annual ATSE Innovation Dinner held in Sydney on 13 June 2019. 44 Food for thought 62 Movers and Shakers BY LINDSAY FALVEY For more information contact the Clunies Ross Awards coordinator 64 Book reviews via email [email protected] Front cover: Graham Currie 67 Events PHOTO: EAMON GALLAGHER 69 Spotlight AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING atse.org.au 7

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FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

(although that comes into it), but a synthesis of A transport four sets of technologies, namely: Algorithms – machine learning and utopia 1 others. Situational awareness technologies 2 – sensor fusion involving acoustics, n the 20th century, the mass production WE NEED TO ELIMINATE machine vision from radars, cameras, lidars of the automobile dramatically changed HUMAN CONTROL and future technologies such as terahertz rays. the way we live. It gave us enormous Some 94 per cent of road accidents are from Centimetre-accuracy location and flexibility for personal movement and human error, so, in theory – and likely in practice 3 mapping systems. allowed us to build cities with suburbs. – eliminating human control from vehicles V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication But the automobile also created attendant should save about 1000 lives and 45,000 I systems, which can operate both in cellular problems like road accidents, congestion, hospitalisation injuries in Australia every year. 4 and infrastructureless modes. pollution and significant infrastructure costs. In the , however, we can CONGESTION BECOMES A THING Development of these systems is overcome these deficiencies with new OF THE PAST challenging, but the good news is that as technology, providing we have the will to A connected autonomous transport system we gain more experience, they get better. change our ways. So let me present a vision of should also enable us to make congestion a Human drivers, on the other hand, cannot mobility for the second half of the 21st century. thing of the past and thereby give predictable be “reprogrammed” and we just keep on journey times, yielding a significant committing the same errors. MOBILITY-AS-A-SERVICE (MAAS) productivity saving. The rewards for the society that achieves How we are transported should be irrelevant However, a vastly bigger saving will come this vision first will be dramatic. Not only to us. We should be able to specify origin, from avoiding the need to be building ever because of the above benefits, but because it destination and timing and have the system larger roads because connected autonomous is bound to spur new growth industries that take care of the rest. The vehicles (C-AVs) will be much more efficient in will create employment and wealth. will be the provider’s choice. how the use roads. For example, if I need to be in central It is all very well to have a vision, but is it INSIDE at 3pm on Friday afternoon, departing feasible? In this bumper issue of Focus, you’ll find transport from Melbourne, I should receive a message There is scepticism, but the fact is that explored in depth by some of Australia’s top minds. telling me when I shall be picked up and companies are currently investing billions Doreen Thomas and Iven Mareels delve into the future thereafter everything is taken care of without of dollars to make this happen. From a of electric vehicles and how Australia might already be equipped to handle their growing popularity. my having to book taxis, aeroplanes etc. technology perspective, the most challenging It is vital to note that MaaS does not aspect will be achieving what the Society In an extended interview, Graham Currie discusses why is the future, and autonomous replace the public transport and mass transit of Automotive Engineers call “Level 5” vehicles are “over-hyped”. systems – it incorporates them. autonomy: a vehicle that can operate itself May Lax writes a retrospective on how 19th century safely without human intervention under all transport shaped the way we travel today. SHARING IS CARING circumstances in all geographies. And Peter Sweatman describes what it will take for The vehicles used for MaaS should be shared This is not about artificial intelligence autonomous vehicles to become a reality on our roads. wherever possible. We should introduce regulations and tariffs that discourage ownership of private vehicles in densely populated areas. Governments have already done this in cities such as Singapore and Shanghai. Modelling by the International Transport PROFESSOR HUGH BRADLOW FTSE Forum has shown that this would remove 90 per cent of cars from the road. Given that Australia has a quarter of a trillion dollars tied up in vehicle ownership, this would free up over $200 billion of capital that we could use for things like healthcare and education.

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NEWS

New international researcher–business funds awarded

A new way to radically revolutionise world settings. Many use the grant to travel to in your field are invaluable to realising your counter-drone technology and an meet international partners. research dreams.” overseas expansion of resilient Australian The grants support early stage Announced in June, this year’s round almond varieties are some of the exciting international researcher–SME engagement saw 38 projects being funded – 23 Australian initiatives being funded by the 2018 in key industry priority areas: advanced researchers and 15 Australian SMEs. Priming Grants. manufacturing; food and agribusiness; “The Priming Grants provide medical technology and pharmaceuticals; flexible and targeted funding to allow Managed by ATSE, Priming Grants, mining equipment, technology and services; researchers and businesses to pursue early each of $7000, are a program of the Global and oil, gas and energy resources. stage commercialisation engagement Connections Fund as part of the Australian In feedback on the program, one opportunities globally and have been in Government’s Global Innovation Strategy. participant wrote: “Being on the ground and strong demand from those working in the five The purpose of the program is to apply having several days to learn, discuss, plan industry priority areas,” ATSE CEO Dr Margaret research and technology innovation to real- and get to know researchers and companies Hartley FTSE said.

ACTION STATEMENT HIGHER ED MUST BE REVAMPED FOR AN INNOVATION-LED ECONOMY ustralia’s innovation agenda needs more postgraduate STEM industry and business is poorly rated in terms of commercialisation. Aknowledge and research training, according to a recent Action And a low number of women completing postgraduate STEM Statement by ATSE. In our vision for the future of education, Australia’s studies is also obstructing ATSE’s education vision. Women, on innovation-led economy will have more high-performing professionals average, graduate from STEM bachelor degrees with higher levels of with advanced STEM skills and qualifications. achievement than their male peers. But they remain a distinct minority These professionals will have the high levels of creativity needed in most areas of STEM postgraduate study and research. to tackle complex and multidisciplinary problems, and many will take A transformation of current STEM postgraduate coursework and leadership roles in both private and public sectors. Their knowledge research degrees is imperative to address these three challenges. will come from higher education and work-relevant training. The Academy advocated for the following initiatives: But getting to this point won’t be easy. ¢ improving the value of postgraduate coursework degrees and There are low numbers of Australians completing postgraduate research degrees for Australian students; courses in IT and engineering. In 2016, national figures show ¢ ensuring that STEM postgraduate coursework and research international graduates outnumbered Australians in both degrees provide attractive and valuable career pathways; and postgraduate coursework and research in IT and engineering. ¢ encouraging further participation of women in STEM There are also low translation rates into industry. Australian postgraduate degrees, especially in the physical sciences, industries will benefit from graduates in priority areas like artificial mathematics, engineering and IT. intelligence, cybersecurity and biomedical engineering. But the benefit of graduate training and the translation of research into Australian Read the full action statement on the ATSE website, atse.org.au

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NEWS

BRONWYN FOX The only way to create a high-performing team is Diversity to ensure diversity. Diversity of thought, diversity of disciplines, diversity of age and experience, matters as well as gender and nationality. The most productive, creative teams I’ve been part of have contained all of these many facets and have Too many people working in sparkled like a diamond STEM-related careers look like me as a result. – male, white and, shall we say, of a certain age. Too many women and members of minority groups are squeezed out of STEM careers by structural barriers and organisational culture. Those barriers can include all- male executive teams, outdated opinions of women scientists and engineers, not taking into account that many women will pause their careers to have children or for other family reasons, or assuming women are not as serious about their careers. It is fundamentally unfair. And it is a colossal waste of talent. The good thing is that more and more people are determined to change the situation. We at the Academy of Technology and Engineering are among them and I am proud to report that we have adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Policy. On these pages, some of our Fellows share their thoughts on why diversity is important to Bronwyn Fox them. Now the challenge is to turn EWA GOLDYS words into deeds. I’m confident we’re up to the task. DIVERSITY IS THE MERIT-BASED

DR BRUCE GODFREY FTSE ANTIDOTE TO UNJUSTIFIED VICE-PRESIDENT, DIVERSITY PRIVILEGE.

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NEWS

RAVENDRA NAIDU MARGARET HARTLEY I grew up in a Fijian farming village, Early in my career, I found where a career in STEM was a far- that one way of dodging from-traditional path. I found myself sexist barriers was to sign at age 40 leading a research team in correspondence as Dr ML Australia. It didn’t occur to me that I Hartley – and if the recipient was contributing to diversity in STEM. assumed I was a man, as Now I understand that one of my they usually did, then it most important responsibilities was reflected on them, not me. as a role model, making the path I Alan Joyce It’s a sign of progress that travelled a little easier for others like ALAN JOYCE I could emerge from behind me. For many years now, I have made As a gay CEO, I know the importance the initials to be Margaret. a concerted effort to build a diverse of being able to bring my whole self to But no young woman team, in terms of both gender and work. The more visible LGBT executives establishing her career cultural background. I have not done can be, the easier it becomes for in STEM should ever have this to foster diversity for its own sake, others to feel safe and proud in being to play that kind of game but because I know that the more themselves. And the more we can do again. diverse our people, the stronger our to encourage diversity in all its forms, STEM will be. the better it is for business.

ROSE AMAL Diversity is the result of a melting pot of different backgrounds and ways of thinking come together. If there’s only a single school of thought, it’s much harder to unlearn practices that are no longer relevant and STEM needs this to pioneer the future. Engineers are at risk if they lack diversity, as they need different perspectives to cover their blind spots and Rose Amal challenge their ideas to come up with fully formed solutions.

LACHLAN BLACKHALL Growing up, the only engineer I knew was my mother and it was At a glance her passion for engineering that ultimately led me to become ATSE’S DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY ¢Our first priority will be to address the imbalance in an engineer myself. It therefore gender in STEM. ATSE’s future diversity priorities include came as a huge surprise to me age, Indigenous Australians and ethnicity in STEM. when I discovered that, as a ¢Women should constitute 50 per cent of all new Fellows woman, my mother was a rarity elected to the Academy by 2025. ¢ in the professional engineering Lachlan Blackhall ATSE’s awards, meetings and events will reflect gender community. diversity and promote inclusion. It always strikes me that we ¢ATSE will support programs that promote diversity and are missing out on so many great inclusion across schools, university and industry. ¢ATSE will promote the achievement of women in STEM. ideas and perspectives that would ¢ATSE’s recruitment and selection processes will be structured come from having a truly diverse so that a diverse range of candidates is actively considered. and representative engineering ¢ATSE will be accountable by publicly and regularly community. reporting our performance statistics. To read the policy in full, visit atse.org.au/diversity

atse.org.au 11 d

WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT INCREASING THE UPTAKE OF STEM EDUCATION

As the world’s largest provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems, we provide expert services to the mining, quarrying, construction, and oil and gas markets.

The STEM disciplines – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – are critical to the future of a company like Orica, which is why we are committed to increasing the uptake of STEM in schools. With the aim of getting students interested in careers in science and technology, we’re proud to be the principal sponsor of ATSE’s STELR project, helping around 700 schools across Australia engage students in STEM through hands-on, inquiry-based and in-curriculum learning. orica.com SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

NEWS

STELR videos to inspire girls into STEM careers

The wide-reaching impact of STELR – ATSE’s initiative to bring hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education into classrooms – continues to grow, with more than 690 schools around the world now participating. Among its many projects, STELR has produced 20 videos profiling inspiring women in STEM fields, as part of the government’s Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) grants. These videos will be used to showcase the range of career options girls with an interest in STEM can navigate – while noting that some may not yet exist. From fire safety engineering and robo-biology to digital agriculture, opportunities in STEM abound, demonstrating how the future of boosting women’s participation in the STEM sector is promising. One career profile of water design engineer Ella Gross, who shared her video on LinkedIn, received almost 5000 views. And views of the rest of the videos continue to gain traction as they’re shown across conferences, such as the National Science Teachers conference, and at an upcoming launch. The videos are now available to watch on the STELR website, on Australia’s Science Channel and on the Digital Technologies Hub website.

Visit stelr.org.au to learn more. This poster is available to download on the STELR website.

MENTEES MEET MINISTERS IN QUEENSLAND entees from the Industry Mentoring Following the Queensland Mining Awards MNetwork in STEM (IMNIS) visited Gala, the six mentees – Mutah Musa, Jomana Mackay to meet with top influencers in Al-Nu’airat, Zakia Afroz, Manuel Herduin, Australia’s resources sector for networking at Sangita Bista and Kasia Sobczak – met the Queensland Mining Awards Gala dinner with the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, and the Queensland Mining Expo. Michaelia Cash, at the Queensland Mining The Minister for Resources and Northern Expo. Australia, Matthew Canavan, and top industry In its first year, IMNIS has grown to have leaders attended, supporting these rising more than 400 active participants around stars of STEM. Australia; more than 200 industry leaders IMNIS is a flagship initiative of ATSE that volunteering and giving back to the next The IMNIS program is gaining traction around Australia. brings together PhD students and industry generation; and more than 200 PhD students leaders in a one-year mentoring partnership. who will accelerate their professional diverse cohort of mentors and mentees. The goal is to prepare Australia’s PhD graduates development. It was recently announced that BHP is to lead and excel within the STEM ecosystem. “IMNIS is about people. People now a sponsor of IMNIS, and MTPConnect “Every one of these talented future make research and innovation happen. will continue to fund IMNIS over the next leaders were confident, professional People embrace opportunities and drive two years. IMNIS will use these funds to help networkers who readily engaged, transformational culture shifts,” Dr Evans- expand its existing programs, service regional communicated their STEM expertise and Galea said. and rural Australia, explore virtual mentoring research, and collected a deck of business In-line with ATSE’s Diversity and Inclusion options and establish its Alumni program. cards,” IMNIS Executive Director Dr Marguerite Policy, IMNIS has achieved gender parity at a IMNIS launched its national 2018 program Evans-Galea said. national level, establishing an inclusive and in May. Visit imnis.org.au to learn more.

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NEWS

Submissions from the Academy

ONE OF ATSE’S IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS IS TO HELP DEVELOP EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICY IN AREAS WHERE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING ARE INVOLVED. THIS IS OFTEN DONE WITH SUBMISSIONS TO GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES AND LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES, CALLING ON THE EXPERTISE OF OUR FELLOWS.

To read them in full, visit atse.org.au.

ATSE LEARNS FROM The ATSE team KOREA’S TRANSPORT was hosted in INNOVATION Seoul, Korea. TSE and the National Academy of AEngineering of Korea participated in a joint workshop in Korea in June on the future of transport. The experience will help inform the ARC-funded LASP project on industry technology readiness in the transport sector. It brought together high-level Australian and Korean experts; the Australian delegation visiting sites highlighting Korean excellence in public transport policy and planning. Among the visits was K-City – a pilot city for autonomous vehicles that showcases

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NEWS

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR RECENT Food derived using SUBMISSIONS. new breeding techniques The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Consultation Research and Development In a joint submission with the Australian Academy of Science, this Tax Incentive submission addresses the new technologies and techniques arising Treasury’s Draft R&D Tax Incentive Amendments from better understanding of breeding and genetics. To drive greater collaboration and wider benefits for Australia, the The purpose of the consultation is to assist FSANZ consider food R&D Tax Incentive should offer a premium rate for research and products of new breeding techniques and whether these techniques development undertaken with Australian publicly funded research are sufficiently captured by the Code, and if not, if they should be. organisations. The specific techniques being considered include: genome Our other key points include our support of the proposed clinical editing, GM rootstock grafting, cisgenesis and transgenesis, and trials exemption and that outcomes should be monitored to ensure techniques involving null segregants. that the amendments do not negatively affect business investment in research and development, with resourcing of the Australian The management and use of Bureau of Statistics to monitor these outcomes improved. Commonwealth environmental water House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment Inquiry into funding and Energy Inquiry Australia’s research High-quality research and development and improved monitoring House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, and evaluation are essential to improve environmental water Education and Training programs and optimise the protection and restoration of Australia’s Australian research is an important part of Australia’s economic, environmental assets. social and environmental wealth. The Academy encourages efforts The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder’s role in to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia’s research managing environmental water is not only incredibly important, but funding systems. also technically challenging – the science of environmental water Australia’s gross funding for research and development as a management is relatively immature. percentage of GDP is below the OECD average. While we support Australia needs stable and adequate investment in strategic effort to reduce fragmentation and duplication in Australia’s funding research supporting improved environmental water management, systems, Australia needs a diversity of funding mechanisms to reflect solve its many unique challenges and develop and maintain the diversity of research fields. expertise.

South Korea’s position as a global leader in autonomous transport. The ATSE team rode A 10-YEAR-PLAN FOR MORE WOMEN IN STEM in an autonomous vehicle that travelled TSE and the Australian Academy of Science are developing a Decadal Plan to up to 215 kilometres per hour. K-City is a Aincrease the participation of women in STEM education and careers, with support 320,000-square-metre test site designed to from the Australian Government. simulate highways, downtown areas, city Work on the project has begun, with extensive mapping of more than 300 STEM outskirts and communal environments. programs for women already in place in Australia, and the assembly of an Expert There, autonomous vehicles must navigate Working Group (EWG). potholes, narrow streets, tunnels and The EWG will begin consultation with stakeholders in September, including an open pedestrian crossings, among other obstacles. call for submissions and face-to-face meetings in capital cities. The Transport Operation and Information The Decadal Plan will provide a roadmap for sustained increases in women’s Service (TOPIS) in Seoul, the general transport STEM participation from school through to academic and industry STEM careers. Its control centre responsible for operating and preliminary recommendations will inform a Women in STEM National Strategy being managing the city’s overall traffic, left a great developed by the Australian Government. impression on the Australian delegation.

atse.org.au 15 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018 INNOVATION DINNER 2018

Is it real gold? Clunies Ross Entrepreneur of the Year and ATSE Fellow Dr Erol Harvey sinks his teeth into micro- and as the founder of MiniFAB. He is with Clunies Ross Commercialisation Award winner Professor David Huang, who led the development of a life-saving leukaemia drug, and Clunies Ross Innovation Award winner Dr Jim Aylward, who invented a drug used by more than one million patients worldwide.

Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran is the first female winner of the Batterham Medal, awarded for her ground-breaking research into flexible, unbreakable and transparent electronic devices. Read more on page 48.

16 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

The winners and presenters at the Innovation Dinner. (Standing, from left) Dr Jim Aylward, Dr Erol Harvey, Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran, Professor Elizabeth Taylor, Professor , Professor Robin Batterham, Professor Lindsay Falvey, Chris Crewther, Adjunct Professor Elizabeth Croft, Dr Margaret Hartley, Professor Hugh Bradlow. (Seated, from left) Professor David Huang, Dr Amanda Caples, Dr Angela Van de Wouw and Dr Shu Kee Lam.

The ICM Agrifood Award winners hold their certificates. Dr Angela Van de Wouw is saving the ATSE Fellow and canola industry from the most severe canola disease in Australia, blackleg, by discovering Professor Michelle Simmons left the audience new ways to control it. And Dr Shu Kee Lam is leading research on how higher levels of enthralled with her keynote about quantum atmospheric carbon dioxide impact Australia’s agriculture and food security from the computing and what its future might mean perspective of soil nitrogen management. for Australia.

atse.org.au 17 Swinburne’s Virtual Dynamic Transport Modelling Platform

Smarter Cities. Addressing the modern-day demands of urban living and mobility.

