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RESEARCH
r e s e a r c h . s w i n b u r n e . e d u . a u
IMPACT MARCH 2018
HACKING
THE HACKERS
Detecting the
fingerprint of
cybercrime
MAGIC BEANS
Meet the fresh fixers
in the fight against
climate change
BEST BUDS
3D-printed
personalised
hearing aids
MAPPING
CONNECTION
Bringing the
disadvantaged in
from the fringes
ROBOTS
REACH OUT
Android demonstrators lead social and physical therapy
RESEARCH
IMPACT
PHONE: +61 3 9214 5552
WEB: www.research.swinburne.edu.au
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/swinburneuniversityoftechnology
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/Swinburne
EMAIL: research@swin.edu.au
ADMINISTRATION
Research and editorial enquiries
Scott Saunders – Research Communications Officer, Swinburne Research
tel: +61 3 9214 8468 | email: scottsaunders@swin.edu.au
Industry engagement enquiries
Jane Ward – Vice-President (Engagement)
tel: +61 3 9214 8626 | email: jmward@swin.edu.au
Swinburne Alumni
Louise McCarthy – Associate Director, Alumni Engagement
tel: +61 3 9214 3777 | email: louisemccarthy@swin.edu.au
ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE
Swinburne Research Impact is published for Swinburne University
of Technology by the Partnership and Custom Media unit of Nature
Research, part of Springer Nature.
227 Elizabeth Street, Suite 8.03, Level 8, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
Copyright © Swinburne University of Technology. All rights reserved. The information
in this publication was correct at the time of going to press. March 2018. The views
expressed by contributors in this publication are not necessarily those of Swinburne
University of Technology.
ABOUT SWINBURNE RESEARCH
Swinburne University of Technology is an internationally recognised
research-intensive university that is focused on delivering research that
creates economic and social impact. Our researchers are producing
innovative research solutions to real-world problems across a range
of disciplines and sectors. In 2017, Swinburne was listed within the
top 2% of higher education institutions by the prestigious Academic
Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and we were also listed within
the top 2.1% and top 2.2% by the Times Higher Education University
World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. We are committed
to delivering world-leading research outcomes and innovations in select
areas of science, engineering and technology. In 2017 Swinburne
launched a number of exciting initiatives that will drive our future
research achievements. Our new ‘Innovation Precinct’ in Hawthorn,
Melbourne, is a hub of world-class research-led innovation activity,
and our recently launched Research Institutes focus on big challenges
facing our industries and society. Swinburne’s research future is bright.
>>> research.swinburne.edu.au
SWINBURNE PRODUCTION TEAM
Scott Saunders (Editor)
Annie Jones
Contents
Contents
Editorial 03 Technology for the good of humanity
In numbers 04 A visual guide to Swinburne’s performance
News briefs 06 What’s happening at Swinburne
Research highlights
08 How to stop the rot
08 Certainty in flux
09 Examining the roots of family violence
11 10 Staying within earshot of solutions
10 Green signals good for marketing
11 Cosmic clashes bring a community together
12 Data driven
13 A smart look at the city’s moving parts
14 On the pulse of material fabrication
15 When the city’s your playground
16 A greener home? There’s an app for that
17 Learning from an AFL pack
18 Shattering the screen myth
20 19 A foothold on diabetes management
20 Making a scene
22 Mutual learning for Indigenous
inmates and students
24 Building the factory of the future
26 Hunt for the original stars
28 A license to build houses
Features
30 The robot therapist is in
22 30
35 Finding the pulse of sustainability
38 The cyber detective
42 Mapping the enterprise of recovery
46 Playing to their strengths
Inventions 50 Lab stars in the limelight
Innovation 52 The front door to innovation
Precinct and entrepreneurship
46
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 1
World-class research at Swinburne Swinburne University of Technology is an internationally recognised research-intensive university that is focused on delivering research that creates economic and social impact. Swinburne is listed in the top 2% of higher education institutions by the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and we are also listed in the top 2.1% and top 2.2% by the Times Higher Education University World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. We are committed to delivering world leading research outcomes and innovations in select areas of science, engineering and technology. CRICOS Provider Code 00111D
Editorial
Technology for the good of humanity
T
echnology is driving change
at breakneck speed, and the
pace is accelerating. Artificial
intelligence and machine
learning, big data and analytics, the
Internet of Things, sophisticated sensors,
cloud computing, robots and drones, 3D
printing, augmented and virtual reality,
are many of the digital technologies
integrating our physical and virtual
© Swinburne University of Technology
worlds. This is the fourth industrial
revolution in action.
