A cutting-edge research hub that spearheads robotics research and innovation was launched.
UTS Robotics Institute Director Sarath Kodagoda with Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic. Photo: Oscar Colman Portrait Studio
The UTS Robotics Institute unites researchers who are dedicated to creating robotics solutions for a wide spectrum of sectors including industry, government and not-for-profit partners.
The Institute, which is pioneered by robotics and mechatronics expert Professor Sarath Kodagoda, was ceremoniously unveiled by Hon. Ed Husic MP, Federal Minister for Industry and Science, alongside experts and industry leaders in the field of robotics.
Minister Husic expressed unwavering governmental support for the Institute's ambition to attain global leadership in robotics, citing the substantial potential it holds for the nation. He forecasted a substantial economic boom, with projections ranging from $170 billion to $600 billion annually added to Australia's GDP by 2030. Minister Husic underscored the critical role of the Institute's ongoing and future research endeavours in bolstering the nation's capabilities.
UTS Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Parfitt lauded the institute for achieving a historic milestone in the advancement of robotics research and innovation globally.
“It’s a real privilege today to be able to evolve the next iteration of UTS’s contribution to robotics, the launch of the UTS Robotics Institute out of the Centre for Autonomous Systems, and to build on the work of the previous ARC Centre of Excellence. This has led to a genuinely world-class capacity that has made so many contributions both to the science of robotics and to how the industry will be able to develop and utilise the next generation of robotics” remarked Professor Parfitt.
Several key projects that included a groundbreaking robotic solution to maintain the Sydney Harbour Bridge, robots to support NBN’s vast infrastructure, and an innovative partnership with Sydney Water to deliver robotic systems to assess the condition of buried metallic water pipes and concrete sewerage pipes were displayed at the event.
Read more on the driving force behind robotics research.