Our Smart Cities Research Institute is embracing the fourth industrial revolution by focusing on the grand challenges facing fast-growing cities in Australia and internationally.

The Future Urban Mobility program researches the disruptive technologies that will enable step- changes in urban transport. Using our innovative transport modelling platform and data feeds from urban sensors, we can test prototypes in simulation environments, leading to rapid deployment of appropriate smart transport technology.

We have a vision for making cities more accessible to their populations through discovering innovative connections between social, physical, economic and informational infrastructures.

To find out more about research at Swinburne or how you can be part of the solution, visit: www.swinburne.edu.au/research-institutes/smart-cities/

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NEWS

Primary school kids learn from ATSE Fellows

Nine-year-olds from a Queensland school will be privy to some of were discussed during the Skype and talk regularly about how the latest technologies and ideas from three ATSE Fellows: Professor ‘awesome’ it was,” he said. Mary-Anne Williams, Professor Thorsten Trupke and Professor Lyn “Parents pull me aside and thank me for the effort and say that the Beazley. Skype session has opened their children up to a new world of ideas Manly State School Year 4 teacher Scott Anderson arranges STEM and ways of thinking.” experts to take part in a Skype session with his class to show the students So what might a typical session look like? Before it begins, how classroom curriculum connects with bigger picture applications. the students build some knowledge on the topic and learn some “These experts can directly explain their journey from the terminology. The experts talk about what they do, how they became classroom to their positions of excellence in a way that is inspiring and interested in the field, what they were like at school and share some achievable if a student has the aptitude, resilience and persistence,” Mr interesting anecdotes. “From there the students go to a seat at Anderson said. the front of the class for a one-on-one interaction. They introduce Professor Trupke has already discussed renewable energy. themselves and ask a previously crafted question,” Mr Anderson said. Professor Williams will share her expertise in robotics and artificial Mr Anderson contacted ATSE to help find experts who might be intelligence, and Professor Beazley will discuss neuroscience. interested in taking part. “I have called and sent literally hundreds of These topics might sound a little complex for primary-aged emails to universities and organisations knowing that if even a few children, but Mr Anderson said experts were always amazed at how respond it is worth the effort for the kids.” capable the students were at understanding and responding to complex ideas if they were framed in an age-appropriate way. If you’re a Fellow and would like to take part, “The students almost always go home and research ideas that email [email protected].

NEW POLYMER SCHOLARSHIP REWARDING PhD EXCELLENCE TSE will administer a new “top-up” launched in 1992, and was continually involved Along with Dr Rizzardo, the scholarship Ascholarship for outstanding PhD throughout its 25 years of operation. selection committee includes a number of ATSE students with impactful research relating to The scholarship is being funded from the Fellows prominent in the polymer community, polymer science or engineering. funds remaining after the wind-up of the CRC including Dr Peter Coldrey (chair), Dr Ian Dagley, The Ezio Rizzardo Polymer Scholarship for Polymers earlier this year. Dr Leonie Walsh and Dr Anita Hill. is named after the internationally renowned The scholarship is planned for launch The scholarship is planned to provide polymer chemist and ATSE Fellow, Dr Ezzio later in 2018 and will be open to PhD students top-up and travel funds to outstanding Rizzardo AC FRS FAA FTSE. He was the inaugural researching polymer science at any of the 14 polymer research students. Further details will director of the CRC for Polymers when it was universities that were members of the CRC. be forthcoming in the coming months.

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NEWS

Why the future of health wealth of information that can be generated from smart cars, smart infrastructure and, importantly, smart bodies. tech relies on data Machine learning can navigate big data, deriving patterns from data with no obvious mathematical causal relationship. The Internet of Things, big data and machine learning are set to One example, Professor Bradlow explained, was the impact of revolutionise the healthcare industry. machine learning on speech recognition. Professor Hugh Bradlow FTSE, ATSE President and former Chief Speech recognition software has been around for years but has Scientist of Telstra, discussed the importance of data in future been unusable. Developments over the past five years, however, have healthcare in his keynote speech at an event held by the Committee meant that machines can now recognise speech roughly as accurately for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). as a human being. As more devices become connected to the internet, huge This has led to an explosion of devices, such as Amazon Echo and amounts of data about the real world will be created. Imagine the Google Home, which allow a person to talk to their house. So how will big data, machine learning and the Internet of Things Applying machine learning to health (IoT) redefine healthcare? measurements on the Apple Watch Smartphones, for instance, can double as medical devices, can be used for diagnostics. reducing the costs of medical instruments such as microscopes, ultrasound and otoscopes. Professor Bradlow explained how a team at Massachusetts General Hospital created a smartphone accessory for fast cancer diagnosis. The device attaches to a smartphone and uses the phone’s camera as a microscope to examine the sample cells, and has an imaging module with a battery-powered LED light to focus. In pilot tests at the hospital, the device performed as accurately as pathologists, with results available almost immediately. The way health is monitored will also be transformed as wearable technology advances. For some years wearables, such as the Apple Watch or Fitbits, have provided basic heart rate measurements, focusing on health and fitness rather than medical information. The US start-up Cardiogram has shown that by applying machine learning algorithms to the heart rate measurements of the Apple Watch, they can infer a diagnosis for a number of conditions, including atrial fibrillation (with 97 per cent accuracy), sleep apnoea (90 per cent accuracy) and hypertension (92 per cent accuracy). But while the implications are exciting, these results should be treated with caution, Professor Bradlow said. It’s not clear, for example, whether the results can be used for early diabetes detection or just to confirm what the wearer already knows. This connectivity, both internally and externally, may one day be like having a personal physician 24/7, as most of the remote monitoring examples involve a Bluetooth connection.

‘MESOSCIENCE’ SPEARHEADED BY ATSE FELLOWS n emerging research area, ”mesoscience”, discuss the status and pathways forward for Professors Li and Batterham said they Awas recently discussed at a meeting mesoscience and, supported by the Chinese were convinced of a wider applicability of the in Beijing by 32 international scientists, Academy of Science, an ongoing panel was principle. including former ATSE President Professor set up. The field, they said, deserved much more Robin Batterham AO FREng FAA FTSE Models and simulation methods based awareness and attention from the scientific and Foreign Fellow Professor Jinghai Li on mesoscience have shown to be promising and technological community for future FREng FTSE. for the design and optimisation of industrial development. Coined by scientists from China, the term processes and engineering. It is only by having more studies on the mesoscience refers to the science concerning And successful models have been application of mesoscience that we might all mesoscales – the unit between elemental established in systems such as gas–solid discover if there are common underlying particles and the observable universe. fluidisation, gas–liquid bubbling flows and themes amenable to the mesoscience The assembly of scientists met to turbulent flows. approach.

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NEWS

Dr Rebecca Yee finds ways to turn waste oil into fuel. Dr Mark Blaskovich is fighting to stay one step ahead of the bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Targeted grants breach walls of academia

A grant administered by ATSE connects researchers and SMEs to Her organisation buys oil derived from low-grade trap grease – oil solve global problems. and grime that gets separated from wastewater in industrial kitchens The risk of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics is fast – and transforms it into a replacement for diesel, redirecting masses of emerging as a global crisis. Dr Mark Blaskovich, a medicinal chemist waste. from the , is finding ways to suppress the A byproduct of biodiesel is glycerol, a non-toxic chemical found in potential pandemic. many household products. In 2016 he was among 73 innovators to receive a Global The Priming Grant meant she could collaborate with a researcher Connections Fund Priming Grant – a $7000 grant that creates from Zurich, Switzerland, to process this byproduct into other valuable international partnerships of researchers and small to medium chemicals. enterprises (SMEs). “There are a couple of different avenues glycerine can be made Dr Blaskovich used the grant to connect with Visterra Inc in into, because it’s quite a basic molecule, so it’s easy to convert into Boston, USA. other useful things,” Dr Yee said. They explored the possibility of creating a “guided missile” – an “We’re in a position now where we’re communicating the details of antibody–drug conjugate that works by targeting and then killing the legalities of a joint venture, looking at the market and working out drug-resistant bacteria without harming human cells. a business case of the development.” “You can compare it to carpet bombing in World War II, where to destroy a factory you had to bomb a whole city because the bombs Visit globalconnectionsfund.org.au for more information. weren’t selective enough,” Dr Blaskovich said. “Now, with a guided missile, you can selectively just hit that factory and avoid killing all the The Priming innocent people surrounding it.” Grant meant Rebecca Yee could This is one example of how a targeted grant can boost the real- collaborate with world outcomes of research that might not otherwise leave the walls a researcher from of academia. Zurich, Switzerland, Priming Grants enable Australian SMEs and Australian researchers to process a byproduct to physically meet with their international partners. Designed to of biodiesel “prime” the commercialisation or application of a particular idea, the production into grants sparked ongoing collaborations in almost all cases. other valuable The co-founder of Biofuel Innovations, Dr Rebecca Yee, was also a chemicals. recipient. ATSE_GCF_Folder.indd 1 20/7/18 2:20 pm

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Graham Currie: Autonomous vehicles are ‘over-hyped’, public transport is the future

ARE WE ON TRACK? One of the world’s top minds in transport research weighs in on transport evolution in Australia.

wenty-eight years ago Douglas Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, jumped into a “Johnny Cab” and demanded it drive away from gun-wielding assailants. T The humanoid robot driver cheerily replies: “Will you please repeat the destination?” Total Recall’s vision of autonomous vehicles in 2084 may be touched by Hollywood glow, but the film does have an enduring truth: autonomous vehicles won’t be user-friendly or ready for our roads in the near future. Professor Graham Currie FTSE, a renowned international public transport researcher and policy adviser, says driverless cars are “over-hyped” and not necessarily the future of transport many believe them to be. Instead, he says public transport is the only real shared mobility and, with enough investment, will help Australia’s cities cope with a swelling population. PHOTO: EAMON GALLAGHER In this interview, Professor Currie explores the reality of autonomous vehicles, the future of public transport in Australia and what infrastructure might look like with changing transport options. Professor Currie is the founder and Director of the Public Transport Research

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“ The average Uber occupancy in traffic is 1.6, including the driver; so 40 per cent of the time they have no passengers and are adding to traffic congestion for no good reason.”

Group at Monash University, which, in 2015, congestion for no good reason. In theory, a driverless-car city won’t need was identified as among the top three Australian cities really need more sharing parking since vehicles can drop you off and research groups in this field in the world. of vehicles, but our trend has been very low drive to the next user themselves. The problem with more and more traffic carrying less and with that is commuter car occupancy today In your article ‘Lies, damned lies: AVs, less people. is just above one person per car in Australia. shared mobility and urban transit futures’ Yet it could go below one as driverless cars you call discussions around the future How might people travel to work in reposition without anyone in them. of public transport “a gigantic lot of 50 years? I’m not sure we need fewer people in nonsense”. What do you wish more people Unless we invest in much better public congested streets and empty cars clogging knew? transport it’s likely Australian cities are going them up, but we might get a bit more I wish people understood that public to remain private-vehicle-dependent in the road space by removing kerbside parking. transport is the only real shared occupancy middle and outer suburbs, but central areas Off-street parking makes up a bulk of city mode. Cars rarely carry more than one will be increasingly dominated by mass transit, real estate, but removing and repurposing person, but just one train carries more than walking and cycling. One truth is that transport this real estate provides an opportunity for 1000. Our cities are turning into supercities infrastructure doesn’t change overnight. Even improved urban economic productivity. and there is only one way to carry high on a 50-year horizon, we will be relying mostly Autonomous vehicles are likely to be volumes of passengers efficiently, and that’s on infrastructure that exists today. electric or fuel-cell-powered, so conventional with public transport. The future will almost certainly involve petrol stations won’t be needed. Repurposing All technologies need a proving period using new forms of energy and fuel. petrol station land to other uses again before value can be realised. Yet there is also a Electrification of private vehicles is close even presents an opportunity to use that land in trend towards promoting ideas which are not today, but fuel-cell technologies may be a more productive ways. proven. A major part of that is not thinking viable alternative. It’s very unlikely we will be In practice I suggest that safety is the about how humans will use or react to new using oil-based fuels in 50 years. biggest single infrastructure barrier. technology. Streets are just too complex an Driverless cars are not in practical use Could you please explain your concept environment for safe autonomous for daily travel in cities anywhere on Earth of ”auto-no-emotion” and why you movements of vehicles that can kill people. I yet. But it’s claimed they will take over travel developed this term? suspect a more feasible outcome is selective in cities. Some also state public transport I wanted to push back on the over-hyped adoption in defined controlled areas under will lose out as a result since it’s not using and unproven ideas around driverless cars by managed conditions. advanced technology. inventing a new word to describe how they Dedicated and segregated freeway The truth is public transport dominates have been over-marketed. That’s what the lanes for long distance trucks might be an driverless vehicle technology today: more new word ”auto-no-emotion” describes. example of sections of an urban area where than 25 per cent of all urban rail in Asia has I put the phrase ”no-emotion” in there only autonomous vehicles are permitted, and no drivers. This rate is increasing and Sydney to emphasise the inhuman aspects of the where pedestrian movements are carefully will soon have Australia’s first driverless technology at present because the human managed. trains. Hundreds of millions of people now aspects and interfaces have yet to be My benchmark for this is driverless use driverless trains every day – so how can developed, solved or even considered. train stations in operation today. They all public transport be behind when it’s the only Yet without human acceptance, this have platform doors carefully managing practical application of the technology today? technology cannot succeed. the human–machine interface to ensure My concern with ”shared mobility”, like The best and most successful technology no unexpected human movement onto Uber, bike share or car share, is the use of the applications have seamless intuitive human tracks – why would we not also do this for word “shared”. It implies efficiency in urban interfaces and, until driverless cars develop autonomous cars? travel since people can travel together in this, they will not be a worthwhile or even congested cities. feasible mobility option. What are the main challenges autonomous But these shared mobility modes don’t vehicles must still overcome? involve shared occupancy at all – the average How will infrastructure change if Human interface issues – including human Uber occupancy in traffic is 1.6, including autonomous vehicles dominate the roads? acceptance – remain major concerns. They the driver; so 40 per cent of the time they For instance, the potential elimination of also have to prove they can help make cities have no passengers and are adding to traffic car parks and petrol stations. better. I think they have a likely potential to

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increase urban traffic congestion and I can’t to give people better choice of options for to-day conventional transport rules because see why we would permit that when traffic travel. they have no choice. has been eroding city liveability. Central areas need more metros and Cars are banned, vast sums are invested bus frequencies must be upgraded. We have in quality rail solutions and mass public Is Australia leading or lagging behind the much investment in public transport at transport movement is the only accepted developed world when it comes to public present, but our research shows the quantity option. transport? What should Australia do to of service provided is not even keeping pace My stand-out story is that it works. It’s not improve? with population growth. a theory, it actually works. If you want to see The size and quality of public transport In effect, per capita service levels are in how Australia’s future mega cities will work in in Australia is not as good as in European decline so we aren’t even keeping pace with 2050, go and look at central Tokyo during the cities, but those cities have much higher growth. 2020 summer Olympics. urban density of activity and much lower car We won’t be using empty and single ownership. It’s comparing apples and oranges. You’ve been involved in transport planning occupancy private cars to create gridlock; Some aspects of Australian public for all the summer Olympic Games since mass rail transit is the only feasible option. ¤ transport are renowned as best practice 1996 and the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. Do internationally: Brisbane’s busway network is you have a particular stand-out story from Professor Graham Currie FTSE is a public transport often cited as world-leading and Melbourne’s these experiences? research leader, policy adviser and the Director legacy tram network is the largest in the These are real-world examples of the future of the Public Transport Research Group. He has world. Many world cities are investing big in of Australia’s booming cities. Olympic host published more research papers in leading peer journals in this field than any other researcher, and new light railways, but they can only dream of cities and Mecca face the largest single mass is Chair of the Light Rail Transit Committee of the US having the scale of network Melbourne has. volume of travel demand in their history – Transportation Research Board. He has won numerous That’s not to say improvement isn’t far in excess of their limited and congested research prizes including best research paper at the possible or even essential. My big ask is to capacity to handle these demands. 14th World Conference on Transport Research, the William W Millar prize for best research paper at the increase service investment. We need to The only possible way these cities can TRB conference (on two occasions – the only person expand the footprint of mass transit beyond handle this is using mass public transport to do so) and the Research Impact award from the inner city and rail corridors into the suburbs movement. So these cities change the day- Australian Road Research Board in 2017.

Mecca.

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BY MAX LAY

Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, in 1900. PHOTO: STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA HOW 19TH CENTURY INNOVATORS TRANSFORMED TRAVEL TECH ARE WE ON TRACK? Personal travel changed in leaps and bounds.

The transport revolution of the 20th century was incremental when or most people, walking was the compared to the wide-ranging transport technologies that emerged in only available means of travelling the 19th century. The invention of bicycles, trams, trains, ocean-going within towns and between steamers and cars dramatically changed our capabilities as humans. towns. It was still a very common means of long-distance travel in Dr Maxwell Gordon Lay FTSE, author of The Harnessing of Power: How the 18thF century. For instance in England 19th Century Transport Innovators Transformed the Way the World Operates, many soldiers would be encountered being explains that the ability to routinely travel long distances quickly was not redeployed around the country or travelling an important human need and received little evolutionary priority. In to and from training camps and embarkation other words, humans evolved in a “low-speed world”. ports. This is an edited extract from the book, exploring the history of personal A revealing mid-18th century travel travel technologies. example occurred when the famous blind

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“ The Roman philosopher Seneca said that his carriage travelled so smoothly that he could write whilst on a journey.”

