Developing world-leading AI tech in regional Australia

Federation researchers will bring their expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) to a program that will develop world-leading technologies in regional Australia by collaborating with research partners across several projects.

Researchers from the Centre for Smart Analytics (CSA) and the Centre for New Energy Transition Research (CfNETR) are involved in the project Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Secure Signal Processing and Connectivity for Autonomous Sensors, which is funded by the CSIRO's Next Generation Graduates Program grant scheme.

Federation has joined RMIT, Central Queensland University and University Technology Sydney in the program, including the defence industry, agriculture and energy sectors, government, and satellite operators. The program will also fund the next generation of AI researchers, and Federation's involvement in four projects will include three PhD positions and an Honours student across the CSA and CfNETR.

The project, coordinated by CSA co-director Professor Joarder Kamruzzaman, is worth more than $500,000 to Federation.

"The Next Generation Graduates Program is a flagship initiative to train Australia's research workforce with the skills required to drive future innovations," Professor Kamruzzaman said.

"Federation University's participation in this prestigious scheme signifies a remarkable accomplishment, highlighting our commitment to cutting-edge research and development."

CSA researcher and Information Technology senior lecturer Dr Muhammad Imran is working with industry partner Datellite, a technology company specialising in data connectivity through satellites, to develop a satellite-based Smart Internet of Things (IoT) solution for Australia's agricultural sector.

The researchers will develop a satellite-based IoT system and design smart solutions by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. The project could create significant efficiencies in the agricultural sector, which increasingly relies on data transfer. Dr Imran says this would overcome the current limitations of wireless technologies.

Farmers can deploy IoT sensors anywhere on their properties to monitor key variables like soil health and moisture levels, but current wireless technologies have limitations as network coverage may not extend to more remote farms.

"Currently, there are latency issues due to delayed data transmission, and there are issues with power consumption, security and reliability factors with these technologies," Dr Imran said.

"The main focus of this project is to investigate and address these specific challenges and to develop systems that will provide decision-makers with predictive insight, automated recommendations, and real-time analytics.

"In more remote areas, connectivity is a big concern, so we want to use satellite communication for IoT to transmit data remotely, which can then be processed remotely. Research in this space is an ongoing process, and many people are working on it around the world, but we are specifically focusing on the Australian context and will develop a novel solution for Australia."

GUS goes it alone

Another CSA project will see Federation researchers team up with defence robotics and innovation company Outlook Industries Australia to develop the next evolution of GUS — a ground surveillance robot built to protect rangers from armed intruders in Africa's national parks.

Captain Luke Townsend MBE, a specialist in counter-poaching operations in Africa who heads Outlook Industries Australia, initially approached Federation's Associate Professor Gayan Kahandawa about building a robot to potentially prevent injury or death to rangers who encounter organised poaching rings and other armed intruders—including groups believed to be carrying drugs — making their way across Africa.

Associate Professor Kahandawa and CSA Research Associate Professor Gour Karmakar say the project will add significant capability to GUS.

"We developed the algorithms running GUS here at Federation, and now we aim to take it further — we want to develop GUS and make it fully autonomous," Associate Professor Kahandawa said.

"There is plenty of interest in GUS, but the feedback we have received shows interest in developing GUS into an autonomous robot — not one that is remotely controlled."

CfNETR researchers, including director Professor Nima Amjady and Associate Professor Rakibuzzaman Shah, will contribute their expertise in AI and smart energy systems to a project that could expand the charging facility options for electric vehicles (EVs).

"We have a growing number of solar systems in residential areas, and a lot of this energy generated during the day is wasted," said Associate Professor Shah.

"At the same time that this energy is being wasted, we have electric vehicle charging stations — like those that you may see at a shopping centre — which are buying electricity from the grid at a high price.

"This project, working with our industry partner BuzzBay Energy, will look into the feasibility, regulations, and technical issues of accommodating solar energy from neighbourhood rooftop systems and putting that into EV charging stations next to the road.

CfNETR's second project will see researchers team up with Redgrid GPT, a software company that uses AI-driven innovation and next-gen data software solutions for energy providers.

The project will see the development of AI-based smart tools for energy systems.

Related reading:

Meet GUS – a robot to help in the fight against poaching

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