Age at first birth, mode of conception and adjustment to parenthood. The trend to delayed childbearing is well-established, multiply determined and unlikely to change in the short term. This study will provide contemporary Australian evidence on the experience of becoming a parent at different ages, naturally and through assisted conception, for Australian men and women. Both risk and protective factors for older first-time parents will be identified, thus informing policy and services that can ....Age at first birth, mode of conception and adjustment to parenthood. The trend to delayed childbearing is well-established, multiply determined and unlikely to change in the short term. This study will provide contemporary Australian evidence on the experience of becoming a parent at different ages, naturally and through assisted conception, for Australian men and women. Both risk and protective factors for older first-time parents will be identified, thus informing policy and services that can better support Australian families with planning and rearing children. A key outcome will be a Parenting Decision-Aid to provide evidence-based reader-friendly information about the positives and negatives of first-time parenthood at different ages.Read moreRead less
Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to matu ....Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to mature cow oocytes in vitro by altering the chemical composition of maturation medium, thus improving the efficiency of laboratory embryo production and related technologies.Read moreRead less
An investigation of the underlying mechanisms that control gender and fertility in the Moreton Bay Bug, Thenus orientalis. To date there is no available information on the underlying biochemical and genetic mechanisms that control gender and fertility in Thenus spp. Understanding how gender and fertility are controlled in this lobster species will allow development of technologies to exploit desired commercial traits such as reproductive sterility (for genetic protection). Such technologies wil ....An investigation of the underlying mechanisms that control gender and fertility in the Moreton Bay Bug, Thenus orientalis. To date there is no available information on the underlying biochemical and genetic mechanisms that control gender and fertility in Thenus spp. Understanding how gender and fertility are controlled in this lobster species will allow development of technologies to exploit desired commercial traits such as reproductive sterility (for genetic protection). Such technologies will facilitate rapid uptake of commercial culture of this high-value species in Australia and establishment of international markets. Read moreRead less
Co-design and dynamic mission optimisation of hypersonic flight vehicles. This project aims to deliver fundamental knowledge by integrating the modelling and control with the design of next generation hypersonic platforms. In an era where Australia's national security reliance on geographic isolation and support from allied forces are being challenged, the research outcomes of this project will play an important role in understanding the capabilities of hypersonic systems. The project will also ....Co-design and dynamic mission optimisation of hypersonic flight vehicles. This project aims to deliver fundamental knowledge by integrating the modelling and control with the design of next generation hypersonic platforms. In an era where Australia's national security reliance on geographic isolation and support from allied forces are being challenged, the research outcomes of this project will play an important role in understanding the capabilities of hypersonic systems. The project will also have significant spillover benefits into other complex system domains, where computational tools can be used to aid in design leading to high embedded-IP products for Australian industry. Furthermore, the proposal encompasses a strong research training aspect, with graduates exposed to leading edge industry and academia.Read moreRead less
In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a ran ....In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a range of in vitro methods of assessment of motility and morphology of sperm and compare them with fertility of frozen semen samples after AI, leading to more objective methods of semen analysis.Read moreRead less
Supervised autonomy for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) using limited bandwidth communication channels. The project aims to improve the feedback link between an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and an operator by developing novel acoustic communication schemes that exploit developments in machine learning, network, and communication theory and represents a step towards truly autonomous and intelligent surveying using AUV systems.
Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equ ....Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equivalent levels of service to remote communities over vast distances (or border protection of vast regions). The population base of Australia requires that cost-effective solutions are sought to meet this end. Read moreRead less
Sex preselection of stallion spermatozoa. This study will develop novel techniques that will maintain and optimise the fertility of sex-sorted stallion semen before and after processing through a flow cytometer. Ultimately, spermatozoa obtained from ejaculation or from the testes sperm storage site (epididymes) at the time of castration will be sorted into X- (female) or Y- (male) populations and used to inseminate mares and thus, enable horse breeders to predetermine the sex of their foal at th ....Sex preselection of stallion spermatozoa. This study will develop novel techniques that will maintain and optimise the fertility of sex-sorted stallion semen before and after processing through a flow cytometer. Ultimately, spermatozoa obtained from ejaculation or from the testes sperm storage site (epididymes) at the time of castration will be sorted into X- (female) or Y- (male) populations and used to inseminate mares and thus, enable horse breeders to predetermine the sex of their foal at the time of insemination. The introduction of sex-sorted semen into the Australian horse industry (worth some $6.2 billion) will ensure that Australia leads the world in equine reproductive technology.Read moreRead less
Fork safely: improving safety of ordinary forklifts by automating task-specific operations. Forklift trucks are used for goods handling extensively in all sectors of industry. However, statistics show high figures of forklift accidents, with an average of 250 serious injuries per year in Victoria alone. This project will seek to address the operational safety of forklifts by automating the execution of typical forklift tasks.
Improving the operation of large-scale irrigation networks through automation. Channel networks for irrigation are critical infrastructure. Efficient operation is important in terms of sustainability and food security. This project aims to deliver automatic control techniques for improving system-wide performance. The research outcomes will secure Australia's place at the forefront of irrigation network automation technology.