English road-builder John Metcalf was in leatherworking skills for harness making, corners. A major advance demonstrating with his local member of Parliament, and were able to make leather straps to the increasing availability of useful pieces Colonel Liddle. Liddle offered Metcalf a ride suspend the vehicle cabin. This reduced the of iron occurred in the 1660s in Prussian home to Knaresborough in his carriage, a previous abruptness of the bumps and the Berlin where Philip di Chiesa, a person of journey of some 300 kilometres. Metcalf Roman philosopher Seneca said that his Italian extraction born near Avignon, greatly declined and said he preferred to walk home. carriage travelled so smoothly that he could improved the rideability of coaches by Blind, on foot, and unfamiliar with the write whilst on a journey. hanging the leather suspension straps from route, he completed the journey in six days. The term “suspension” is still used to cantilevers made of flat iron. The Colonel and his carriage took eight days. describe ride-softening devices in modern Such leaf springs are still used in many Personal travel by riding on the backs vehicles, although they no longer work as current vehicles. Di Chiesa’s vehicles were of animals or in animal-drawn vehicles was suspension devices. called Berliners. They were relatively large a matter of perceived convenience and not Vehicle technology only slowly improved with an enclosed passenger area. The leather of time saving. Until the 18th century, there over the next millennium. The main straps were subsequently replaced by iron was little difference between vehicular developments were better harnesses and links. personal travel and freight haulage as both lighter and stronger wheels. Germany was then the centre of quality used wagon-style vehicles which travelled at coach-building. Increased competition walking speed. HOW IRON QUICKENED OUR PACE from the German Berliners led to further Increases in travel speed above walking developments in Britain, including the work THANK THE CELTS FOR TRANSPORT began to occur early in the 17th century, of the multi-talented Robert Hooke and his TODAY mainly as a consequence of greater demands definition and scientific measurement of the Much of the technology appears to have by the wealthy for personal travel and, at the elasticity of iron in the 1670s. been of Celtic origin. The Celts began building supply end, to a wider use of iron in vehicle Elliptical leaf springs were developed by light and sophisticated wheels in about construction. This use of iron introduces a Obadiah Elliot in London in 1804 and later 700 BC. Key features were spoked wheels with main of this book. I describe how they produced a quantum applied wear-resistant running surfaces and Iron had many useful transport jump in coach performance. iron was widely used in Celtic vehicles and applications. However, iron making was still Elliot was a well-known coach-maker harnesses. a craft rather than a manufacturing process, who patented his invention in 1805. The A prime example of an early Celtic so its spreading use in vehicles indicated introduction of iron rim brakes in 1690 vehicle with many advanced features is the strong market demands. The use of iron allowed larger teams of horses to be used Dejbjerg wagon from about 50 BC and found for bits and stirrups greatly enhanced the to power the coaches. However, braking as well-preserved in the 1870s in a Danish usefulness of horse riding. we now know it was never a serious issue swamp. For vehicles, iron rivets simplified the at the speeds of a horse-drawn coach and Wagons for transporting people came attachment of the hauling part of the the brakes’ major role was to slow vehicles into prominence in the 13th century, harness to the vehicle being hauled. Iron descending steep hills. ¤ although many of the innovations were studs and plates were used to prevent the reinventions of much earlier Celtic rapid wear of wooden rims, and iron pins Visit www.cambridgescholars.com/the- technology. were used to retain the wheel on the axle. harnessing-of-power

A key need was to provide passengers The wearing surface between the Dr Maxwell Gordon Lay AM FTSE is a widely with a smooth ride. However, a wagon with wheel and the axle was a major operating recognised expert in both road technology and road four rigidly attached wheels will always problem. The bearing surfaces themselves history. His Handbook of Road Technology is now in provide a rough ride on road surfaces which were heavily lubricated with animal fats its fourth international edition, and his world history of roads, Ways of the World, has been a major work are not perfectly flat planes. This is because, and occasionally employed some cylindrical in this field for two decades. In 2005, Dr Lay was as a matter of geometry, the rigid wagon can metal pieces, although these were more appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and in only make contact at three points. The fourth likely to have been the softer bronze rather 2000, the Australian Road Research Board named its point is poised above the road surface, ready than iron. library the ‘M.G. Lay Library’ to honour “his passion for the dissemination of high quality professional to descend with a rattling bump. Iron coil springs were invented in information”. In 2014, Dr Lay was awarded the Peter The Celts found a way around this England in 1625 and were soon used to Nicol Russell Medal, the highest award offered by the problem. They had developed good support coach bodies at each of their four Australian engineering profession.

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BY DOREEN THOMAS AND IVEN MAREELS

ustralia needs to clean up its roads. Transport is the third largest polluter, responsible for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions – and almostA half of this is due to cars. If Australia achieves green electricity, electric cars are certain to improve Australia’s renewable energy credentials. But unlike rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, the adoption of electric vehicles is very slow in Australia. Is there a need for government to intervene in the market with policy?

WHAT GROWTH CAN WE EXPECT? Australia ranks the worst for transport energy efficiency in the developed world, edging out Saudi Arabia, according to a scorecard by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Worsening over the years 2016 and 2017, emissions from grew at twice the rate of GDP, whereas the European Environment Agency found most developed countries’ road- related emissions remained stable. The backdrop of this poor performance is Australia’s astonishing lack of mandatory vehicle efficiency standards, adopted by 80 per cent of the world. This lack of regulation allows foreign manufacturers to offload their least efficient cars in Australia, as a 2018 Australian Electric Vehicle Market Study showed. Australians generally travel longer distances by car and are comparatively poor users of public transport because of the relatively low government spend on it. Predictions differ somewhat in the likely growth of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, at least in the short to medium term. Presently, EVs account for about 0.2 per cent of all new car sales in Australia. Can we break The Department of Environment and Energy’s current prediction is that EVs will make up one-fifth of new vehicle sales by 2030. the petrol habit? Similarly, CSIRO predicts one-fifth by 2035, and the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan works with a more ARE WE ON TRACK? Australia has moderate uptake of around 10 per cent, in their a problem with transport pollution. neutral scenario, in the same timeframe. Electric vehicles seem an obvious However, in a recent report, luxury solution – but governments need carmaker Jaguar predicts that almost two- to act now.

thirds of Australians could own an EV within 10 GALLAGHER EAMON PHOTO:

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Doreen Thomas

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years, a figure that is significantly more bullish demand by 2040, but potentially offering the batteries in EVs, as well as stand-alone about the uptake of EVs than other analyses. more flexibility into a renewables-dominated stationary batteries, provides a sufficient base Globally, there are a growing number of grid. It may well be the win-win situation for changing the operational paradigm from car manufacturers developing EVs, so clearly needed to evolve towards 100 per cent power supply follows power demand, to one there is already a market for EVs and one that renewable electricity generation. of energy supply being matched to energy will only grow. demand. Battery pricing, improved battery DEMAND IS KING Power demand and power supply are technology and putting EVs at the forefront In Australia an EV will add between 10 and shaped to match each other and, in this of new designs are making a difference. In the 15 kilowatt hours (kWh) to the daily energy scenario, consumers become “prosumers”, UK, for instance, it’s believed electric cars will demand of a household, nearly doubling people who produce and consume energy, participate in balancing the day/night load – average consumption. and shape demand and supply as part of increasing the utility of the grid. Alongside this added electrical energy an overall energy market. EVs add another The apparently inevitable rise of the demand, EV ownership is likely to come with dimension of intervention. electric car has prompted Infrastructure the ownership of rooftop PV and battery Australia Chief Executive Philip Davies to warn storage. This shift to consumer-driven energy, HOW TO MANAGE WHEN EVs of falling revenues from the petrol excise. He with very different grid dependency, is a BECOME POPULAR highlights a need for planning policy for an welcome evolution. But the increased uptake of EVs, PV, battery expected rapid uptake of EVs. By and large, the electrical power grid was storage and renewables more generally comes But the reality is that unless federal policy conceived at the end of the 19th century to with its challenges. And these are complex from changes, Australians are extremely unlikely to connect a few large generators to consumers the spatial and temporal variations on a scale opt wholly for EVs. Far from worrying about via a transmission and distribution network. not experienced before. The main challenges alternatives to petrol excise, international It essentially consisted of wires, transformers, to the (local) distribution grid arising from the examples suggest subsidies and incentives are capacitors and switches, as well as safety increased uptake of EVs, PV, battery storage, and required to shift us towards low-emission cars. equipment. renewables more generally, is one of complexity China and Norway lead in this space. This was the conventional picture due to spatial and temporal variations on a scale Impressively, in Norway, 40 per cent of new expounded in every 20th century electrical not experienced before. car sales are electric, making an important power engineering textbook – the “demand- Smarter grid management is called for. contribution to lowering carbon emissions. is-king” paradigm. This is a nontrivial problem that has not been What policy initiatives incentivised Embedded generation or distributed completely resolved, but initial pilot projects Norwegians? Among others, an exemption generation – including wind power and solar have proven successful. from both stamp duty and VAT (high, at 25 PV – is marring this classical picture from the In a project that was part of the Victoria per cent) compared to a high stamp duty on supply side. Electric Vehicle Trial, a utility successfully internal combustion vehicles; exemption from Unlike thermal power plants, renewable managed EV charging centrally to maintain road tolls; free car ferry travel; free recharge energy sources pose problems given their grid integrity and meet demand requirements sites; free parking; and access to bus lanes. inherent and uncontrollable availability over time. Controlling EV charging in this On the other hand, Australians have very of power. Currently, these generators manner implies that existing networks can few incentives to buy electric, and presently, don’t contribute much compared to the sustain high EV uptake rates without the need the major barrier is therefore simply the conventional grid and often they are simply for more infrastructure. extra cost for an electric vehicle above the considered as part of the demand side, that is, The same network that started to fail at equivalent internal combustion one, as made negative demand. only a 10 per cent uptake with uncontrolled abundantly clear in a recent RACV report. Effectively, this means these generators are charging can sustain more than an 80 per cent Provided the right incentives are in place, not relied upon to maintain grid integrity. And uptake when vehicle charging is controlled a recent analysis from Bloomberg New Energy this attitude fundamentally limits the amount using simple, but effective, optimisation. Finance suggests that EVs could account for of renewable energy that can be incorporated AI-based control strategies would half of all new cars sold by 2040 – EVs are in the grid. It is not a tenable situation. determine when and how EVs are charged, cheaper to run because of the declining cost The bulk of electrical power is associated and this implies not having to heavily invest of batteries. with energy storage, such as cooling and in upgrading network infrastructure. The implications are far-reaching – heating of large domestic or commercial spaces. If we can design proper incentives for EV adding nearly 11 per cent to electricity This energy storage, combined with owners to let their charging be controlled, and if the regulatory environment can enable and even promote such control, then most of the existing networks should be able to “ Given the pace of change globally, we cannot handle EVs for many years to come. Such a framework will also enable maintain the status quo. Change will happen.” vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-house power

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The electric vehicle charging socket. PHOTO: EAMON GALLAGHER EAMON PHOTO:

generation, where vehicle batteries act as Indeed, in more stationary applications participant, Australia will require policy distributed storage units that can also be where total available charge is of less critical intervention in the present electricity used to power your home or feed energy importance, ex-car batteries may have a very market. back into the grid when it is required. useful life in supporting grid stability and A modest moderation, providing Aggregating consumers in this manner other aspects of grid quality of service. incentives to overcome the present cost provides for more flexibility and will lead barriers, is essential. to the creation of new energy markets. COMPLEXITY, MARKETS Enabling the market to form early in Dr Lachlan Blackhall wrote in the April 2018 AND OPPORTUNITIES Australia will create a platform for Australians issue of Focus on this topic in his article To add to the already complex scenario, we to play a role in shaping the merged future ‘People-powered grids’. may expect autonomous vehicle technology of transport and electricity grids. Without A year-long study in Denmark conducted to mature in the same timeframe. This will such incentives, the ideas will be developed by Nissan and Italy’s biggest utility, Enel SpA, create another significant disturbance in the elsewhere, and Australia may altogether miss demonstrated that utilities can use parked economics of car ownership and transport the economic opportunities. ¤ EVs to deliver power into the grid and provide services. Professor Emeritus Doreen Thomas FTSE was Head of owners with a monetary return for doing Completely new modalities for transport the School of Electrical, Mechanical and Infrastructure so, without unduly affecting battery life and services, such as shared transport, will take Engineering at the University of Melbourne. She serviceability. shape and blur further the public-private holds a DPhil (Mathematics), University of Oxford. Nissan and Ovo, one of the UK’s largest transport divide. She was a founding director of a spin-off company MineOptima, through which her mining software has energy suppliers, will offer the vehicle-to-grid This confluence of transport and been commercialised. She has been recognised with service to buyers of the carmaker’s new Leaf electricity services, based on renewables, a national teaching award for her contribution to next year. According to Stephen Fitzpatrick, will present a complex management future, engineering education and mentorship. She is a Fellow Chief Executive Officer of Ovo, savings from but one with great economic opportunities of ATSE and Engineers Australia. vehicle-to-grid services would cover the in which emerging technologies such as the Since Feb 2018, Professor Iven Mareels FTSE is the Lab annual cost of charging an electric car. internet of things, 5G networking and AI Director of IBM Research Australia and an honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne. Prior to this This shows that vehicle-to-grid services services will play a critical role. he was the Dean of Engineering at the University of can be effective. In fact, transportation costs Future options for EVs supplied with energy Melbourne (2007–18). Iven is a Commander in the and electricity bills could be reduced with from renewable sources are plenty, despite their Order of the Crown of Belgium; a Fellow of ATSE, vehicle-to-grid services. complexity, and the economics of ownership Engineers Australia, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA) and the International Start-ups such as Relectrify provide an appear to work in the not-so distant future. Federation of Automatic Control and Engineers environmentally friendly way to extend Early adopters will lead the market Australia. He is a Foreign Member of the Royal Flemish battery life beyond their use in the car. and reap the benefits. To be an effective Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.

atse.org.au 31 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

BY PETER SWEATMAN

The road to a CAV future

ARE WE ON TRACK? Connected automated vehicles (CAVs) will be on our roads sooner than you think.

ur century-old system of efficiency and affordability. The opportunity complex web of functionalities varying widely roadways plied by human- for dramatic improvements across several in their state of development and proximity to controlled vehicles is going dimensions of transport as we know it is truly commonly held ideals of ”driverless” transport. to change much faster than transformational. But many of the questions about many realise. Automation, For that reason, many countries are how close we are to significant disruption connectivity, O artificial intelligence and trying to find ways for typically sedate policy in transport must be qualified in terms distributed computation are combining with processes to keep up with the rapid pace of the level of automation, the roadway new service-based business models to create of connected and automated technologies, environment and the business model. For a new mobility economy. This economy will many of which are nearing market readiness. instance, will they be privately owned or fleet- potentially boost improvements in safety, And the technologies themselves create a operated?

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CAV TESTING The cities we live in – and where many Despite the volume of media devoted to the of our companies are located – are ripe for a subject, actual numbers of HAVs operating on transformation based on data, analytics and or being tested on public roads are small. communication fulfilling human aspiration, HAV legislation that was recently talent and interaction. introduced in some US states refers to both The resulting interactive wealth creation HAV “testing” and “operation”. will outstrip the old transactional economy. In reality, however, we are at the stage The fusion of desirable skills, as well as of ”field operational testing”, implying their range and , will create new non-commercial operation in a realistic businesses much faster. The ”smart cities” environment and on a scale sufficient to movement has begun to use technology, provide confidence in HAV performance attract high-value companies, develop capabilities. educational centres and house talent and We are now beginning to see a dramatic accomplishment. increase in the scale and ”realism” of these tests. It comes as no surprise, then, that many Rather than being measured in hundreds cities recognise CAVs as at the cutting edge of vehicles, these deployments will be in the of enabling a better living and working hundreds of thousands. And they will be environment. carried out by large companies with mobility The deployment of CAVs in cities starts for credentials, rather than by automakers or many with locations, precincts and campuses their suppliers. where low-speed driverless shuttles are The first big moves in CAV deployment introduced. And as we learn more about will therefore break the current automotive these technologies, we can expand locations mould of private car ownership. and operational parameters, such as speeds. This trend is likely to continue, with The widely distributed, diverse and even households dividing their transport haphazard nature of such deployments is expenditure between motor vehicle anathema to the old automotive model. ownership – at a lower level than at present – Increasingly, the technological onus and increased use of on-demand services. will fall on the companies and institutions CAVs will undoubtedly be marketed benefiting from CAV deployments and their widely as vehicles to be privately owned by risk-management partners. automotive customers. At least some of these partners need They will need to meet national safety the ability to take data from geographically and emissions standards – building on long- dispersed and divergent environments and established tradition, with significant twists create effective risk-management processes. – but also meet state and local traffic and For a wide range of companies to take infrastructure rules. part in the new transport ecosystem, we need We can already see that automotive more and larger field operational tests. Active mandates will migrate to a quality assurance public–private consortia are needed to work approach. on the big questions of data sharing, risk Notions of customer loyalty will need management, quality assurance and liability. to make way for trust-building in HAV And we cannot rely solely on technology technology. Iron-clad vehicle approval in vehicles to assure the safety of the systems will evolve to more explicit roles for transition to the CAV era: infrastructure more players in risk management. technology must also play a critical role. ¤

In the US, the subject is often simplified to The vehicles’ aura of autonomy will Dr Peter F Sweatman FTSE is a co-founding principal ”connected and automated vehicles” (CAVs). reduce in this brave new world of automotive of CAVita and International Enterprise Professor This implies a highly automated products, barriers to entry will reduce and in Transport Technology at the University of Melbourne. He has more than 30 years‘ experience vehicle (HAV) benefiting from low-latency century-old automotive bastions will begin in transportation research and innovation, and the connectivity. At the present time, that to erode. application of R&D. He is a trusted national voice on connectivity is in the form of Dedicated Short safety, ITS, transportation research and education, Range Communication (DSRC). CAV CITIES connected and automated vehicles, and freight While other viable options are likely to As the automotive world morphs, a new technology and policy. His professional experience covers private industry, academia and government. He become available, the main emphasis is on world of mobility will arise, based on data and has worked extensively in Europe and Asia–Pacific as the automation rather than the connectivity. services rather than products. well as in the US.

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SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT DIESEL

ARE WE ON TRACK? Biofuel has the potential to redirect tonnes of biomass from landfill. Here are a few examples already setting the wheels in . BY ANTHEA BATSAKIS, FOCUS EDITOR Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913).

hen you come home at the Paris World Fair in 1900 he showcased his petrol and diesel, with no engine modification night and turn on the engine with peanut oil. This interest in biofuel required. And the company recently received lights, watch TV or cook has resurged as it may help mitigate our a $15 million grant from the UK Government dinner you probably greenhouse gas emissions. With plant-based to bring the technology to an industrial scale. aren't thinking about sources like wheat and sugarcane, biofuel is the electricityW system: an extraordinarily renewable and can be grown locally, possibly POOP complicated technical and financial system reducing fuel imports. We could be flushing away a valuable that generates and the electricity Biofuels are also expensive to produce, replacement for diesel – raw sewage and powering your home. may put strain on water resources and organic waste can be repurposed and used Rudolf Diesel built the first diesel engine compete for land with agriculture. for transport. in 1892, but would never know how much it Either way, the exciting range of biofuels In the past, turning poop into fuel used would fundamentally transform transport. shows the potential to redirect biomass that incineration, but as technology advances, Rudolf died in 1913 – under mysterious might otherwise end up in landfill. Here are more sustainable, environmentally friendly circumstances – and his product didn’t begin three examples of biomass that may soon methods are being developed. to proliferate until after World War I. By 1939, power our cars. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, diesel powered a quarter of global sea trade. for instance, pushes sewage through a tube at His engine, however, was equipped to WHISKY RESIDUES high pressure and temperature, transforming handle a range of fuels, including coal dust Waste from one of Scotland’s most prized it into different phases. and vegetable oils. In fact, Rudolf predicted exports is being transformed into a new One liquid phase is oil-rich and, like crude that vegetable-oil-based fuel would one day advanced sustainable biofuel, called biobutanol. oil, can be refined into a liquid fuel that can become just as common as petroleum, and at Distilling whisky produces two major power different types of motors. byproducts: draff (water-soaked barley This process may not be carbon neutral, kernels) and pot ale (a yeasty, copper- but it doesn’t have the added environmental containing liquid). Every year, Scottish costs of oil drilling and extraction. It can distilleries produce around 750,000 tonnes of also redirect this biomass, when there’s an draff and two billion litres of pot ale. oversupply, for farmers to use as fertiliser. A start-up, Celtic Renewables Ltd, applies microbiology and modern technology to a KITCHEN GREASE century-old fermentation process to create Oil and grime separated from wastewater in biobutanol, converting these unwanted industrial kitchens can be transformed into residues into something valuable. biodiesel, saving it from being thrown away. Biobutanol is a direct replacement for Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative to diesel commonly sourced from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases. And it can be used in its pure form in a diesel engine. This is the foundational idea that the Melbourne biotechnology start-up, Biofuel Innovations, is built on. Co-founder Dr Rebecca Yee was a recipient of an ATSE Priming Grant in 2016, which she used to collaborate with a scientist from overseas to process the byproduct, glycerol into other useful products. ¤

atse.org.au 35 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

BY DIMITY DORNAN

Vision splendid OPINION Integrating bionics into humans holds out the prospect of fuller participation by people with previously untreatable conditions.

A life changed by Hear and Say.

see an image of the dark eyes of a bionic ear was first implanted in a child with previously untreatable medical conditions. sturdy toddler gazing back at me. In a profound hearing loss in 1987. Human bionics has the potential to not twist of fate, a recent diagnosis of Usher It was in anticipation of the possibilities only transform the lives of people with organ syndrome for this youngster, now well for auditory brain access which this Australian problems, brain disease, blindness, limb into manhood, has followed rapid loss innovation could bring for children born amputation, paralysis or other disorders, but of hisI sight and soon he will not only be severely or profoundly deaf that I founded also to become a high-growth, science-based profoundly deaf but possibly also legally Hear and Say. industry for Australia. blind. Helping children and their families to The Monash Vision Group (MVG), for It is bleak news indeed, and yet I am struck access and benefit from this life-changing instance, led by the electrical engineer by a level of optimisim only made possible by technology became my life’s focus. Professor Arthur Lowery, has developed a the many breakthroughs in human bionics I Since then, thousands of young children wireless multi-electrode prosthesis to be see unfolding, breakthroughs which prompted have passed through our doors, learning to implanted in the visual cortex to restore me to found Hear and Say in Queensland. listen, speak and read. They have gone on to vision in blind individuals. Professor Jeffrey In celebrating Hear and Say’s 25th receive a typical education in the school of Rosenfeld and the MVG are planning for the anniversary this past year, I’ve looked back at their parents’ choice, attend university and first-in-human trial in 2019. images and stories like this one that show the forge careers. Each part of the manufacturing chain, legendary achievements of so many children Following his very first implantation of from innovative research, supportive who have received a bionic ear and have a bionic ear, Professor Clark’s words were: “It exponential technologies, engineering learned to “hear and speak”. is the first time the human brain, the human and medical skills right through to the If this young man is eligible for bionic consciousness and a replaced human sense commercialisation of medtech products slots eyes as well as his current bionic ears, is it just have been interfaced.” neatly into Australia’s key assets and talents. possible – even probable – that his treatment It was also the first successful Delivering these outcomes will could be coordinated across two separate commercialisation of a neuromodulation device necessitate not only new hybrid professionals signal processing systems? – a technology that acts directly upon nerves. and new cross-compatible devices, but also The convergence of humans and bionics More recently, this interface between regulatory changes, new production and is fast changing our vision of humankind. humans and bionic devices has expanded manufacturing organisations and facilities, Now, more than ever before, we can envisage to cover not only the ear, but also many and commercialisation practices. new bionic pathways back to optimal health. other areas of the body, vastly increasing This is the backdrop we must create Professor Graeme Clark’s multi-channel the potential for bionics devices to treat to enable that young man with those

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OPINION

captivating dark eyes now suffering Usher this year, Bionics Queensland was formally a positive critical mass on a global scale” syndrome to capitalise on the visual memory incorporated. which will finally transform lives to “support he has of today’s world. As a not-for-profit incorporated entity all in our natural unalienable right of optimal Most importantly, he will need a program with DGR status, Bionics Queensland has an health for life”. of yet-to-be-invented brain training so he can ambitious long-term vision, a strong suite of Boehm also sees the potential for women use his bionic eye to comprehend the new partnerships and a measured and realistic in STEMM fields like bionics to be major visual images he receives. strategy to deliver results. contributors to GHCE. The next 10 years will He’ll also need a new regulatory And I have an equally ambitious vision require all the planning and oversight that environment enabling bionic procedures to for Australia’s HBI alliance, as the founder of groups like the HBI alliance can offer. be performed safely and ethically. And, timely Bionics Queensland. By 2028, I anticipate that our concept funding to enable new partnerships between With an estimated value of of “human” will have been tempered by the science, product development and clinical US$10.53 billion (A$14.47 billion) in 2016, advent of new bionics devices which could practice. the bionics market is expected to reach alleviate a medical issue or enhance human The promise of the Health 5.0 revolution US$21.37 billion (A$29.36 billion) by 2021, performance. But ethical policies will have for digitised, personalised accessible health with especially high growth in Asia–Pacific. been developed with some urgency to must be delivered for this young man soon. A powerful alliance across multiple govern their use. As his vision wanes, neuroplastic changes to Australian states and territories has the Whatever the technologies and related this brain caused by delayed treatment could potential to deliver a much wider suite of new developments, while humans are in the make useful visual experiences more difficult and enhanced bionics solutions, advocating driving seat, we must make certain that the and slow for him to acquire. collectively for government and private sector future will not be all in coding but focused on A key challenge in responding to funds and capitalising on our shared and human empathy. the immediate needs of this young man distinctive scientific and commercial expertise. Nowhere is the need for acceleration, (and many others like him) are the silos The HBI alliance will strive to give health collaboration and co-ordination of the bionics of endeavour that exist across seemingly consumers early access to breakthroughs in industry more humanised than in the words of unrelated research groups, engineering bionic vision, hearing, the bionic heart and engineer, Bionics Queensland Board member and technology hubs that, once unified, brain, artificial limbs and organs and medical and quadruple amputee, Matthew Ames. can accelerate an array of human bionics wearables that interface with the brain. “Everything I do from the moment I wake breakthroughs. Digital and real-world collaborative platforms up each day involves some form of device. These are just some of the reasons why will connect and energise projects, resources My bionics are part of me. They need to be I created Australia’s Human Bionics Interface and people across all fields of bionics to expertly designed, locally sourced, easy to (HBI) alliance in 2013. deliver ground-breaking solutions. repair and masterfully programmed to help It is vitally important for a national A new action plan for bionics industry me live life to the fullest. overarching bionics group to connect the development will underpin new and “This requires great communication, needs of end users or patients with the emerging medtech devices, artificial organs expertise and collaboration between many clinicians, scientists, technologists, device and limbs, medical wearables and customised bionics industry professionals. There are still manufacturers, start-ups, policy-makers healthcare services. many challenges to overcome and improved and investors who have a mutual interest in Exponential technologies such as machine devices will transform not just my life, but the bionics solutions. learning, artificial and augmented reality, lives of many.” ¤ Bringing all parties together in an quantum computing and biofabrication will Dr Dimity Dornan AO FTSE is an entrepreneur, bionics expanding human bionics “living laboratory” converge with human learning, advanced activist, speech pathologist and researcher. In 1992 will enable people in all corners of the globe engineering, neuroscience, brain mapping she established Hear and Say as a leading not-for- profit for deaf children learning to listen and speak, to lead more fulfilling lives. and robotics to define and integrate the future particularly with surgically implantable hearing The HBI alliance will coordinate, facilitate of bionics healthcare. technology. In 2013 she created an Australian national and accelerate Australia’s role in delivering Participants in the HBI alliance could alliance, Human Bionics Interface, and also in 2016, personalised human bionics solutions and potentially contribute to Global Health Care founded Bionics Queensland, which was incorporated in 2018. Both of these groups seek to promote and customised healthcare services globally. Equivalency (GHCE). According to molecular accelerate the bionics industry and help bring new And our national scientific endeavours manufacturing specialist Frank Boehm: bionics solutions to market for the benefit of people in human bionics have accelerated. In June “Our working together might culminate in with previously untreatable medical problems.

“ This is the backdrop we must create to enable that young man with those captivating dark eyes now suffering Usher syndrome to capitalise on the visual memory he has of today’s world.”

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BY PETER JOHNSON

Grenfell: never again OPINION The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London sparked the world into action. Now we need fire safety engineers to take the lead.

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OPINION

both cases, the building façade materials appeared to be combustible and contribute OPPORTUNITIES to the rapid fire spread. The Warren Centre project for fire safety engineering was launched in July by Professor Peter And we recognised that Lacrosse Shergold AC, Chancellor of Western Sydney University. had some advantages, with two separate There are many opportunities for governments, companies and individuals to sponsor staircases, sprinklers and a rapid evacuation and support the project in various ways, including: plan, although there was risk the building ¢Undertaking some aspects of the research sprinkler system might have been ¢Providing case studies on infrastructure that has benefited from performance- overwhelmed due to the fire spread. based fire safety engineering The Grenfell building, on the other hand, ¢Participating in research report workshops to review findings and had no sprinklers, only one staircase and recommendations planning based on the ”stay put” philosophy ¢Involvement in wider professional and industry engagement activities became seriously compromised once non- ¢Involvement in future conference, training and other educational activities beyond combustible façade elements had been the project completion. replaced with combustible materials. Many people in the industry hope that the research developed for fire safety In Australia post-Grenfell, all State and engineering may be broadly applicable to other engineering and architectural disciplines Territory governments immediately lifted facing similar challenges following Lacrosse and Grenfell. their efforts and began to try to determine This means any participants outside fire safety engineering are especially welcome. If which buildings had combustible façades, the you’d like to learn more or discuss opportunities, contact Ashley Brinson, Chief Executive risks, what action was required, and if so, who Director, Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering at the University of Sydney was going to pay. They’ve started this process, [email protected]. but it’s still very messy and confusion reigns. At the same time, many building owners, managers and tenants wanted to know if they were at serious risk in their residential buildings or places of work. This situation continues to present great challenges to fire safety engineers, certifiers and other practitioners. And there are still great uncertainties for building occupants as “ It took the tragic events in June last year at the whole industry grapples with varying risk- assessment techniques, differing solutions the Grenfell Tower in London, with the loss of and upgrade costs, and questions of liability. Governments and professionals also 71 lives and many injuries, to spur the whole recognise they have to examine the broader and more fundamental regulatory and world into action.” cultural issues in the design and construction industry. Failure to prevent the Lacrosse Building, Grenfell Tower and other similar fires internationally has simply become the trigger for much larger policy concerns. he fire that spread up the facade It took the tragic events in June last year The report of the Victorian Cladding of the Lacrosse Building in at the Grenfell Tower in London, with the Taskforce is one example, highlighting serious Melbourne in 2014 accelerated loss of 71 lives and many injuries, to spur the deficiencies in certification and compliance of from an eighth-floor balcony to whole world into action. external wall construction and other building the 21st floor in some 11 minutes. For me and other fire safety engineers in issues. FallingT debris ignited two more floors below. Australia, the immediate question was, why But at a more fundamental level, this But there were no fatalities or serious did the Grenfell tragedy have such a terrible report also questions the adequacy of the injuries and, as a result, this fire failed to outcome compared to the Lacrosse fire? Or whole building regulatory system in Victoria generate a great deal of government, was Lacrosse a major ”near-miss” in terms and the role of the building certifiers, regulatory or industry reform in Australia, of the potential for significant loss of life for fire safety engineers and other industry although there was a Senate Inquiry into non- occupants or firefighters? practitioners who need better competence. conforming products, including combustible While not wanting to pre-empt any This was no surprise to many senior fire façade materials. official inquiries, we can clearly see that, in safety engineers, as many of us had expressed

atse.org.au 39 Science. Ingenuity. Sustainability.

www.ansto.gov.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

OPINION

Peter Johnson would benefit Australian governments, (left) and Peter regulators and practitioners. Shergold (right) Members of the Warren Centre team speak at an event at the Warren briefed Professor Shergold and Ms Weir, Science. Centre. the report and inquiry authors, to reinforce that improving competency in fire safety engineering was at the heart of more resilient buildings and superior infrastructure, and better fire safety outcomes for Australia. The Warren Centre project for fire safety engineering is now underway, examining the role of the fire safety engineer, required skill Ingenuity. levels, the necessary education and training, the most appropriate accreditation system and the audit and enforcement provisions. concern about accreditation and registration building and construction industry across A team of world-class researchers and schemes, and the level of competency of some Australia”. The resulting Shergold/Weir report broad industry participants, led by Professor fire safety engineers, for a number of years. of February 2018 generated a total of 24 Jose Torero and myself as Senior Technical Our concerns were not only with the recommendations. Advisers, are using evidence-based research quality of buildings and their design, but also The report highlighted major concerns to examine all of the key issues under three Sustainability. with public safety. with roles and responsibilities, competence main headings: In London, esteemed engineer Dame of practitioners, education and training, ¢The state of fire safety engineering Judith Hackitt led an inquiry into the UK accreditation, and auditing and enforcement regulation, control and accreditation regulatory system and examined building of fire safety engineers. in Australia compliance, including matters of fire safety Issues of private certification, building ¢The state and future role of performance- and certification. inspections and design documentation were based fire safety engineering Her report, delivered in May, was entitled also raised as major matters of concern. ¢The effective professionalising of fire Building a Safer Future: Independent Review safety engineering. of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. She THE WARREN CENTRE PROJECT A total of eight key tasks and reports will concluded that the key issues were ignorance, In late 2017 The Warren Centre of Advanced be developed and the first two are already lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities, and Engineering at the University of Sydney, an commissioned. inadequate regulatory oversight. independent thought leader that undertakes A series of recommendations on These “helped create a cultural issue strong evidence-based research, had initiated remedies and initiatives required for proper across the sector, which can be described as a early stage planning to deliver a major professional practice of fire safety engineers ’race to the bottom’ because the system does research project into the need for proper to flourish will be framed so State and not facilitate good practice”. professionalisation of fire safety engineering. Territory governments accredit fire safety She added: “There is insufficient focus on Fire safety engineering plays a critical role engineers on a nationally consistent basis. delivering the best quality building possible, in performance-based building design – a fact This is a long-held goal of many in the in order to ensure that residents are safe, and that had been identified by the Productivity design and construction industry, and the full feel safe.” Commission, provided professionals are program is expected to be completed in six Dame Judith sought international competent and regulatory systems are robust. months. comparison on similar building regulatory It was opportune, therefore, for members The Grenfell, Lacrosse and other serious systems, and ATSE members provided advice of the Warren Centre fire safety engineering fires compel us to do everything we can to on such systems in Australia to the Hackitt project team, including ATSE members Dick improve fire safety engineering and raise Inquiry through colleagues at the Royal Kell, Jose Torero and myself, to prepare a the quality of buildings and infrastructure to Academy of Engineering. She drew significant submission to the Shergold/Weir Inquiry. minimise the risk of such future tragedies. ¤ parallels to problems equally evident in the Our submission put a spotlight on major UK and Australia. issues in the built environment, not only Peter Johnson FTSE is an Arup Fellow and former global leader of the fire engineering practice of the In August 2017, soon after the Grenfell regarding fire safety, but also waterproofing, international consulting firm of Arup. He has worked Tower fire, the Commonwealth Government, indoor air quality, and mould and spores. in Australia and internationally on the design of through the Building Ministers Forum, We offered reasons for failure and potential buildings and airports, railways, road tunnels and arranged for a major inquiry to be held. solutions. other infrastructure. Peter is a Fellow of ATSE, a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, a Fellow of Their charter was to “undertake The submission emphasised that Engineers Australia, and currently one of the Senior an assessment of the effectiveness of addressing some of the key fire safety Research Advisers to the Warren Centre Project on Fire www.ansto.gov.au compliance and enforcement systems for the concerns emerging from the inquiry findings Safety Engineering and Professionalism.

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BY IAN LOWE

was well established, and the measurements showing that the levels of greenhouse gases were indeed increasing significantly. CLIMATE I observed that climate changes were becoming apparent: increasing average temperatures, more very hot days, fewer very cold nights, changes in rainfall patterns and OF DENIAL so on, as well as outlining the consequences projected by climate scientists. OPINION Ian Lowe reflects on how the media I also pointed out that cautious scientists has let us down over global warming. thought it was too early to say with confidence that the changes to our climate were being caused by the increasing levels of greenhouse gases. Scientists agreed that increasing levels of greenhouse gases would inevitably change the global climate, but there were different or more than 40 years, I have been Commission for the Future to work on long- views about the likely rate and scale of researching Australia’s future term issues that would be significant change. Some people were uncomfortable energy alternatives. When I began, for Australia. with the uncertainty and wondered whether there were already significant I was the Commission’s Acting Director we should act. environmental issues associated in 1988, when we worked with CSIRO on a Barry Jones wisely said prudent decision- with Fenergy supply and use: acid rain, urban national project to educate the community makers should weigh up the consequences air quality and the direct pollution associated about and its implications. of being wrong. If the climate scientists are with mining and burning coal. There was a huge demand for information wrong and we listen to them, he said, the I gave public lectures and published about the problem. During 1988 and 1989 worst that could happen is that we would newspaper columns in the , arguing for I spoke to an average of two gatherings a use cleaner but more expensive energy. If the an energy policy that would assure our future. week, in venues ranging from schoolrooms science is right and we don’t listen, the results A coherent approach would take account of to luxury hotels. Most of the communication could be catastrophic. limited oil resources as well as the economic, started with the basics. So he invoked the precautionary principle environmental and social issues involved in The Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius to argue it would be prudent to develop energy supply and use. had coined the phrase “the greenhouse effect” responses, despite the uncertainty. State Climate change only became an issue in the 1890s when he recognised that trace governments agreed and began planning for outside the small community of relevant gases in the atmosphere behave like glass cleaner energy supply and more efficient use. scientists after a 1985 conference in the Austrian in a greenhouse, allowing light to warm the There were only a few dissenting voices town of Villach. The conference statement interior but preventing heat from flowing out. like the Queensland Chamber of Mines, suggested a possible relationship between The effect makes the average temperature of which claimed that the concern about human activity and the changing climate. the Earth about 33°C warmer than it would be climate change was unjustified hysteria Within a few years, it became clear if, like our moon, we had no atmosphere. caused by misinformation from wild-eyed climate change would demand a new Arrhenius warned burning fossil fuels environmentalists. Even the Murdoch press, approach to energy supply and use. The 1987 might eventually increase the levels of carbon less ideologically blinkered then than it is now, report of the World Council on Environment dioxide in the atmosphere and so change reported the science and published columns and Development, Our Common Future, our climate. I explained the science, which written by me and by other scientists. concluded that new energy systems were needed to power human development, but noted that the changes would require “new “The Australian featured on its front page a dimensions of political will and institutional cooperation”. sun-tanned Bondi surfer who said he had not CSIRO scientists led by ATSE Fellow Professor Graeme Pearman AM FAA FTSE noticed any rise in sea level, as if this anecdote organised a national conference in 1987 to examine potential impacts of climate change. cancelled out decades of analysis of about And the Minister for Science in the Hawke government, Barry Jones, established the 10,000 tide gauges around the world.”

