An autonomously controlled ankle exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation. This project addresses a critical problem in gait rehabilitation; predicting unstable locomotion and designing interventions to augment limb-joint function. The project will develop an autonomous ankle-foot assistive device to actively increase ground clearance when high-risk foot trajectory is detected. Using wearable sensor data, machine learning algorithms will predict high-risk gait and compute an actuator-induced ankle to ....An autonomously controlled ankle exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation. This project addresses a critical problem in gait rehabilitation; predicting unstable locomotion and designing interventions to augment limb-joint function. The project will develop an autonomous ankle-foot assistive device to actively increase ground clearance when high-risk foot trajectory is detected. Using wearable sensor data, machine learning algorithms will predict high-risk gait and compute an actuator-induced ankle torque to maintain safe foot-ground clearance. A wearable autonomous joint-actuation system will contribute significantly to rehabilitation across a range of gait-impaired populations. The project's scientific and technological innovations will provide the opportunity for future developments in assistive technologies. Read moreRead less
Understanding influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from preschool to preadolescence. While promotion of optimal levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviours during childhood is important for health, much remains unknown in this field. This study will extend an existing cohort of children, recruited at ages three to five years and followed up at six to eight years by reassessing these children at nine to eleven years. Novel additions to the cohort include long term foll ....Understanding influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from preschool to preadolescence. While promotion of optimal levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviours during childhood is important for health, much remains unknown in this field. This study will extend an existing cohort of children, recruited at ages three to five years and followed up at six to eight years by reassessing these children at nine to eleven years. Novel additions to the cohort include long term follow-up spanning preschool to preadolescence, application of an ecological framework, and collection of objective neighbourhood data using a Geographical Information System. Findings will provide important information for policy and interventions focused at the individual, family and neighbourhood level, to improve physical activity and sedentary behaviour levels across childhood.Read moreRead less
Biological Role of Contraction-Induced Heat Shock Protein Expression. It is well known that mammalian skeletal muscle increases its expression of a group of highly conserved proteins, the heat shock proteins (HSP) in response to repeated contraction. However, the biological role of this expression is unclear. The aim of this project is to determine the biological role of contraction-induced HSP expression. We expect to show that HSP synthesis in response to exercise has three major roles; 1) to ....Biological Role of Contraction-Induced Heat Shock Protein Expression. It is well known that mammalian skeletal muscle increases its expression of a group of highly conserved proteins, the heat shock proteins (HSP) in response to repeated contraction. However, the biological role of this expression is unclear. The aim of this project is to determine the biological role of contraction-induced HSP expression. We expect to show that HSP synthesis in response to exercise has three major roles; 1) to act to repair damaged proteins in recovery from muscle injury 2) to act as a "molecular motor" to translocate proteins from one region of a muscle cell to another and 3) to be released into the circulation in order to act as a central signal to activate immune cells. Such a project will be significant because it will allow for a fundamental understanding as to why these proteins are produced in response to exercise. We expect to enhance our understanding of fundamental cell biology.Read moreRead less
Discovering the role of pH in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis, so as to improve the design of preventative programs aimed at healthy ageing. Mitochondria are essential for life, and maintaining mitochondrial function plays an important role in preventing the progression of many age-related diseases. It has previously been shown that minimising the decrease in muscle pH that occurs during physical activity promotes greater improvements in mitochondrial function. The next step is to discover t ....Discovering the role of pH in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis, so as to improve the design of preventative programs aimed at healthy ageing. Mitochondria are essential for life, and maintaining mitochondrial function plays an important role in preventing the progression of many age-related diseases. It has previously been shown that minimising the decrease in muscle pH that occurs during physical activity promotes greater improvements in mitochondrial function. The next step is to discover the effects of altering pH on acute and chronic activity-induced changes in signalling proteins and genes that are involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis. These experiments will significantly advance the knowledge base concerning factors regulating mitochondrial biogenesis, and will contribute to optimising the design of preventative programs aimed at healthy aging.Read moreRead less
Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing ....Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing nonlinear control strategies. The expected outcomes will include new system and control theories, concepts, principles and technologies in controller design that can provide reliable flight control for bio-inspired, flapping-wing systems.Read moreRead less
Complexity-manageable methodologies and efficient computational tools for analysis and design of large-scale systems. The tools to be developed in this project have impact on a broad range of disciplines, including system analysis, feedback control technology, signal processing, communication network, and information theory. Practically, the success of this project will create cutting edge technologies applicable to design and management of important infrastructures of the modern society such as ....Complexity-manageable methodologies and efficient computational tools for analysis and design of large-scale systems. The tools to be developed in this project have impact on a broad range of disciplines, including system analysis, feedback control technology, signal processing, communication network, and information theory. Practically, the success of this project will create cutting edge technologies applicable to design and management of important infrastructures of the modern society such as communication networks, transportation systems, electrical power grids, and collaborative intelligent machines, and water distribution networks. Success of this project will bring novel methodologies and computational tools which help engineers to systematically design and validate the performance of their engineering systems.Read moreRead less
Robustness Analysis and Control Design of Distributed and Networked Systems. The theory and computational tools to be developed in this project have impact on a broad range of areas, including various engineering disciplines, biology, and medical and environmental sciences. In terms of practical interests, this project will create cutting edge technologies which are applicable to important infrastructures of the modern society such as communication networks, transportation systems, electrical po ....Robustness Analysis and Control Design of Distributed and Networked Systems. The theory and computational tools to be developed in this project have impact on a broad range of areas, including various engineering disciplines, biology, and medical and environmental sciences. In terms of practical interests, this project will create cutting edge technologies which are applicable to important infrastructures of the modern society such as communication networks, transportation systems, electrical power grids, collaborative intelligent machines, and water distribution networks. Read moreRead less
Human-Robot Co-Evolution: Achieving the full potential of future workplaces. Physical human-robot systems are widely used to amplify the capability of human labourers and improve ergonomics in the workplace. This project aims to develop robot controllers that shape the co-evolution of these systems. Through physical human-robot interaction studies it will generate new knowledge of how humans adapt to working with robots, which will then be incorporated into the robot controller design. Expected ....Human-Robot Co-Evolution: Achieving the full potential of future workplaces. Physical human-robot systems are widely used to amplify the capability of human labourers and improve ergonomics in the workplace. This project aims to develop robot controllers that shape the co-evolution of these systems. Through physical human-robot interaction studies it will generate new knowledge of how humans adapt to working with robots, which will then be incorporated into the robot controller design. Expected outcomes include a better understanding of human adaptation and a systematic approach to shaping human-robot interaction over time. This should provide significant benefits across different skill and labour-intensive industries in Australia, such as improved worker productivity and safer human-robot collaboration.Read moreRead less
Variable Structure Control Systems in Networked Environments. This project will be the first in the world to lay the foundation for a new theory for understanding and designing new variable structure control systems in the networked environments, which is in great need due to increasing use of shared communication networks in modern industrial systems. It will firmly place Australia at the forefront of this research by developing a cutting edge technology for improving reliability and efficiency ....Variable Structure Control Systems in Networked Environments. This project will be the first in the world to lay the foundation for a new theory for understanding and designing new variable structure control systems in the networked environments, which is in great need due to increasing use of shared communication networks in modern industrial systems. It will firmly place Australia at the forefront of this research by developing a cutting edge technology for improving reliability and efficiency of industrial variable structure control systems in the networked environments, hence resulting in cost-saving and improved productivity for industry. It will provide training for new leading researchers specialised in this new theory and technology.Read moreRead less
What learning is there in learning control? This project seeks to establish a meaningful definition and quantifiable measure of learning in the context of adaptive or learning control. The project is designed within the context of human motor skill learning, and assesses the speed of learning and the quality of learning (reflected by the accuracy of the motor task execution). The project plans to use measures to provide a mathematically precise meaning for the notion of learning. The outcome has ....What learning is there in learning control? This project seeks to establish a meaningful definition and quantifiable measure of learning in the context of adaptive or learning control. The project is designed within the context of human motor skill learning, and assesses the speed of learning and the quality of learning (reflected by the accuracy of the motor task execution). The project plans to use measures to provide a mathematically precise meaning for the notion of learning. The outcome has the potential to be applied to the design of technology-assisted training of motor skills, from the recovery of lost motor skills after trauma to the development of elite athletes.Read moreRead less