Centre for Technology Infusion, La Trobe University
Professor Aniruddha Desai – Director
Erik van Vulpen – Deputy Director
Summary
The Centre for Technology Infusion is Australia’s premier Research and Innovation Centre specialised in delivering technology-based innovations to industry and government clients.
Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of new technologies. The centre has a track record of delivering award-winning projects and high impact application to industries focusing on a variety of application areas.
It has been a forerunner in the transport domain over the past 12 years, completing many projects including:
- Connected trams
- Collision avoidance level crossings
- Arrival prediction
- ITS road management for connected cars
- SCATS traffic light priority for trams
- Autonomous vehicle trials
- Digital vehicle identification
- DSCRC and 5G deployments
To help its clients innovate, most of the centre’s transport projects include four main capabilities:
- Technology assessments and feasibility studies
Many projects start with a feasibility study; Would technology x be able to deliver y? Or, what is the best technology to deliver the use case? Has anyone else tried it? - Building prototypes
The centre’s engineers have an uncanny ability to design and integrate technology to test applications that do not commercially exist yet. Within is a very broad talent pool of experts from electronic engineering to data analysis and AI, to front end development. - Trailing prototypes at scale in their intended environment
It has a proven track record of conducting large field trials all over Australia. Trials pose an additional set of requirements with regards to the ruggedness and reliability of the technologies that are tested, and also require skills such as stakeholder engagement, risk management and operational logistics. - End user adoption and independent impact assessment
All projects engage end users in co-creation and evaluation of the prototype. The latest techniques are used to assure that ‘La Trobe’ stamped results are valid and practical.
It is an exciting time for Centre for Technology Infusion as it has been at the forefront of technologies that are now driving the next major industrial and societal shifts in micro-electronics, data processing and connectivity.
CTI is committed to help make transport automated, shared, electric and accessible, and that the centre will be central to the convergence of new technological possibilities.
La Trobe believes that the opportunities for technology in transport can yield significant improvement for people with disability, elderly and, as a result, for everyone.
The Centre for Technology Infusion’s core team work with academics and researchers in the broader School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences to deliver on a variety of projects with a focus on technology-based solutions for all areas of industry including transport, health, and agriculture.
Core capabilities
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Cybersecurity and blockchain
- Advanced materials, manufacturing, and mining
- Infrastructure and environment
- Big data management, analytics, and systems
- Mathematics, statistics, and modelling
- Digital communication systems and emerging networks
- Applied robotics, vision, and embedded sensing
- Micro-nano systems
- Human-computer interaction, visualisation, and user experience
- Technology adoption and policy
Projects
Below is a selection of projects in which La Trobe University has been involved. It includes project overviews, project outcomes, and PhD projects. For all iMOVE projects visit the List of iMOVE projects page.
5G aid in automated mobility for elderly and people with disability
The purpose of this research program is to explore opportunities that 5G offers to improve the performance of CAV shuttles and their accessibility to elderly and people with disability. A trial will be conducted testing 5G and use cases that are enabled by 5G that will enhance the accessibility of CAV for elderly and people with disability.
Your Street, Your Say: Better streets for Darebin
Your Street, Your Say is a Local Area Planning project proposed by Darebin City Council with a focus on placemaking around streets. The goal of this project is to recommend a series of interventions and sub-projects for translating streets into better public spaces by building on aspirations of the local community. The recommendations (ideation and conceptual designs) will be presented by the team of urban planners and urban designers from La Trobe University. The team will deliver a comprehensive report based on a sound review of innovative placemaking projects related to transport alternatives and analysis of transport-related data including traffic data, crash history data, and traffic management devices.
Australia’s Public Transport Disability Standards and CAVs
Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies are advancing more quickly than governments can regulate. People with disability have high expectations of CAVs. However, development of standards and regulations – especially for people with disability, who need the technology the most – risks falling behind. This project provides an overview of adopting CAV technologies to the future of public transport and potentially allowing greater accessibility and efficiency for people with disabilities.
Frictionless ticketing for public transport accessibility
This project is exploring new and emerging technologies that can offer a true frictionless ticketing experience for public transport customers with disabilities across multiple modes. This research will clarify the key strengths and challenges of new and emerging frictionless ticketing technologies. Technology that simplifies connected transport journeys across multiple modes and operators will be explored.
Smart supply chain tracking of highly regulated substances
End-to-end monitoring and traceability of freight is a key challenge for transportation of highly sensitive and/or regulated substances such as medicinal cannabis. This project will introduce next-generation data capturing devices to enable the product to be monitored at every stage of the supply process, from producer / cultivator to the retailer. This project will introduce next-generation data capturing devices to enable the product to be monitored at every stage of the supply process, from producer/ cultivator to the retailer.
In partnership with Keolis Downer, RACV, HMI Technologies and ARRB proposed an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) pilot program to offer a sustainable transport solution in response to the VicRoads Intelligent Transport System (ITS) Transport Technology Grants Program in March 2016.
The goal of the project was to raise awareness towards the capabilities of AV technologies and demonstrate the potential benefits of autonomous shuttles on roads providing greener, smarter, more accessible and affordable transport in the future. For the final report on this project, visit Autonomous buses closer to reality.
Key research staff
- Professor Wei Xiang – CISCO Chair of AI and Internet of Things at the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
- Professor Naveen Chilamkurti – Associate Dean of International Partnerships the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
- Professor James Maxwell – Professor of Manufacturing and Engineering at the Department of Engineering
- Associate Professor Thuc Vo – Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the Department of Engineering
- Associate Professor Zhen He – Associate Professor of Computer Science and IT at the School of Computer Science and Information Technology
- Professor Marcel Jackson – Associate Dean of Research and Industry Engagement at the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
- Professor Aniruddha Desai – Director of the Centre for Technology Infusion
- Mr Erik van Vulpen – Deputy Director of the Centre for Technology Infusion
- Associate Professor Robert Ross – Associate Professor at the Department of Engineering
- Professor Henry Duh – Head of the Department of Computer Science and IT at the School of Computer Science and Information Technology
iMOVE interviews and articles
Below is a selection of articles we’ve published about La Trobe University. For the complete list of La Trobe University content on the iMOVE website visit the La Trobe University tag page.
CAVs: Barriers and opportunities for people with disability
Included here in this wrap-up of the iMOVE project Australia’s Public Transport Disability Standards and CAVs is a downloadable copy of the final report.
LaTrobe University’s autonobus trial – how did it go?
In 2017 La Trobe University began a 12-month trial of a driverless shuttle bus, the autonobus. The trial included six weeks of trials involving the general public. This article is an overview of the trial, and includes a downloadable final report.
Key facilities
- Micro/Nanotechnology Realisation Facility
- Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
- RAMPS Laboratory
- CISCO – La Trobe Centre for AI and Internet of Things
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