42 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

Misinformation from the media: many still believe that the science of climate change is still uncertain.

The science advanced rapidly. In 1992, A small group still say the science is The next day I was the Rio Earth Summit concluded that the uncertain, but a recent review pointed out deliberately misrepresented problem was urgent and developed the the obvious fact that there is no coherent by two Murdoch columnists, each taking half Framework Convention on Climate Change. alternative theory. As it concluded: “Some of the reply out of context. Our government set up the National blame global warming on the sun, others One said even an alarmist like me had to Greenhouse Advisory Panel. on orbital cycles of other planets, others on admit that extreme events were not a sign As a member of that body I continued to ocean cycles, and so on. There is a 97 per cent of climate change. The second seized on the address public meetings and write columns expert consensus on a cohesive theory that’s other part of my reply and said alarmists like for various publications. overwhelmingly supported by the scientific me blamed climate change for everything, By 1997, the science was convincing evidence, but the 2 to 3 per cent of papers whether it was a cyclone or a bushfire, a flood enough for the global community to negotiate that reject that consensus are all over the or a drought. the Kyoto Protocol. That agreement was map, even contradicting each other. There is now no real possibility of reached despite concerted opposition from “The one thing they seem to have in communicating climate science through energy-intensive industries, the commercial common is methodological flaws like cherry our commercial media. So the task of world generally and a few recalcitrant nations picking, curve fitting, ignoring inconvenient communication has shifted to social media, like Saudi Arabia and Australia. data, and disregarding known .” to conferences and public meetings. The Australian delegation eventually As one journalist said, if one person says Communicating with the public is an voted for protocol and PM John Howard it is raining and another says it is fine, the task important duty for an academic. If the task claimed it was a great deal for Australia. It of the media is not to report the two views of researchers is, as one analyst observed, “to may have been, but it was a bad deal for the but to look out the window and see who is seek the truth and make it known”, making planet, as our delegation had held out for a telling the truth. your findings known is essential. uniquely generous target. We are now seeing a determined campaign I still use all available channels to inform Despite that favourable treatment, of misinformation by the Murdoch press. people of the science and its implications. Howard joined the Bush administration in At one level, it consists of putting forward The good news is the community overall has refusing to ratify the agreement, so the treaty amateur contrary views as if they hold equal clearly moved on and the denialists in power did not become legally binding until Kevin weight with the science. The Australian are increasingly out of touch with reality. ¤ Rudd ratified it in 2007. featured on its front page a sun-tanned Bondi The Howard Government also disbanded surfer who said he had not noticed any rise Ian Lowe AO FTSE is Emeritus Professor of Science, the National Greenhouse Advisory Panel in sea level, as if this anecdote cancelled Technology and Society at Griffith University and an adjunct professor at two other universities. and did little to rein in Australia’s rapidly out decades of analysis of about 10,000 tide Among a wide range of advisory roles for all levels increasing greenhouse-gas production. gauges around the world. of government, he directed the Commission for the The late saw the beginning of At another level, it is deliberate Future in 1988 and chaired the council that produced a well-funded campaign by the fossil fuel misrepresentation. When I was interviewed the first independent national report on the state of the environment in 1996. The International Academy industry and other vested interests to muddy on ABC Radio and asked if Cyclone Yasi was a of Sciences, Health and Ecology recently awarded him the water, leading many to believe to this day sign of climate change, I gave a careful reply: the Konrad Lorenz Gold Medal for his contributions to that the science is still uncertain. no one event by itself a demonstration of sustainable futures. That is an amazing achievement, given climate change, but the overall pattern of there is no credible challenge to the science. more frequent and severe extreme events The 2016 Paris agreement was is what the science has been predicting for recognition by political leaders from all decades. around the world that we face a serious collective problem, demanding concerted global action to slow climate change.

atse.org.au 43 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

BY LINDSAY FALVEY

Food for thought

OPINION Agricultural science courses are changing, but the challenge to feed the world continues to prompt bright minds to take up postgraduate study.

e who have experienced As these universities aligned with applied social science and much more in four the old undergraduate elite international universities, agricultural intensive years of study. agricultural science science was overlooked. It was poorly Such courses were once referred to with courses that were based on represented in prestigious US institutions, pride, and graduates excelled in diverse demanding, intensive study had been dissolved into other departments fields of science beyond agriculture. But may lamentW their passing. However, we need to in Cambridge and Oxford, and was often this became its Achilles’ heel as the age of understand changes as part of the overall social allocated to specialist institutions in Europe. specialisation, industry relevance and student environment. From an Australian perspective, The once waxing awareness of the need choice advanced and university courses have what began as a necessity to service a novice to apply agricultural science knowledge to become less scientifically demanding. European culture adapting to an alien the populous food-deficit regions of the The agricultural scientists of today environment became an innovative means of world is in a waning phase as Western nations are increasingly graduates of four-year integrating sound science across disciplines. again move towards protectionism. general degrees containing sound science This has served the nation very well. Perhaps it is poised for disruption by and humanities who have continued into The spirit may have been waning in some unplanned immigration linked to food demanding postgraduate agricultural science institutions by the early , but received a shortages, but today’s university courses are studies. fillip later that decade and into the 1970s with seldom formed in advance of demand. It is important to also note, however, that global awareness of the precariousness of So, rather than bemoan the demise of university agricultural science education in world food supply. old agricultural science courses, it is better Australia is a strangely urban phenomenon – Morally, starvation motivated many young to ensure society’s needs are met in the new only one older university is located in a rural scientific minds to enter the profession, even environment. city. as society saw agricultural science as less In the nine universities offered prestigious than law or – and later, URBAN STUDENTS INFLUENCE agricultural science, expanding to 22 even less than commerce. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE COURSES campuses before a reduction to 11 Today’s universities and students have little institutions, with the culling of about 100 IS A GLOBAL MODEL THE RIGHT FIT? time for an agricultural science course that agricultural academic staff. Since 2009, Over the past three decades, major Australian requires sound understanding of physics, universities that usually contained strong chemistry, biochemistry, statistics, economics, agricultural science faculties have moved towards a global model.

44 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

OPINION

however, there has been an upward trend 2012 numbers had declined 45 per cent from demanding courses. And agricultural science with a marked shift to female students. the early 1990s. faculties would become coordinating bases for Rather than assume the current subjects from other faculties while primarily AGRICULTURE TODAY resurgence in agricultural science enrolments focusing on strong postgraduate programs. Filling demanding university courses that is sustainable, it may well be an Indian This vision relates more to the major service agricultural sectors with capable summer between hoped-for survival and universities, but also places greater young minds relies on them being guided dissipation into science and humanities responsibility on technical agricultural colleges. into the field. And ATSE has recommended subjects serving agriculture. In any case, we must find ways to the uptake of agricultural science school Opportunities exist created by “the world continually adapt to ever-new pests, subjects. food crisis”, the aspirations of the emerging climate and other variables while efficiently Yet there is scant attention to the Asian middle class and free trade agreements increasing food production for expanding agricultural sciences in school geography, that have rekindled interest in Australian food populations from reducing lands, water and history, mathematics and science curricula, production. mined resources. and school-leaver STEM skills remain lower This is likely to remain at a high level The past century’s experience suggests than in the heyday of agricultural science for the coming decade, providing a degree that our responses to agricultural science courses. of certainty to educational providers that education today may be one yardstick by Such neglect, combined with society’s demand for graduates will continue. And a which our contribution to human civilisation urban orientation and nostalgic conceptions country reliant on agriculture as its major is judged in the future. ¤ of farming, helped drag down national export needs strong postgraduates in intakes into agricultural science courses – in agricultural science. Professor Lindsay Falvey FTSE FAIST was Dean of Their research training must build on an Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture at The University of Melbourne, where he continues in an honorary integrated understanding, forged in role. His career has spanned government, academia, undergraduate years. research and the private sector, and he has authored The only difference from some 15 books. He is currently engaged in voluntary the past is that undergraduate roles including Chair of the Board of the International Livestock Research Institute with 16 centres across agricultural science courses the developing world. For ATSE, he is Chair of the ICM would not be the same rounded, Agrifood Award selection panel.

“ The past century’s experience suggests that our responses to agricultural science education today may be one yardstick by which our contribution to human civilisation is judged in the future.”

atse.org.au 45 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

BY ROBERT VERTESSY

Murray–Darling Basin: the case for more science, not less OPINION As drought grips eastern Australia, Professor Robert Vertessy calls for more investment in water research.

he drought that has gripped The assessments were based on a decisions, it is normal for there to be a range large swathes of eastern rigorous scientific process and involved of views within the science community. Such Australia – in some cases for expert science teams undertaking divergence in views should not be used up to seven years – is bringing sophisticated modelling that was founded to undermine the integrity of the original the question of water security on a sound conceptual understanding of the technical assessments themselves. once Tagain into sharp focus. Our nation’s hydrologic, ecologic, economic and social Our understanding of the environmental, water resources are in a constant state of dynamics of the Murray–Darling Basin. economic and social dynamics in the Murray– flux, being impacted by population growth, Those undertaking that work know, Darling Basin is continually improving and the development and climate change. of course, that their assessments can be Basin Plan makes provision for adjustments In particular, the health of the Murray– subject to uncertainty, as some of the many based on new knowledge. Darling Basin affects farmers, regional complex relationships and processes being Under the plan, Basin managers communities and entire ecosystems. It’s modelled are not completely understood are expected to undertake “adaptive important that we get it right. and the models themselves are necessary management”, whereby new observations The Murray–Darling Basin Royal simplifications of reality. In some areas, there and improved understanding are monitored Commission, currently underway in South is also a lack of data to support modelling of and used to refine policy and management Australia, is investigating the operations and these complex systems. settings when appropriate. This is reflected effectiveness of the Basin Plan, agreed to by The determination about how much water both in legislation and governance the Basin states in 2012. is to be apportioned between environmental arrangements. In Commission hearings, there has and consumptive uses is not only influenced The Basin Plan should be viewed as the been criticism directed at the technical by the technical assessments but also by start of an ambitious journey and recognised assessments underpinning the Basin economic and social considerations. as a world-leading example of large basin- Plan and, in particular, the allocations to Where the science is “inexact”, as is often scale water planning. Many of the world’s environmental flows. the case, and other factors contribute to large water basins face severe water security

46 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

OPINION

challenges and very few have attempted experiencing drought, it is vital that the at its lowest level in 30 years) to improve our what is now being implemented in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority is supported ability to diagnose problems and identify Murray–Darling Basin. in its mission to improve the health of solutions before they develop into crises. Measures include the use of sustainable the Basin and has adequate resources We need strong science teams with diversion limits, extensive rollouts of efficient to undertake effective monitoring and strengthened capabilities across our nation irrigation technology, the creation and active evaluation activities incorporating the best helping governments to refine their current management of a large environmental water available science and technology. water management plans and to envision reserve and reforms to water trading. Understanding the impact of climate new ones. ¤ These are bold reforms, introduced at change on the Basin’s water resources Professor Robert Vertessy FTSE is an Enterprise a time of crisis (the Millennium Drought) and the complex relationships between Professor in the School of Engineering at the University to address profound problems that environmental flow regimes and ecosystem of Melbourne and an Honorary Professor in the were decades in the making. As with the health remain open scientific challenges. Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University. He is undertaking research on water underpinning science, these actions will be That’s why the Australian Academy of security and climate change. Professor Vertessy is also reviewed and improved over time. Technology and Engineering advocates the principal of his consulting firm Global Change At a time when Australia is again increasing investment in water research (now Advisory, and chairs ATSE’s Water Forum.

“Understanding the impact of climate change on the Basin’s water resources and the complex relationships between environmental flow regimes and ecosystem health remain open scientific challenges.”

ISSUE THREE 2018

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atse.org.au 47 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

Breaking stereotypes, not electronic devices

Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran is a champion of already have. Rigid electronics have their own set of advantages and women in STEM, pioneering research into flexible, unbreakable, functionalities but they also have their own set of limitations. They’re transparent devices. almost the polar opposite of the stretchy polymeric bases we’re trying to combine them with,” Associate Professor Bhaskaran said. When you picture an engineer, what comes to mind? According to one With so many potential applications, however, it can be a particular group of students, the image of an engineer is a man in a challenge to know what direction to take, she added. hard hat. That was what RMIT University’s Associate Professor Madhu “It’s a very nice field to be in, because it’s advantageous to society Bhaskaran found when she recently presented at a girls’ school. in the long run, no matter what application it’s used for.” “Five or six girls came up to me and said ‘I never thought that what And the stretchy unbreakable devices won’t necessarily be costly. you’re doing is engineering’.” She said there’s a pervading misconception that anything to do with She said the girls envisioned engineering as only related to civil electronics is expensive. and infrastructure, rather than a science applicable to a vast pool of “The message that needs to get out there is that you can have disciplines like electronics, materials and even biology. these things made at a lower cost, you don’t need billions of dollars “If we can dissolve those misconceptions, we’ll get a lot more girls of investments. This is a new wave of electronics, and we can’t afford doing engineering. Their idea about what engineering is needs to to go offshore for things like this. It’s something that will obviously change.” become an integral part of peoples’ lives. And if we can make a Associate Professor Bhaskaran is an electrical engineer pioneering difference, why lose all the innovation to overseas? It makes sense to research into oxide-based flexible electronics – unbreakable retain the intellectual property here,” she says. transparent electronic devices. Associate Professor Bhaskaran moved to Australia from Chennai, These electronics have an enormous range of applications, from India, when she was 21 and has since won numerous awards and bio-dissolvable devices that can reveal detailed information about the prestigious recognitions for her research. body, to gas sensors that can monitor pollution. She was recently the first woman to be awarded the Batterham “It’s not just about creating new products, but enhancing what you Medal, a $5000 prize for engineers under 40, administered by ATSE.

COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY IN STEM ‘500 WOMEN SCIENTISTS‘ TAKE ON BIAS ew initiatives to build gender equality in STEM will be rolled out eing interrupted in meetings. Receiving a hug from an older male Nas part of a new $4.5 million package to support girls and women Bcolleague you don’t know well after a professional presentation. in STEM. Unveiled by the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Michaelia Having older, senior male colleagues comment on your “prettiness”. White, Cash, and the Minister for Women, Kelly O’Dwyer, in May, the long- male lab members complaining that there are no opportunities for white term action plan includes: males. ¢a strategy to boost women’s participation in Sound familiar? science and technology; These are examples of structural discrimination, subtle biases ¢ a decadal plan for women in science that ATSE will help develop; and overt harassment highlighted by 500 Women Scientists – an ¢a girls in STEM toolkit for school-age girls to learn what a STEM unapologetically feminist organisation working towards a society where career involves; and science is inclusive and the contributions of women are valued. ¢a women in STEM ambassador who will advocate for gender It began when four women rallied together to collect 500 signatures equity in the sector. for an open letter. Their goal was surpassed within hours, and now their “We must draw on the entire skill set of our community and make the movement consists of more than 20,000 women in STEM and supporters best use of the tremendous knowledge and skills of women researchers, from more than 100 countries. engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs,” Minister Cash said. Their website has a number of resources to help boost the visibility of “Only by involving all Australians can we take big strides in women scientists and end discrimination. science and technology, ensuring our nation benefits from the huge This includes: a list of women scientists for anyone needing contribution these discoveries will make to our future lives.” scientific expertise, such as educators, policy-makers and journalists; The Government also announced the recipients for round two of communication resources for writing op-eds and public speaking; and the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grant program, with 22 what you can do to help end harassment in STEM. Australian organisations receiving more than $4 million in funding. And launching soon are 500 Women Scientist Pods – support spaces ATSE won grants in round one of the program to develop a project for women experiencing difficulties in their careers. creating 20 career profiles of women in STEM and entrepreneurship. Consider signing up and join the movement at You can find them on the STELR YouTube page. 500womenscientists.org.

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WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

Madhu Bhaskaran And having only completed her PhD eight years ago, Associate Professor Bhaskaran is not only changing the course of electronics, but also is a champion for women in STEM and leadership. She is a director for Women in STEMM Australia and co-leads the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group at RMIT.

“It’s not just about creating new products, but enhancing what you already have.”