In coming years, countless new
products and services will be invented
based on new technological solutions.
With so many potential and promising
applications of technology, what is
the best investment of our resources,
effort and ideas? The challenge is to
put technology to good use, to serve Siemens awards a $135 million industrial digitalisation grant to Swinburne. Jeff Connolly CEO at Siemens
individuals and society. Australia New Zealand and Professor Aleksandar Subic, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and
Development) are both members of the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce.
At Swinburne University of
Technology, this is the deeply ingrained
principle driving our research: technology As a science and technology students using state-of-the-art augmented
must aim to achieve positive economic and university, Swinburne’s fundamental reality and visualisation technologies.
social impact by improving people’s lives research often leads to new discoveries At Swinburne, we are proud to
and the state of our planet through better and breakthrough technological solutions. pursue research with impact. By driving
and smarter applications. Put another way, Our OzGrav Research Centre of Excellence innovation built on excellence in science
new technologies that help people will be helps answer some of the most complex and and technology, we are transforming
the ones that succeed. fundamental questions of human existence industries, and shaping lives and
Our applied research at Swinburne is using the most sophisticated instruments communities for the better.
placed at the interface between technology available today. The centre communicates
and humanity. Big data analytics are these amazing insights to the broader Professor Aleksandar Subic
helping us develop guidelines to assist public and future generations of science, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
in designing future social enterprises. technology, engineering, and mathematics (Research and Development)
Personalised robots are being used in
aged-care settings to help individuals
On the cover
living with dementia. Our touchscreen
RESEARCH
r e s e a r c h . s w i n b u r n e . e d u . a u
technology is assisting the cognition of IMPACT MARCH 2018
SWINBURNE RESEARCH IMPACT
primary school children. We are using 3D HACKING
THE HACKERS
Detecting the
fingerprint of
cybercrime
printing technology to create personalised MAGIC BEANS
Meet the fresh fixers
in the fight against
climate change Associate Professor Sonja Pedell poses with NAO, a commercially
available robot that she has been using to facilitate social integration
BEST BUDS
earphone buds and hearing aids, and other
3D-printed
personalised
hearing aids
MAPPING
with elderly dementia patients.
CONNECTION
Bringing the
disadvantaged in
from the fringes
implantable technologies. Cyber-physical
ROBOTS Cover image: Eamon Gallagher
technologies drive our Industry 4.0 Testlab REACH OUT
MARCH 2018
Android demonstrators lead social and physical therapy
in advanced manufacturing.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 3
Swinburne in Numbers
RANKINGS
FOR 2017
TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS ACADEMIC
RANKING
OF WORLD
2.1 %
2.2 %
of 20,000+ of 20,000+ UNIVERSITIES
TOP higher education TOP higher education
institutions (#420) institutions (#421)
GLOBAL
TOP 300 RANKED 61 300
400
rise in rankings
501st
421st TOP 50
TOP
2%
of higher education
in physical sciences of universities 500 in art and design institutions (#337)
under the age
65
of 50 2016 2017 2018
RANKED
in space science
by US News’
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH FOR STEPPING UP annual published
rankings
AUSTRALIA FEDERAL REPORT* PUBLICATIONS
5
WELL ABOVE WORLD STANDARD SCOPUS INDEX PUBLICATIONS
• Physical sciences Peer-reviewed literature on the world’s
• Astronomical and space sciences largest abstract and citation database
• Atomic, molecular, nuclear, 1800
particle and plasma physics 2012 1130
• Optical physics
2013 1254
• Physical chemistry
(including structural) 65% 2014 1486
increase
• Materials engineering over six
2015 1371
years
• Nanotechnology
2016
OUT OF 5 1628
4
• Neurosciences
2017 1739
ABOVE WORLD STANDARD
100
of the world’s academic
• Quantum physics institutions in physical
TOP
• Chemical sciences sciences based on
© Getty Images / mirquurius
• Computer software article count
• Engineering
• Civil engineering
• Electrical and RESEARCH WITH IMPACT
electronic engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Technology Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary
OUT OF 5 • Communications technology Black Hole Coalescene at Redshift 0.2
• Psychology JOURNAL: Physical Review Letters
