Our editorial series Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – requires a trained and inspired workforce. But how to achieve that? By Michael Edwards of Boeing Research and Technology. Enhancing performance, safety and efficiency of Boeing’s products and services are at the forefront of Boeing’s innovation teams’ minds when developing technological advancements for…
The first prototype Ghost Shark autonomous undersea vessel (pictured) being developed for the Royal Australian Navy has been completed. The name references Boeing’s successful development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Ghost Bat for the RAAF. Developed in Sydney by US start up Anduril, the company has previously shown a 2.8 tonne ‘Dive-LD’ autonomous submarine,…
BAE Systems Australia and Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS) have completed a four-year research and demonstration programme developing an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that could be used in uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV). The companies developed the TAGVIEW (Trusted Autonomous Ground Vehicles in Electronic Warfare) system which allows multiple UGVs to operate simultaneously to carry out…
Australia and Japan have signed an agreement to enhance strategic capabilities in robotic and autonomous systems for undersea warfare. The research project between Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) is the first under a bilateral research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) arrangement signed in June, 2023. The…
By Peter Roberts Deepening technological involvement between the three AUKUS partner nations is a key aim of the AUKUS pact with joint work between Australia and the United States escalating over summer. Work is underway between the two nations on at least three areas – submarine development, hypersonics and the development of autonomous vehicle systems…
Western Australian-based Greenroom Robotics Pty Ltd has joined shipbuilder Austal’s Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial, underway for Trusted Autonomous Systems and the Royal Australian Navy. Greenroom Robotics will integrate their Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) control software, known as GAMA, into Sentinel – pictured, a decommissioned Armidale-class Patrol Boat. The integration will allow autonomous navigation, remote pilotage…
The Royal Australian Navy has deepened his focus on autonomous and uncrewed systems, holding the two week Exercise Autonomous Warrior underway at Jervis Bar in New South Wales. Such systems are seen by many as a replacement for traditional manned systems and by others as the future complement to an evolved Australian Defence Force, operating…
By Peter Roberts The Chairman of Perth international shipbuilder John Rothwell has celebrated a year of massive ups and the occasional down in an upbeat address to the company’s annual general meeting. Rothwell first and foremost celebrated the growth in Austal’s order book to $11.6 billion, if all contract option agreements are exercised. Driven by…
The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), has announced a suite of new R&D projects and university appointments that inject new funds into research in space technologies addressing bushfire resilience, spacecraft system autonomy, space objects surveillance and cyber security. One of two new research projects co-funded by SmartSat and ACT Government brings together the Australian National…
The Australian Army has confirmed that it test fired a weapon system from an autonomous uncrewed armoured vehicle during exercises. The Australian-first test firing was carried out by the Army’s Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation & Coordination Office (RICO) during a human-machine team demonstration at Puckapunyal, Victoria. During the demonstration, RICO tested a range of…