PHOTO: RMIT UNIVERSITY

WOMEN IMPACTING AFRICA’S TECH BOOM he African Women in Technology conference in July connected Nigeria, which produces so much talent, and also the amount of funding Tleading women in technology with budding entrepreneurs in the country's start-ups have raised from both local and global venture Kenya. capitals.” Technology is booming in Africa, and it’s transforming the Now in its third year, the AWIT conference is aimed at connecting, possibilities for life on the continent. Around one-fifth of Africa now has encouraging and empowering young women, girls and inspiring access to the internet and some of the world’s tech giants are investing entrepreneurs in technology. there, including IBM, Google and Microsoft. So what can women in particular bring to the technology sector? This revolution has spurred the launch of the African Women in “A lot! It all depends on the company’s needs. Women bring a new Technology (AWIT) conference, bringing together the African women perspective. Women are intuitive, smart, creative and observant. Being who are impacting the technology ecosystem. integral parts of families and communities, women also experience a lot AWIT founder and entrepreneur Anie Akpe says smartphone of the problems start-ups try to solve, and can bring in viewpoints that adoption has made the biggest difference to the continent. lead to solving these problems,” Ms Akpe said. “It has led to the rise of fin-techs (financial technologies) like The conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya, and provided M-PESA in Kenya, provided unconventional employment opportunities opportunities in mentoring, networking, internships and funding. like Uber and also opened up the continent to the world, in terms of A networking communications and creativity,” Ms Akpe said. event at last “African millennials use social media to show off the uniqueness of year’s African the continent every day.” Women in The tech boom across Africa is particularly prevalent in Ghana, Technology conference, where Google will soon open an AI centre, the first in Africa. held in Ms Akpe added that Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria are also Mozambique. leading the tech revolution. “Kenya, based on their quick adoption of technology and infrastructure; South Africa, due to the impact of the diaspora; and

atse.org.au 49 DECOOM1126_297x210_ATSE Space Press Ad_August_FA.indd 1 13/8/18 9:48 am SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

Female science video hosts face trolls on YouTube

A NEW STUDY QUANTIFIED THE SEXISM RAMPANT ON YOUTUBE FOR WOMEN IN STEM CREATORS. HERE’S HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT THEM. BY ANTHEA BATSAKIS, FOCUS EDITOR

“Never read the comments!” As a young female writer, I’m often told to own don’t mean much, but put together in ways that became beware of the comments on social media when any of my articles are borderline hate speech! posted, and for a good reason. ”Trolls” – people who post hate speech online – can make the internet an ugly place for women showcasing How can we be better allies to women in STEM on YouTube? their work. It’s important to question the norms of what is considered “good” or But it’s not always bad. Social media comments can also be “successful” if we want to promote diversity, inclusion and equity. supportive and provide an opportunity for the public to engage in a If you think someone is doing good work, let them know. When way that wasn’t possible a decade ago. I come across something I enjoy on YouTube, social media or even Inoka Amarasekara – a science communicator who coordinated in life in general, I try to engage positively by liking it, subscribing or videos of inspiring women in STEM and entrepreneurship for ATSE – following. It’s so easy to do! dove into the black hole of YouTube comments and emerged with a And broadening what you read, watch and listen to is important. published paper. We need to actively look for different kinds of perspectives in our She explored how female science communicators were unfairly consumption of information and entertainment, perhaps a bit like treated on YouTube compared to their male counterparts by looking at research practice. more than 23,000 YouTube comments. “It must feel incredibly rewarding for YouTube creators to Do you think women in STEM should avoid making videos on encourage curiosity and discussion about science, and to have people YouTube altogether? engage with their content,” Ms Amarasekara said. Definitely not! But I think it’s important to acknowledge barriers or “I can also only imagine how it must feel to be on the receiving end of problems women face in order to take steps to overcome them. certain kinds of hostility and sexism. I have a lot of respect and admiration YouTube presents a great opportunity for those who want to for the YouTube creators who endure that to pursue their goals.” participate in science communication, with its global reach, huge Published in the journal Public Understanding of Science, earning potential and innovative career opportunities. Ms Amarasekara found women who create science videos on YouTube Given the under-representation of women in STEM in general, generally face a tougher environment than men. their lack of visibility and marginalisation around ethnicity, class, They elicit more comments per view than men and a higher sexual orientation, physical ability and non-cisgender presentation in proportion of critical comments. In fact, about 14 per cent of the STEM industries, there is a long way to go. comments for female on-camera hosts were critical, compared to Diversity and inclusion is especially important to improve STEM about 6 per cent for male hosts. practice to promote diversity in thinking and innovation. They also received far more comments about their appearance, or And unless people actively participate, the status quo will continue. ¤ comments that were sexist or sexual. On the other hand, female hosts received more likes and subscribes per view. “I can also only imagine how it Here, Ms Amarasekara discusses her research and how we can better support women in STEM on the internet. must feel to be on the receiving

Was there anything in your research that surprised you? end of certain kinds of hostility When I first started scrutinising YouTube and popular channels, I was surprised by how few women there were in science-related YouTube and sexism. I have a lot of respect videos and how they’re less visible. I wanted to investigate that gap and find out whether I could detect if audiences really do respond and admiration for the YouTube differently to science content by men or women. Also, the comments that were analysed were the public-facing ones creators who endure that to and there was no definitive way to tell if comments were being filtered. I found it interesting how people could use words that on their pursue their goals.”

atse.org.au 51

DECOOM1126_297x210_ATSE Space Press Ad_August_FA.indd 1 13/8/18 9:48 am FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

MEET A FELLOW

Professor Ewa Goldys PHOTO: CHRIS STACEY Ewa Goldys: making light work of disease

Humans have an innate ability to make decisions based on colour. career, to semiconductor physics and then We know when a child is sick from the colour of their face, if a fruit is to nanotechnology, which led her to ripe or if a mushroom is poisonous. become interested in biophotonics. “The science of light is actually University of NSW Professor Ewa Goldys FTSE draws inspiration quite intriguing, and there are so from this ability, but uses it on a much smaller scale – using many sophisticated technologies technology to go beyond the capability of the human eye. waiting to be deployed, but you By looking at the colour of cells and tissues under fluorescent need to know what the problem microscopes, she can learn detailed information about their is,” Professor Goldys says. biochemistry and determine whether a patient is sick or healthy, and “This is why I became so how they’ll respond to treatment. interested in light sciences, to bridge “Humans are just not very good at matching colours. We can match between what the technologies can do colours if they’re drawn side-by-side on a wall, but to carry the memory and what is really required.” of that colour to Bunnings, that’s when we need technology,” she says. In particular, she says, the The technique, known as “hyperspectral imaging technology”, is ability to quantify colour and make Olfactory neurosphere cells taken from the body, non-invasive, easily accessible and can be used in areas as diverse as objective colour observations analysed for subtle differentiation of colour. PHOTO: CNBP cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. can yield real-world translational For pioneering this technique, Professor Goldys and her colleague outcomes, opening a new window into the body. Dr Martin Gosnell won the 2016 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use “My mission in life is to enable more objective judgements and of Technology. determinations,” she says. “The colour of cells and tissues has been an underutilised “Computers don’t forget. They maintain the same standards, characteristic in science,” Professor Goldys says. are less prone to errors and are able to handle the diversity and The interdisciplinary approach to hyperspectral imaging heterogeneity in biology.” technology – it draws on chemistry, physics and biology – is a Professor Goldys is an ATSE Fellow, the Deputy Director of the ARC testament to the wide scope of her expertise. Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP) and a SHARP Professor Goldys has been a full-time researcher since she joined Professor (Strategic Hires and Retention Pathways) at the University academia, naturally transitioning from theoretical physics early in her of NSW. ¤

52 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

ATSE PEOPLE

Martin Green wins Global Energy Prize

Scientia Professor Martin Green AM FRS FAA FTSE has become the UNSW said Professor Green had been selected from 44 contenders first Australian to win a prestigious Global Energy Prize, topping a from 14 countries by a committee of leading scientists to share the shortlist that included Tesla’s . $820,000 prize with Russian scientist Sergey Alekseenko, an expert in thermal power engineering. Professor Green is Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced He’ll be presented with his prize in October by President Vladimir Photovoltaics at the University of NSW. His group has held the record Putin or his nominee. for silicon solar cell efficiency for 30 of the past 34 years. Professor Green‘s record-breaking achievements stretch across Often called the ”Father of Photovoltaics”, he won the prize for decades. In 1989, his team supplied the solar cells for the first revolutionising the efficiency and cost of solar photovoltaics, and photovoltaic system with an energy conversion efficiency of 20 per making it the lowest-cost option for bulk electricity supply. cent. And in 2014, he headed the development team that first “We need to maintain the pace of research in Australia, not only to demonstrated the conversion of sunlight into electricity with an keep our international lead, but also to benefit society by providing a energy conversion efficiency of 40 per cent. cheap, low-carbon source of electricity,” Professor Green said. Professor Green’s earlier honours include the 1999 Australia Prize, “Given the quality of the candidates on the shortlist, receiving this the 2002 Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel prize is a great honour, and will spur on our efforts. I look forward to Prize), the 2007 SolarWorld Einstein Award and the 2016 Ian Wark the presentation in Russia in October.” Medal from the Australian Academy of Science. ¤ PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNSW OF COURTESY PHOTO:

CALUM DRUMMOND WINS WARK MEDAL ormer ATSE Board member, Professor Wark CMG CBE FAA FTSE. It is administered by understanding of the key factors governing FCalum Drummond FTSE, has been the Australian Academy of Science. molecular assembly, and particle and surface awarded the Ian Wark Medal. The award recognises research that interactions in liquids. Professor Drummond, Deputy Vice- contributes to the prosperity of Australia and This research has enabled the Chancellor Research and Innovation at RMIT is normally made every two years. It includes development and commercialisation of University, has been a Fellow since 2006. a $3000 honorarium. advanced high-performance materials in The Ian Wark Medal and Lecture According to the award citation, areas including energy storage, medical commemorates the contributions to Australian Professor Drummond has made outstanding therapy and diagnosis, household consumer science and industry of the late Sir Ian William contributions to advancing the fundamental and industrial large-scale uses.

atse.org.au 53 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

ATSE PEOPLE

Robot conference brought down under for the first time

Two ATSE Fellows brought the International Program Chair,” Professor Corke said. Conference on Robotics and Automation Among the concepts on show was an art (ICRA) to the southern hemisphere for installation: 3 Robots Named Paul, by Patrick the first time since the global event was Tresset. Conference visitors would sit for launched in 1984. around 45 minutes and have their portrait sketched by three robots whose ‘eyes’ were Queensland University of Technology’s digital cameras or low-resolution webcams. Professor Peter Corke FTSE and Chief Defence Professor Corke’s portrait is below. Scientist Dr Alex Zelinsky FTSE were behind “It was nice to be forced to sit still for a bringing the conference to Brisbane, which while – running a major conference like that saw a record 3000 people attend. literally involves a lot of running around,” “There has been a lot of great work in he said. robotics in Australia and we both felt it was “We had great plenary and keynote time the conference came down under. speakers, the exhibition was great and very We pitched the conference four years ago well attended, and I was happy that art and with Alex as General Chair and myself as ethics got some air time.” RAVI NAIDU IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST INNOVATIVE ENGINEERS nvironmental pollution kills more Epeople in the world every year than all war and violence, smoking, hunger and natural disasters combined. On the front lines is University of Newcastle Professor Ravi Naidu FTSE, a global leader in contamination studies. He investigates the presence of contaminants in the environment and the route they take to receptors. For his impactful research, Professor Naidu was among 30 people listed in Create Digital’s Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers 2018. Professor Naidu is the Global Innovation Chair and Director of the Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, University of Newcastle. And he is the Managing Director and CEO of the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CRC CARE), an independent organisation that develops technologies and policies that assess and prevent soil, water and air contamination. His research has led to the implementation of policy directives and new technologies that manage and remediate polluted groundwater and soil in Australia and overseas. The robot-drawn sketch of Professor Peter Corke FTSE.

54 atse.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

ATSE PEOPLE

Mary-Anne Williams leads UTS team to silver in RoboCup 2018

A University of Technology Sydney robotics team have taken home silver in the Social Robot Standard Platform League at RoboCup 2018 in Montreal.

To win RoboCup, teams must overcome several challenges. Their robot must: play a game of blindman’s bluff with humans, take drink orders at a cocktail party, undertake a range of tasks in a home setting, identify and find objects to help humans – and pass a surprise challenge. Led by UTS Magic Lab Professor Mary- Anne Williams FTSE, the ”UTS Unleashed!” team finished equal first in the cocktail Professor Mary-Anne Williams and her team. party challenge and first in the tour guide challenge. for ways social robots operate in human- UTS Unleashed! are gearing up for Professor Williams created her first centric environments and require not just RoboCup 2019, which will be held in Sydney, RoboCup team in 2002. This year’s team the intelligence to optimise and perform where Professor Williams will chair the includes six undergraduate students, nine physical tasks but to work with humans RoboCup 2019 Symposium. “We are looking PhD students and some of Australia’s leading in safe and enjoyable ways,” Professor for industry-sponsored scholarships to grow social roboticists. Williams said. the team and enable more students to benefit “With our research focus on developing All teams must use a Pepper robot to from the transformative RoboCup experience. safe and secure robots for human-centric compete in the league – the UTS Pepper is Please contact me if you would like to discuss business environments, we are looking known as ”Banana Habanero”. student sponsorships/internships,” she said.

FELLOWS ELECTED TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY TSE congratulates three Fellows who boasting a Fellowship that once included Jameson is a chemical engineer and the Ahave been elected to the Royal Society: Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Stephen Director of the University’s Centre for Professor Michelle Simmons, Professor Hawking. Today, these ATSE Fellows have Multiphase Processes. He is renowned for and Foreign Fellow joined around 1600 of the world’s most inventing the Jameson Cell – a mineral Professor Robin Grimes. The Royal Society eminent scientists. processing technology used to remove fine is the oldest continuing scientific academy, coal from waste streams. SCIENTIA PROFESSOR MICHELLE SIMMONS FAA FRS FTSE PROFESSOR ROBIN GRIMES As an internationally celebrated quantum FRENG FRS FTSE physicist, Professor Simmons is honoured by Imperial College materials physicist the Royal Society for her pioneering work in Professor Grimes is renowned for quantum research. modelling nuclear materials. His primary research interest is in computer simulation PROFESSOR GRAEME JAMESON AO techniques to predict structural and FRENG FAA FRS FTSE dynamic behaviours of ceramics, metals Robin Grimes Michelle Simmons Graeme Jameson University of Newcastle Laureate Professor and semiconductors.

atse.org.au 55 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

ATSE PEOPLE

Andrew Liveris’s $13 million gift to UQ

Global business leader Dr Andrew Liveris AO FTSE and his wife Paula Liveris have donated $13.5 million to help establish the Liveris Academy at the University of Queensland (UQ).

They also pledged an additional $26.5 million in support of UQ’s “Not If, When” philanthropic campaign. Located in UQ’s Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT, the Liveris Academy will help develop the next generation of leaders of a sustainable future. Dr Liveris, who retired as chair of DowDuPont in July, said he hoped the donation and initiative would allow students to garner a real-life understanding that many global challenges required large- scale innovation and leadership to create positive change for society. “Paula and I hope the Liveris Academy will attract, support and develop many of the planet’s smartest young people and finest minds in engineering and science, enabling them to reach their full potential while addressing major challenges facing society today.”

IMAGE: M3ARCHITECTURE UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj, who is also an ATSE Fellow, said Dr Liveris was one of UQ’s most successful alumni, and naming the building after him honoured his career and his role as a consistent advocate for UQ.

An artist’s impression of the new Andrew N. Liveris Building.

CATHERINE LIVINGSTONE WINS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD rominent business leader and vocal “It is an honour to receive this award in awarded the Centenary Medal for Service to Padvocate of science and education such illustrious company and I will continue Australian Society in Business Leadership. Dr Catherine Livingstone AO FAA FTSE to advocate for STEM at every opportunity as In 2008 she was appointed an Officer was presented with the 2018 Australian this is an area where I believe Australia can of the Order of Australia for service to Museum Research Institute (AMRI) Lifetime make a mark.” the development of Australian science, Achievement Award in July. Director and CEO of Australian Museum technology and innovation policies for the The AMRI Award recognises outstanding Kim McKay AO said many people recognised business sector. achievements in advancing public knowledge, Dr Livingstone for her communication and understanding of science. roles as Chair of Telstra It was awarded to Dr Livingstone for her and the Commonwealth advocacy of science through numerous roles Bank, and as President of including President of the Australian Museum the Business Council of Trust, Chair of CSIRO, CEO of top 100 company Australia. Cochlear and Chancellor of the University of “But it is her Technology Sydney. contribution and passion In presenting the annual AMRI Lecture for science, technology and receiving the award, Dr Livingstone said and education that will science had been at the core of the Australian leave a truly lasting Museum since it was founded in 1827. legacy for the Australian “The Australian Museum is the nation’s business and science first museum and continues to contribute to communities.” science understanding on an international Dr Livingstone was

level through the work of the Australian elected to ATSE in 2002 ALCOCK JAMES PHOTO: Museum Research Institute,” she said. and a year later was (From left) Kim McKay, Catherine Livingstone and Rebecca Johnson.

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ATSE PEOPLE

CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope. With a diameter of 64 metres, it’s one of the largest single-dish telescopes in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy. The telescope is now 10,000 times more sensitive than when it began operating in 1961. PHOTO: CSIRO IMAGE LIBRARY IMAGE CSIRO PHOTO:

ATSE Fellow leading Australians into space

MEGAN CLARK EXPLAINS part of the moon landing broadcast in 1969. is helping businesses win a greater share WHY NOW IS THE BEST TIME And Australia’s Indigenous people have of the global space market by identifying TO LAUNCH AN AUSTRALIAN the oldest astronomy tradition in the world. opportunities internationally. SPACE AGENCY. We continue to learn more about the depth Australia already has a vibrant space The Australian Space Agency is in good hands and complexity of Indigenous astronomy. industry, which employs about 10,000 people with Dr Megan Clark AC FTSE as its head. and was worth $3.9 billion in 2015-16. The The former CSIRO chief executive will lead How will the Australian Space Agency be Agency will help triple the size of the space the agency’s first year after completing a affected by small satellite start-ups or by industry, to between $10 and $12 billion by government review of the space sector. other commercial space programs? 2030. This would create up to 20,000 new, She said the space industry was helping Space activities are a global business and high-tech jobs. every sector of the economy grow and would many countries responding to this demand provide “one voice, one door” for Australia to in different ways. We found a gap in Australia What do you wish more people knew about work with our international counterparts. The for an organisation to coordinate our space the Australian Space Agency? For example, Australian Space Agency will be one of the activities and be the first point of contact for how it will help our national security or our world’s most industry-focused space agencies. international cooperation. For example, when agriculture, etc. NASA and the European Space Agency meet, We want to reinforce how space impacts Australia was only one of two developed we can have a seat at the table. on everyday lives. Space underpins every nations without a space agency. Why do you Part of the Agency’s funding includes part of the broader economy, including think it has taken so long to establish? $15 million dedicated to fostering communications, agriculture, mining, Some people say we’re late to the party, but international space partnerships. This will transportation and others. Space provides now is a great time to be establishing a space open the door to Australian businesses in the essential data for banking, TV and agency. We are witnessing a shift in the industry every state and territory to participate in internet access. from billion-dollar government programs to international space missions and projects. Many Australians use space technology an industry comprising a healthy mix of big, – GPS – to get around every day. Space medium and small businesses providing a vast Last year it was reported that Australia technology will continue to flow through to array of technology and services. contributes only one per cent of the global other sectors and open up new opportunities. Technology has become cheaper and space economy. How much do you expect For example, the Government is investing $260 smaller, and the costs to get into space are we’ll contribute once the space agency is million to bring GPS accuracy from our current lower. We also shouldn’t forget that Australia established? five metres to 10 centimetres across Australia has a proud space history. The Honeysuckle The global space economy is worth about and three centimetres in cities. This opens up and Parkes observatories were an integral $345 billion. An important role of the Agency some really exciting new uses for GPS.

atse.org.au 57 Our vision is to create sustainability and excellence in Australia’s power engineering.

What is the API The Australian Power Institute (API) is a not for profit national organisation established by the Australian power industry to boost the quality and numbers of power engineering graduates with the skills and motivation for a career in the energy industry which encompasses: - Generation, transmission and distribution utilities - Manufacturers and suppliers to the industry - Consultants to the industry - End users of electricity in their operations. Value Proposition To deliver a sustainable supply of highly skilled power engineering professionals working effectively to meet the challenges of creating Australia’s new energy future, and underpin the technical and commercial success of member companies in the energy sector. The key objectives of API are to achieve the following: - Provide a sustainable supply of quality power engineering graduates to industry - University power engineering teaching and learning provides relevant industry skills - Value added continuing professional development programs - A respected organisation leading the national development of power engineering skills.