• Language, communication PUBLISHED: 2017
*A report covering and culture
2008–2013
4539
released by the • Communication SOCIAL MEDIA
Commonwealth and media studies TWEETS, SHARES,
Government in five
year blocks. • Neurosciences LIKES AND COMMENTS
4 Research Impact March 2018
CAMPUSES & FACILITIES STUDENTS & STAFF = 100 people
International campus
in Sarawak, Malaysia 26,280
TOTAL STUDENT
LOAD IN 2017
(equivalent full-time
student load)
14,124
On-campus
students (EFTSL)
3 campuses in 1152
Victoria, Australia Higher degrees by
research students
Wantirna
© FreeVectorMaps.com; Advanced Technology Centre: © Gollings Photography; Knox Innovation, oppertunity and sustainability centre: Courtesy Wilkinsoneyre
Hawthorn 20:1 701
Student-to Full-time
staff-ratio academic staff
Croydon
WANTRINA
Flexible Green
Trades Complex HIGHER DEGREES BY RESEARCH
$10 million to establish (A postgraduate degree involving a supervised research project)
Knox Innovation, Opportunity
137 $8.5m
and Sustainability Centre
$10.3 million to build
COMPLETED INVESTED IN STIPEND
HAWTHORN
DEGREES IN 2017 SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2017
Advanced Manufacturing
and Design Centre
$100 million to build
Advanced Technologies Centre EXTERNAL INCOME = $5 million
$140 million to build
$205m
TOTAL EXTERNAL
RESEARCH INCOME,
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS 2009–2017
250 articles
TOP 5 COLLABORATORS $30m
242
1. Max Planck Society, Germany EXTERNAL RESEARCH
INCOME, 2017
195
2. Leiden University, Netherlands
163
$135m
151
3. University of Oxford, UK
136
4. French National Centre
4. for Scientific Research, France In 2017, Swinburne was
5. University of California given a record industrial
5. Santa Cruz, USA software grant for advanced
manufacturing from engi-
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 *Data for 2017 unavailable at time of print neering company Siemens.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 5
News Briefs
News
briefs
$135 million grant to
digitalise Swinburne’s
Factory of the Future
Swinburne University of Tech-
nology has further cemented
its reputation as a world leader
in advanced manufacturing,
receiving a record $135 million
industrial software grant from
engineering giant Siemens.
The grant will be used to The world’s largest ground-based optical telescopes at Hawaii’s W. M. Keck Observatory are available for use by
digitise Swinburne’s Factory of Swinburne researchers after the renewal of a collaborative agreement with Caltech for another five years.
the Future, creating Australia’s
Partnership with Caltech
first fully immersed Industry
4.0 facility.
The factory will give students
and researchers access to the
same apparatus used by lead-
ing companies on advanced Pioneering research into supernovae, galaxy formation, fast radio bursts and gravitational
projects, developing the skills waves has been boosted with the renewal of Swinburne’s partnership with Caltech for five
needed to thrive in the highly more years.
competitive digital manufactur- The new agreement covers access to the world’s largest ground-based optical telescopes
ing sphere. at Hawaii’s W. M. Keck Observatory until 2023. The observatory’s instrumentation has
enabled astronomers to make amazing discoveries about the Universe.
The agreement also encompasses collaborative research on strategic projects, including
Professor Tom Spurling advanced visualisation and machine-learning techniques, data-driven discovery, and
wins ANZAAS Medal for training programs.
scientific achievement
Swinburne’s Professor of Inno-
vation Studies, Tom Spurling sation of research, including Based at Swinburne’s Centre
AM, has been awarded the breakthroughs such as 30-day for Mental Health, Dr Tan’s
prestigious 2017 Australian contact lenses and the MIEX work aims to characterise
and New Zealand Association water purification process. speech patterns in people with
for the Advancement of Sci- schizophrenia.
ence (ANZAAS) Medal. “The overarching goal is to
The award recognises Pro- NHMRC fellowship develop a model for the predic-
fessor Spurling’s contribution to awarded to Swinburne tion of relapse based on these
science over the past 55 years. mental health researcher speech parameters,” he says.
Most notably acknowledged Swinburne researcher, Dr Eric This is a joint project
for his role in developing Tan, received a fellowship val- between Swinburne’s Centre
and commercialising plastic ued at over $320,000 from the for Mental Health, Data
banknotes, Professor Spurl- National Health and Medical Science Research Institute,
ing is widely regarded as an Research Council (NHMRC) and The Alfred and St
expert in the commerciali- for his work on schizophrenia. