Labour shortages leave millions of dollars of crops unharvested. This research develops touch-sensitive robots that navigate complex plants using force sensors rather than vision, reducing damage and improving fruit-reaching success by 66%. By learning from human movements, these robots could support sustainable agriculture and address critical workforce gaps.

Australia’s wildlife is hard to count due to difficult terrain and vast landscapes. This research uses remote sensing—camera traps, audio recorders, drones, and satellites—combined with AI and mathematical models to understand animal presence, habitat choices, and detectability. The goal is faster, more accurate population monitoring to guide conservation.

Digital health expanded during COVID-19, but many services exclude people seeking support for alcohol and drug use. This research uses inclusive design, interviews, and workshops with people with lived experience to identify barriers, reduce stigma, improve usability, and guide industry toward creating accessible, equitable digital care for all.

Heart failure causes major suffering, high mortality, and escalating healthcare costs. This research identifies what people with heart failure and their carers need from home-based supportive care, including nurse-led support, better communication, and coordinated services. By defining and prioritising key recommendations, the project aims to guide policy toward improving quality of life and reducing hospitalisations.

The researcher investigates how collaborative robots (cobots) can address Australia’s manufacturing labour shortage while improving diversity and inclusion. By interviewing designers, workers, and managers, they identify how cobots can reduce physical demands, improve safety, and make manufacturing more appealing to women and younger workers. They propose a strategic framework for inclusive cobot adoption.

PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminate water, food, and air and accumulate in the body, causing serious health risks. This research develops a light-activated porous material that traps and breaks down PFAS molecules. Tested in real-world water and now being scaled up, the method aims to provide a practical, permanent solution for removing PFAS and protecting safe drinking water.