Further Information Contact - Mike Griffin (Chief Executive)

6 0419 643 795 [email protected] www.api.edu.au and www.powerengineering.org.au SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

ATSE PEOPLE

Veena Sahajwalla launches world’s first e-waste microfactory

What happens to broken printers and out-of- of our age,” Professor Sahajwalla said. remote locations where typically the logistics date phones when you throw them away? With her green manufacturing of having waste transported or processed technologies, the microfactories can are prohibitively expensive. This is especially Professor Veena Sahajwalla is a globally transform stockpiled waste, enabling beneficial for island markets and remote and renowned materials engineer who is local businesses and communities to not regional regions.” revolutionising recycling science, enabling only tackle waste problems, but develop Professor Sahajwalla is the founding global industries to reuse toxic waste as low- commercial opportunities. Director of the Centre for Sustainable Our vision is to create sustainability and cost alternatives to virgin raw materials. “These microfactories Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) She recently launched the world’s first can transform the at UNSW and heads the ARC Industrial excellence in Australia’s power engineering. e-waste microfactory at the University of manufacturing Transformation Research Hub for green NSW that will offer a solution to burning landscape, manufacturing. This year she was made a and burying waste that contains reusable especially in Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. materials. What is the API These micro-factories extract the Veena Sahajwalla maximum value from e-waste, redirecting PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNSW The Australian Power Institute (API) is a not for profit national organisation challenging waste streams away from landfill. established by the Australian power industry to boost the quality and “Our e-waste microfactory, and another under development for other consumer numbers of power engineering graduates with the skills and motivation waste types, offer a cost-effective solution to for a career in the energy industry which encompasses: one of the greatest environmental challenges - Generation, transmission and distribution utilities - Manufacturers and suppliers to the industry - Consultants to the industry - End users of electricity in their operations. Value Proposition To deliver a sustainable supply of highly skilled power engineering professionals working effectively to meet the challenges of creating Australia’s new energy future, and underpin the technical and commercial success of member companies in the energy sector. NINE FELLOWS AWARDED QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS COMPANION OF THE ORDER (AC) The key objectives of API are to achieve the following: rofessor Rose Amal received the Companion of the Order of Australia, ¢Professor Rose Amal AC FAA FTSE - Provide a sustainable supply of quality power engineering recognising her impactful research in catalyst systems. She leads a team that P ¢Dr Erica Smyth AC FTSE graduates to industry uses sunlight to transform carbon dioxide into fuel – a method that’s both cost- ¢Professor San Hoa Thang AC FAA FTSE - University power engineering teaching and learning provides efficient and mitigates greenhouses gases. relevant industry skills Also receiving the Companion of the Order was Professor San Thang, OFFICER OF THE ORDER (AO) - Value added continuing professional development programs a polymer and materials scientist. He developed a new method of making ¢Dr David Cook AO FTSE - A respected organisation leading the national development polymers with a huge range of applications, from solar cells and cosmetics to ¢John Grace AO FTSE of power engineering skills. biosensors and drug delivery. ¢John Kerin AO AM FTSE Dr Erica Smyth was similarly awarded for her wide-ranging work in corporate ¢Professor Paul Wood AO FTSE governance roles, particularly in the mining sector, and for enabling and PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (PSM) engaging women in business as a mentor and public speaker. ¢Dr Janis Cocking PSM FTSE Further Information Foreign Fellow Professor John Loughhead received the Companion of the COMPANION OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH Contact - Mike Griffin (Chief Executive) Order of the Bath for his services to Research and Development in the Energy Sector. ¢Fellow Professor John Loughhead CB OBE FREng FTSE

6 0419 643 795 [email protected] www.api.edu.au and www.powerengineering.org.au atse.org.au 59 FOCUS | SEPTEMBER 2018

IN MEMORIAM

Graeme Bird leaves a legacy in aerospace

The life of Professor Graeme Bird AO FTSE Engineering and Head of the Department was devoted to aeronautical engineering, at the University of Sydney, where he and the sector has him to thank for prepared graduates heading to government developing a technique that continues to departments, the RAAF, airlines and the solve a wide range of aerodynamic and aircraft industry. He continued in this role aerospace problems. until 1990. For almost 40 years, he worked in close The technique, the direct simulation – collaboration with NASA and held many Monte Carlo method (DSMC), is used for gas temporary appointments at prominent flow simulation, and DSMC calculations have institutions around the world. In 1990 he Graeme Bird helped the design of many space vehicles was one of the few non-Americans to be and missions. awarded the NASA Distinguished Scientist and final monograph, The DSMC Method. Born in 1930, Professor Bird obtained a BSc Award. Eleven months before he died, in 1951, a BE in 1953, an ME in 1959 and a PhD His contributions to science and Professor Bird was named an AO for in 1963. He served as a Scientific Officer with the engineering continue to be acknowledged distinguished service to engineering, Australian Defence Scientific Service (1953–59) by a biennial lecture given in his honour at particularly to the field of gas dynamics, as before working with the University of Sydney the International Symposium on Rarefied a researcher and academic, to professional for the rest of his career, teaching a generation Gas Dynamics. scientific organisations and as a mentor of of scientists and aeronautical engineers. Professor Bird published more than 160 young scientists. At only 34 he was appointed a Lawrence articles and garnered about 8000 citations. In Professor Graeme Bird died on 26 May, Hargrave Professor of Aeronautical 2013, at the age of 83, he published his third aged 88.

TOM DENMEAD’S CAREER WAS DEVOTED TO AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE r Owen Thomas (Tom) Denmead AO of Fluxnet – a global network of tower sites for distinguished service to environmental DFTSE was a pioneer in the field of that measure the exchange of carbon dioxide, research in the fields of crop and soil sciences, microscale meteorology, greenhouse gas water vapour and energy between the physical ecology and micrometeorology, emission and evaporation science, greatly biosphere and atmosphere. and through the development of improved advancing knowledge of mass and energy By the time Dr Denmead was elected to agricultural practices. exchange between vegetation and the the Academy in 1989, he was already globally The Australian agricultural industry is atmosphere. renowned for this interdisciplinary research. better prepared thanks to his lifetime of Starting in 1955, Dr Denmead had a He retired from active involvement with ATSE committed science. career at CSIRO that spanned 63 years, in 2006. Dr Owen Thomas Denmead died on 2 July including 21 years as a highly productive Dr Denmead then took on the role at the age of 85. Honorary Fellow. In 1993 he was appointed of Honorary Fellow with CSIRO Land and Chief Research Scientist. Water. In this role he continued his broad At CSIRO, he established the foundational international collaborations with the science in these scientific fields and guided US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture agricultural policy and practice. Canada, the Chinese Academy of Science, the Dr Denmead made some of the first Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences carbon dioxide flux measurements over and the China Agricultural University in forests and crops. Carbon dioxide flux refers Beijing. He contributed to projects relating to its movement out of soil, and is the primary to greenhouse gas emissions from beef function of soil respiration. It’s a significant production, sugarcane soils and nitrogen component of the total atmospheric carbon fertiliser management. balance and an important variable in climate His career and lifetime commitment change studies. to science was recognised with an Officer And it was Dr Denmead’s participating of the Order of Australia in 2012, several advice in 1995 that led to the establishment years after his retirement. He was awarded Tom Denmead

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IN MEMORIAM

In service of Brian Cherry manufacturing

For Walter Stamm AM FTSE HonFIEAust CPEng, excellence began at a young age – he was dux of his high school before graduating with a BE from the University of Sydney in 1947 and later, in 1976, studying at Harvard Business School.

A year after graduating from his BE, he joined Email in BRIAN CHERRY MENTORED Orange, at 22 as a Cadet Engineer. He rose through the ranks to GENERATIONS OF CORROSION Works Manager, Fans and Motor Division, leaving in 1960 after ENGINEERS 12 years. ustralia has Professor Brian Cherry FACA FIEAust FTSE to He then spent 15 years at the South Australian Athank for keeping important infrastructure functioning, manufacturing company Pope Products, later Simpson Pope. He despite the dilapidating effects of corrosion. joined in 1961 and was later appointed to the position of General Professor Cherry was a world-renowned expert in corrosion, Manager of the Electric Motor Division. He moved to the role of whose lifelong commitment to engineering extended the life of Managing Director at John Shearer. the Snowy Mountain Hydroelectric Scheme, Tasmanian bridges In his retirement, beginning in 1985, he co-founded a small and dams, the Sydney Harbour tunnel and many freeways consulting company, Bishop Stamm Associates. He was elected around the country, among other projects. to ATSE that same year and remained an active member for Professor Cherry dedicated his career to understanding many years, only slowing down in the last seven years. corrosion and how to prevent it. He received a grant from the Mr Stamm served as Vice-President of ATSE (1992–96), then Federal Department of Science and Technology in 1981 chaired the ATSE Membership Committee and was a member of to investigate the practical effect of corrosion on the Australian the South Australian Division Committee. economy. He also briefly served as President of the Institute of In his career, he also studied polymers and adhesives, and in Engineers Australia, was a member of the Australian Committee 1981 he published a book, Polymer Surfaces. of the International Cooperation in Advanced Manufacturing In 2012, it was estimated that the financial benefit of his and a member of the Prime Minister’s Science Council work for Australia equated to savings of $21 billion a year. His Committee on Manufacturing Technology. research has, more generally, led to a greater understanding of Among his many accolades, he won the Jack Finlay National processes critical to sustainment of Australia’s infrastructure. Award in 1982 – an award made “to a person, who by virtue of Professor Cherry developed and taught engineering degree of his dedication, character and professional achievement, courses at Monash University, and trained generations of has made a significant contribution to the national welfare”. engineers in corrosion since 1970. He was appointed as In 1986 he was awarded the AM for services to engineering Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Engineering at and in 1991 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Institution Monash University. of Engineers Australia. Some of his other appointments include editor of the Walter Stamm died on 26 March, aged 91. journal Corrosion and Materials (1996–2012), Vice-Chair of the Australasian Corrosion Centre (1982–2001) and President of the Victorian Division of the Australian Corrosion Association (1985–87). Among his many accolades, Professor Cherry was awarded the Corrosion Medal from the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) in 1995, and in 2010 the ACA Brian Cherry Award was established in his honour. One of his last PhD students, Professor Nick Birbilis, provided a comment on Professor Cherry’s passing for the ACA. He said Professor Cherry was instrumental in establishing modern postgraduate research degrees at Monash as a whole. “Above all, he was a gentleman, an educator and a mentor to generations. He richly deserved the title of “Mr Corrosion” (actually, ”Professor Corrosion”!!) in Australia and he will be greatly missed.”

Walter Stamm

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Paul Wood

Margaret Hartley

Rose Amal

Ben Eggleton

Svetha Venkatesh

Ian Frazer Ramesh Mashelkar Rose Amal Bronwyn Harch Professor AC FRS FAA Polymer science and engineering UNSW School of Chemical Professor Bronwyn Harch FTSE FTSE will lead an expert advisory researcher Dr Ramesh Mashelkar Engineering Scientia Professor has been appointed Deputy committee for the $500 million FRS FTSE recently gave the 2018 Rose Amal FAA FTSE has been Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the Australia Genomics Health KR Narayanan Oration on the appointed Chair of the Australian University of Queensland. She Futures Mission. This project is theme ‘Dismantling inequality Research Council’s Research joins UQ from the Queensland the centrepiece of the Turnbull through ASSURED innovation’. Evaluation Committee for the field University of Technology, where Government’s National Health and Dr Mashelkar is a National Research of Engineering and Environmental she was a Professor of Applied Medical Industry Growth Plan. Professor, Chair of India’s National Sciences. Statistical Science and Executive Innovation Foundation and Director of the Institute for Future Svetha Venkatesh President of the Global Research Alessandra Pucci Environments. Professor Svetha Venkatesh FTSE Alliance. Biochemist and founder of has been inducted into the Australia’s first biotechnology Paul Heithersay Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Lachlan Blackhall company, Australian Monoclonal Dr Paul Heithersay PSM FTSE has This induction celebrates her work Founder of Reposit Power Development, Dr Alessandra Pucci been appointed Chief Executive in translating machine learning Dr Lachlan Blackhall FTSE will AO EF FTSE, recently published of the Department of Energy and and pattern recognition research lead a new Australian National a book, DEVOLUTION: The Young Mining. Dr Heithersay was awarded into effective outcomes for health, University program on integrating Self in the Face of Technology. Her a Public Service Medal in 2012 for security and aged care. battery storage with the book uses neuroscience and his outstanding public service to electricity grid. The $8 million studies to explore the growth and development of Margaret Hartley research investment is funded mental health and identity in the the mineral resources sector in Dr Margaret Hartley FTSE, ATSE’s by the university and the ACT digital age. South Australia. Chief Executive Officer since 2009, Government. has been made a Chartered Fellow Paul Wood of the Royal Australian Chemical Ben Eggleton Professor Paul Wood AO FTSE Professor Tanya Monro FAA Institute (FRACI CChem), joining a Professor Ben Eggleton FAA FTSE has been appointed Chair of the FTSE has been appointed to global network of more than 3500 has been appointed director of Technical and Scientific Committee South Australian Premier Steven members. the University of Sydney Nano for the Global Alliance for Livestock Marshall’s Economic Advisory Institute. He replaces Dr Susan Veterinary (GALVmed). Council. Professor Monro is Deputy Pond AM FTSE, who moves to a The not-for-profit organisation’s Vice-Chancellor Research and board career. mission is to develop , Innovation and an ARC Georgina medicines and diagnostics to Sweet Laureate Fellow at the benefit smallholder farmers in University of South Australia. Africa and South-East Asia.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Cathy Foley

Hugh Durrant-Whyte

Kathryn Fagg

Leonie Walsh Alex Zelinsky Anna Lavelle

Kathryn Fagg Hong Hao Leonie Walsh David Thodey and After a five-year term as a director Curtin University Distinguished Dr Leonie Walsh FTSE is the Glenn Wightwick of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Professor Hong Hao FTSE has been only Australian judge for a CSIRO and Jobs for NSW Chair Kathryn Fagg FTSE has been awarded an ARC Linkage Projects competition by Mission Innovation David Thodey AO FTSE has named appointed Chair of Boral. Ms Fagg grant of more than $277,000. His Champions, a global initiative of members of a NSW Government has worked across various project aims to optimise bricks 22 countries accelerating clean Taskforce that will develop the industries for 25 years, including to better withstand earthquakes, energy innovation and uptake. thinking behind a new Technology in engineering, banking, transport leading to stronger buildings. Dr Walsh is a leader and adviser and Innovation Precinct in Sydney. and steel, and has held executive in technological innovation with The Deputy Vice-Chancellor roles at BlueScope Steel, Linfox Wendy Craik more than 30 years‘ experience, (Innovation and Enterprise) at the and ANZ. Dr Wendy Craik FTSE has begun and her recent focus has been in University of Technology Sydney, her five-year appointment the renewable energy sector. Professor Glenn Wightwick FTSE, is Alex Zelinsky as a board member for the included in the taskforce. Dr Alex Zelinsky AO FTSE has independent Reserve Bank of Anna Lavelle been named The University of Australia. Dr Craik was formerly Dr Anna Lavelle FTSE has Cathy Foley Newcastle’s next Vice-Chancellor, the National Farmers’ Federation been appointed as Chair of Dr Cathy Foley PSM FTSE was taking office in early November. Chief, Chair of the Climate Change Medicines Australia. Dr Lavelle named the new Chief Scientist A renowned computer scientist, Authority and Chief Executive joined the Medicines Australia at CSIRO. Dr Foley is an award- roboticist and systems engineer, of the Murray–Darling Basin Board in January 2017 as its first winning physicist who has made Dr Zelinsky has been Australia’s Commission. Independent Director. Since her distinguished contributions to the Chief Defence Scientist since 2012. appointment, Dr Lavelle has acted understanding of superconducting Mark Cassidy as Deputy Chair of the Board materials. She is also the Chair Hugh Durrant-Whyte After being appointed in February, and is also Chair of the recently of the Australian National Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte Professor Mark Cassidy FTSE began established Independent Advisory Fabrication Facility Victorian Node FRS FAA FTSE was appointed as as Dean of the Melbourne School Council. Collaboration Committee and the next NSW Chief Scientist and of Engineering in July. Professor of the ARC Steel Hub Advisory Engineer, replacing Professor Mary Cassidy currently holds substantive Committee. O’Kane AC FTSE, who is stepping roles as an Australian Research down from the role after nine Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow, years. Professor Durrant-Whyte is the Lloyd’s Register Foundation known for his pioneering work Chair in Offshore Foundations and in autonomous robotics and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre developing autonomous solutions of Excellence for Geotechnical for mine sites. Science and Engineering.

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REVIEWS What we’re reading BY INOKA AMARASEKARA AND DR EMILY FINCH Inoka Amarasekara is an avid reader and science communicator who worked on STELR’s Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship project, profiling inspiring careers for secondary students. Read about her research on page 51.

Dr Emily Finch is a policy analyst at ATSE with a PhD in geology and a love of literature. She coordinates ATSE’s Minerals, Infrastructure and Health Forums, and is working on a decadal plan to boost the participation of Women in STEM.

Darwin’s Fossils, by Adrian Lister Charles Darwin is renowned for his work on Galapagos finches and the theory of evolution, but his pioneering work in palaeontology and geology is much less well known. Darwin's Fossils reveals the extensive contribution Darwin made to the fossil record, and how fossils played a crucial role in the development of his revolutionary ideas. This beautifully illustrated book intertwines a highly enjoyable narrative of Darwin’s four-year fossil-collecting voyage on the HMS Beagle with fossil data, excerpts from Darwin’s letters to friends and family, and his personal and scientific journals. The portrayal of Darwin’s incredible enthusiasm for science in Darwin’s Fossils encouraged me to learn more about this important historical figure, and made me want to be a better scientist. I have been recommending this book to anyone who will listen! – EF

Made by Humans: the AI Condition, by Ellen Broad Made by Humans is a witty and engaging insight into how machines can be all too human, taking on the biases of the humans that create them. In an increasingly automated world where we are giving up data about ourselves to governments and corporations, I would highly recommend this book as a very enjoyable way to learn about just what we’re getting ourselves into. The author, data expert Ellen Broad, explores our responsibility to acknowledge and mitigate against the imperfections of technology when harnessing automation. Broad provides her insight from discussions with world-leading experts on the ethics behind the design of machines, and our expectations of how our personal data are treated. – EF

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REVIEWS

When Galaxies Collide by Lisa Harvey Smith Hurtling towards us at 400,000 kilometres an hour is the Andromeda Galaxy, tugged by the gravity of the Milky Way. Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith’s book vividly captures this oncoming collision. “In this tumultuous era the night sky will be packed with giant arcs – partially unfurled spiral arms. Like interacting tentacles, they will embrace planet-dwelling astronomers like a giant cosmic octopus.” A planet-dwelling astronomer herself, Professor Harvey-Smith looks 5.86 billion years into the future and illustrates the fate of Earth and its inhabitants. Will Earthlings evacuate to outer space to escape the swelling sun? Or will life spawn on another planet? The book is peppered with personal anecdotes that bring the scale of the universe back to Earth. A vibrant science communicator, the author manages to make impossibly complex science an easy read that will reignite the childhood wonder of the night sky. – Anthea Batsakis

Aboriginal Biocultural Knowledge in South-Eastern Australia: Perspectives of Early Colonists, by Fred Cahir, Ian Clark & Philip Clarke With insightful analysis and interpretations, the authors have drawn from historical records of early colonial-settler interactions with Indigenous communities, and detailed the traditional knowledge of the environment, water, and plant and animal resources. Notably, there is an absence of Indigenous voices. However, this book does contribute valuable information that will be useful to the national conversation about recognising Indigenous knowledge systems and how we might better inform sustainable management of Australia’s biodiversity, land, natural resources, health, education and more. – IA

Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms and Other Threats of Toxic Tech, by Sara Wachter-Boettcher With important observations about prejudice and diversity in the tech industry, tech consultant Sara Wachter-Boettcher illustrates the social impacts of the status quo. She shows how unchecked biases and stereotypical assumptions can diminish, alienate and threaten tech users. Technically Wrong curates many of the real-life examples and arguments of ethics and accountability in the tech industry with thought-provoking and sensitive commentary. And many of these examples may sound eerily familiar to tech users. Also discussed are the more controversial and sinister uses of online technologies, such as surveillance and the mining of personal data, as well as the increasing controls offered to advertisers and discriminatory targeting. This is an accessible must-read for both designers and users of digital technology looking for practical insight. – IA

atse.org.au 65 WELCOME NEW FELLOWS AT THE ORATION DINNER Orator: EnergyAustralia Managing Director Catherine Tanna Friday 23 November, Melbourne The Oration Dinner will follow the Academy’s AGM. Register at atse.org.au/AGM Fellows can attend the AGM, and Fellows and their guests are welcome at the Oration Dinner.

AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING SEPTEMBER 2018 | FOCUS

WHAT’S ON

NEGATIVE evokeAG EMISSIONS DATE: 19-20 February 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE: Royal Exhibition DATE: 30-31 October 2018 Building, Melbourne VENUE: The Shine Dome, Canberra evokeAG will bring together everyone from the food and The Australian Academy of agriculture sectors with an interest Science is hosting a conference in how technology will shape the exploring what negative future. Launched by AgriFutures emissions technology options are Australia, this inaugural event will available, or could be developed showcase leading innovation from in coming decades, to help Australia and around the world, mitigate greenhouse gases and and facilitate the conversations stay within the 2°C warming needed to mature our innovation target. ecosystem. The conference aims to So, if you’re interested explore these technologies from in agriculture or technology, a holistic perspective, taking into whether you’re an entrepreneur, account practicality, feasibility, a farmer, an investor, a producer, and environmental and social a start-up, or working in impacts. It will help ensure agribusiness, finance or IT, or just Australia plays a leading role and have a great idea, make sure you has a strong international voice mark the event in your 2019 diary. on the issue of climate change.

SCIENCE MEETS THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS ENERGY IS TASSIE DATE: 11 October 2018 HACKATHON VENUE: Hotel Grand DATE: 12-13 October 2018 Chancellor Brisbane VENUE: Enterprize Hobart

Leaders in STEM and private Students, entrepreneurs, industry have a chance to designers, engineers and anyone connect and discuss how these else interested in energy start- complex sectors can intersect ups can attend this event, hosted at this Brisbane event. And this by EnergyLab. This ”hackathon” – year’s theme is ”high tech and a networking and learning event big data”. – is aimed at bringing together Now in its fourth year, people interested in clean Science meets Business is aimed energy innovation to brainstorm, at making Australia a leader in develop and demonstrate new the translation and application of business concepts. its knowledge. But the exclusive Attendees can take event is restricted to just 200 advantage of new opportunities delegates, ensuring direct in energy innovation as opportunities to connect at customers start to look for new senior levels of science, business energy alternatives. and government. Speakers include Professor Emma Johnston, Anand Gautam, Dr Catherine Ball and Professor Peter Quinn. Registrations close 2 October.

atse.org.au 67 Let us take you there

UNSW’s Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI) is your connection with tomorrow’s transport.

Get on board with rCITI as we take industry Vehicles, Big Data for Smart Cities using Crowd and government on a journey to the transport Sourced Data, Mobility as a Service and Travel hub of the future. With our five core focuses on Behaviour. Our world-first TRACSLab is equipped Transport Planning, Intelligent Transport Systems, with state-of-the-art facilities to study the Infrastructure, Energy & Fuel and Computational behavioural impacts of emerging and disruptive Sustainability, we provide a rigorous research, technologies. development and educational program for sustainable approaches to smart transport rCITI’s experience and expertise is driving infrastructure and operations. our graduate education programs to train transportation professionals for the future of work rCITI is conducting pioneering research in Smart in transport, ranging from insurance to government Transport Technologies, Connected Automated agencies and industry.

Visit rciti.unsw.edu.au for more

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AUTOMATED DRIVING CRITICAL PIPES CHANGES OUR DRIVING MONASH UNIVERSITY BEHAVIOUR How Monash Engineering is fixing a hidden underground problem.

UNIVERSITY OF Australia has 163,000 kilometres of buried water pipes – essential How to navigate the transition to a future infrastructure with an annual maintenance bill of $1.4 billion. The of automated transport. ageing network is a hidden problem with serious implications, as the failure of a large-diameter pipe can cause widespread disruption and Driverless vehicles have captured the costs to water authorities and the public, particularly on our roads. imagination of our society and automated Civil Engineering’s ”critical pipes” team is part of the award- driving is predicted to be transformational winning Advanced Condition Assessment and Pipe Failure Prediction in improving safety on roads. Project. The group collaborates with international water organisations, However, this opportunity also water utilities and other universities to develop technology to replace presents risks. pipe assets at the optimal time, preventing the costly consequences of The Research Centre for Transport pipe failure. Innovation (rCITI) team, led by Associate Professor Jayantha Kodikara, Chief Investigator of the project Professor Vinayak Dixit, has been using and Deputy Head of Civil Engineering, said their goal was to reduce Associate Professor simulation models, virtual reality and big public expenditure and inconvenience from disrupted water pipelines, Vinayak Dixit data to study emerging risks in automated including traffic congestion caused by closed roads. transportation systems. “Our technical innovations made a paradigm shift in the buried They found increased trust in an automated driving system water pipe condition assessment globally and provided opportunities reduced the driver’s ability to react quickly. This raises the important for pipe failure prevention through our discovery of ‘leak before break’ question of how to ensure occupants feel comfortable with driverless concept for buried water pipes,” he said. technology, while still being able to react appropriately in the case of A ”leak before break” failure occurs when there’s a fracture in a an emergency. large corrosion patch within a cast iron pipe. As the fracture grows Another shift in behaviour resulting from automated driver through corrosion and pressure, a destructive burst can occur. conditions will be the trade-off between travel cost and travel time. Another example of the group’s work is a project intending Let us take you there Driverless vehicles allow individuals to free-up travel time to to deliver trenchless rehabilitation techniques to around 10,000 engage in other tasks. When the journey to work becomes more kilometres of asbestos cement pipes, which could pose a safety risk if productive, for instance, people are happier to take a longer route to exposed. their destination, rather than paying expensive tolls to save travel time. The group is also researching ”smart linings”, a technology that In the transition to a future where automated vehicles are the could extend the lifespan of ageing pipes, preventing costly leaks. UNSW’s Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation norm, there will first be a period where normal and automated “Over the past six years we ran a very successful collaborative vehicles co-exist. research program involving all local major water utilities and two peak (rCITI) is your connection with tomorrow’s transport. Understanding how cyclists, pedestrians and other vehicles might water bodies in the UK and the US,” Professor Kodikara said. interact with autonomous vehicles is key to informing algorithms and “The exciting part is that we’ve been able to deliver paradigm Get on board with rCITI as we take industry Vehicles, Big Data for Smart Cities using Crowd ensuring safe interactions between these entities. shifts in both engineering practice and research collaboration.” and government on a journey to the transport Sourced Data, Mobility as a Service and Travel The connected nature of autonomous vehicles also makes them Monash Engineering hub of the future. With our five core focuses on Behaviour. Our world-first TRACSLab is equipped vulnerable to cyber threats, with the possibility of data theft or is focused on research control of the vehicle being taken over remotely. Understanding these that contributes to solving Transport Planning, Intelligent Transport Systems, with state-of-the-art facilities to study the vulnerabilities and safeguarding against them presents an important global challenges in Infrastructure, Energy & Fuel and Computational behavioural impacts of emerging and disruptive engineering challenge, one that needs to be fully resolved to instil transport, infrastructure, Sustainability, we provide a rigorous research, technologies. trust in the technology. water, climate, energy, development and educational program for Automated vehicles have the potential to significantly improve resources, food, health, sustainable approaches to smart transport rCITI’s experience and expertise is driving road safety, with extensive sensor systems that are able to perceive communications and infrastructure and operations. our graduate education programs to train hazardous conditions and immense computational power to allow for security. transportation professionals for the future of work quicker and more accurate reactions than a person. The critical pipes rCITI is conducting pioneering research in Smart in transport, ranging from insurance to government Although there are risks to overcome, additional benefits of research is an example Transport Technologies, Connected Automated agencies and industry. automated vehicles include driving down costs associated with of Monash’s capability insurance and fuel as a result of increased safety and efficiency, and in delivering practical, Visit rciti.unsw.edu.au for more improving accessibility to members of our society who are unable to sustainable solutions to Pipes from a new research facility at drive, moving toward a future of mobility for all. real world challenges. Monash Engineering.

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RISE OF THE MACHINES: JAR AEROSPACE TO DEAKIN REPORT RESHAPE INDUSTRY EXAMINES FUTURE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION AND SCIENCE OF FREIGHT A new start-up that customises drone technologies will boost Australian innovation.

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY Australian start-up JAR Aerospace Why we need a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. is becoming a major player in our country’s aerospace engineering Australians could get their groceries from autonomously driven field. Not only is JAR Aerospace mobile stores, while drones could replace postal workers in just 20 one of Australia’s key developers years, according to a Deakin University investigation into the future of of advanced autonomous flight Australia’s supply chain. platforms, it’s working to diversify Advisers to the Malaysian Police Dr Roberto Perez-Franco, Senior Research Fellow at Deakin’s the applications for unmanned aerial Commissioner, Peter Scott (Defence NSW Director) and Sam Lewinson Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics, was project leader for the technologies. (JAR Aerospace COO). scenario planning study – part of Australia’s first Inquiry into National For JAR Aerospace, expanding Freight and Supply Chain Priorities. its offering is about identifying tasks and industries that could benefit The Deakin team looked at possibilities of how mobile driverless from its technology, and using its state-of-the-art manufacturing grocery stores could replace supermarkets, while drones and facility for researching techniques to customise products to fit the job. ”RoboPost” automatic delivery units could take over mail services. JAR’s multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is a core element The project identified about 200 future drivers of change through of its mission to expand, using customisability to suit the task at hand. a series of interviews with experts in the supply chain industry. These Plus, it’s designed with ease of construction and superior control in guided the development of four imagined scenarios of the world in mind, making it ideal for use on short, inconvenient projects that may 2037. Dr Perez-Franco said the scenarios allowed industry experts to be inefficient or dangerous for humans to carry out. learn how Australia could be successful and competitive in the future. By customising drone technologies, JAR Aerospace has the Dr Perez-Franco said a National potential to reshape the future of work across a range of industries, Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which including medical transport, search and rescue, agriculture, mining, will be informed by the Inquiry, is critical construction, film, photography, electricity and gas industries. for Australia to keep pace with global Beyond this, JAR Aerospace sees unlimited potential for its development, growing automation, innovations. It already has a spin-off firm called JAR Education, aimed climate change and a rising population. at making STEM education more engaging for school students, and it “This strategy will inform the plans to be in space within five years. development of infrastructure that All of this is made possible thanks to JAR Aerospace’s team of Dr Roberto Perez-Franco will take several years to implement mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace and electrical engineers, as and then needs to last decades. So it’s well as computer scientists and business development managers. Its critical we look deep into the future,” he explained. Australian collaborators include the Advanced Manufacturing Growth “But that’s a very difficult thing to do; we really don’t know what Centre and the University of NSW. JAR’s Advanced Manufacturing will happen in two decades’ time. We can look at today’s issues, but Growth Centre membership has helped expand its network with where we must go next requires a lot more analysis, and that’s where Australian manufacturers and researchers, and to further develop its scenario work like this comes in.” ability to raise capital and train staff. Dr Perez-Franco said Australia faces big issues managing a JAR Aerospace also received a contract through the Australian growing population centred in large cities. Government’s Defence Innovation Hub to develop a hybrid, portable, “Urban congestion is a problem that will only get worse in the fixed-wing UAS to be used by Australian soldiers for surveillance future, unless urban planners include provisions for freight and supply purposes. This UAS will include vertical take-off and landing chains into their plans for cities.” capabilities along with target tracking, encryption and acoustic But there are significant opportunities for Australia to stay ahead sensing technologies. of the game. The Defence Innovation Hub connects Defence, industry, academia “We can really set ourselves apart as a clean, green and ethical and research institutions to collaborate on innovative technologies that source of agricultural products if we make our supply chain a priority.” can be developed into advanced capability for Defence.

The scenario planning study can be accessed at: For more information on the Defence Innovation Hub and infrastructure.gov.au/transport/freight other programs or assistance please visit business.gov.au

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CAN COMPUTERS PUTTING THE SUGAR INDEPENDENTLY INTO SCIENCE PREVENT TRAFFIC CSIRO ACCIDENTS? A passion for agricultural transport has led a CSIRO researcher to develop a logistics tool that could save the industry millions annually. UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE The Australian Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem brings Dr Andrew Higgins is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at the the future of connected transport to life. CSIRO Land and Water business unit, based in Brisbane. He joined CSIRO in 1996, with a passion for developing novel methods to The University of Melbourne is home to some of the world’s optimise agricultural transport and logistics to increase profitability most innovative research collaborations. From water and agriculture across the supply chains. to computer science and biomedical innovation, our people are Dr Higgins started his career in CSIRO developing innovative providing cutting-edge solutions for a cleaner, safer and smarter tools to better manage seasonal harvest planning of sugarcane in future. Australia, and improving the logistics between harvesting sugarcane, A key example of research collaboration is the Australian transportation to the mill and marketing. Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem (AIMES). It brings to life the future His research required him to work closely with the farming and of connected transport using innovative research and advanced milling sectors across various sugar-production regions to produce technology. An AIMES live test – the first of its kind globally – took accurate model representations of real-world logistics under seasonal place on 11 July. climate variability. AIMES involves a live ecosystem in a CBD-adjacent setting, a Some of the tools Dr Higgins developed more than 15 years ago test specifically focused on sensors in place around an intersection for harvest management are still being used today at some mills. in Carlton. Attended by Australia’s Federal Minister for Urban From sugar, Dr Higgins expanded the logistics research to a range Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher, the trial demonstrated real- of other agricultural applications, including harvest planning of life-use cases including speed management, intersection collision horticulture and monitoring food safety risks across the supply chain. avoidance and vulnerable road user protection. From 2012, Dr Higgins led the development of Transport Network The trial was an important step towards the development Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT), which is a state-of-the-art of an interconnected transport system allowing computers to model for assessing and optimising infrastructure investments (road independently anticipate and prevent traffic accidents without the upgrades, use of rail versus road, processing and storage facilities) and need for human intervention. policy interventions in agriculture logistics. Professor Majid Sarvi, Director of AIMES, University of Melbourne, It holistically estimates the transport benefits across the freight explained the significance of this testing was set to increase, at network, by analysing every possible vehicle and rail trip each year, the same time as Melbourne’s ever-growing population and rising and optimising routes between all enterprises in the supply network. congestion issues place more pressure our road network. Beginning with livestock transport in northern Australia, “We’re building up to a scenario where an intersection could Dr Higgins extended TraNSIT to all Australian agriculture and forestry know when there are dangerous conditions, such as wet weather or through a range an accident, and tell cars approaching to lower their speed,” Professor of Australian Sarvi said. Government-funded Dr Andrew Higgins. The trial was conducted in association with key AIMES partners initiatives. including Cisco, VicRoads, Cohda Wireless, WSP and the Victorian The research Government. has been used to The next major milestones for AIMES include the release of a inform a range of White Paper and an upcoming trial of advancing connectivity in the major infrastructure transport ecosystem. investments including the Beef To find out more about the future of transport connectivity Roads Program and and University of Melbourne’s research innovation, visit Inland Rail, saving industry.eng.unimelb.edu.au/aimes. millions of dollars per year in transport costs.

For more information, see www..au/TraNSIT

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UQ IS EMBRACING SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES

DR JAKE WHITEHEAD, A RESEARCH FELLOW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND’S SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Researchers are aiming to ensure they continue to stay ahead of the curve. Dr Jessica Allen

UQ is leading by example in the adoption of sustainable technologies. By 2020, we are set to become the first major university DR JESSICA ALLEN in the world to offset 100 per cent of our electricity use through our own renewable energy assets. IS FIGHTING GLOBAL We have already installed two solar-powered electric vehicle fast chargers – built and designed in Brisbane by Tritium, a tech company WARMING founded by UQ graduates. We also have a fully electric Tesla Model S, host a well-used car-sharing scheme and have halved our vehicle fleet since 2016. THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE But our research shows over the next decade, transport systems A new technology from the University of Newcastle is just face major disruptions, including the arrival of shared, autonomous, what the planet needs right now. electric vehicles (SAEVs). Through our research, we have observed that most car While global warming and the energy crisis threaten our planet’s manufacturers are rapidly electrifying vehicles due to the energy future, the odds don’t faze University of Newcastle lecturer in chemical efficiency gains, low operating costs, simpler manufacturing engineering Dr Jessica Allen. requirements and zero tailpipe emissions. Step by step, Dr Allen and her team are reinventing the way we These emission reductions are particularly important given that produce energy and materials – with the potential for a profound each year in Australia 40 per cent more premature deaths occur due to positive impact on our environment. motor vehicle pollution than in road accidents. Our current energy system, in Australia and globally, is not In tandem with the electrification of vehicles, we have also been sustainable. investigating driverless vehicles and the shift from private ownership “The fossil fuels powering our world are limited and, more to the sharing economy. importantly, their use results in the dangerous emission of greenhouse The dawn of SAEVs may signal the end of private vehicle gases such as carbon dioxide which contribute to climate change,” ownership, opening the door for the creation of innovative transport Dr Allen said. business models. Dr Allen works on a technology called a Direct Carbon Fuel Cell Transport operators overseas are already offering subscription (DCFC). services, similar to mobile phone plans, where fixed monthly fees “DCFC cuts out the messy process of combusting fuels and provide unlimited public transport, a set number of taxi trips and even harvesting their heat,” she explained. car rental – with plans to include SAEV services in the near future. It eliminates the need to combust fuel sources like coal or waste SAEVs also have the potential to be much more than simply a biomass, instead harnessing the power from an electrochemical vehicle. We are currently investigating how these vehicles could act reaction that is both far cleaner and far more efficient. In fact, DCFC as mobile battery packs, providing back-up power to communities yields over twice as much power as burning coal. during blackouts and supporting the uptake of renewable energy DCFC technology isn’t commercially available yet, but its great through smart bi-directional charging. promise earned Dr Allen and her team a major grant. Through our research efforts we aim to position Australia as a They hope to take it to market very soon in countries that rely on leader in future transport technologies, and leading by example, coal power such as India, China and Indonesia. There, it will help to continue to motivate staff, students and the broader community to greatly reduce the risk of cancer, asthma and other respiratory issues continue to drive transport innovation forward. exacerbated by air pollution.

Learn more at newcastle.edu.au/new

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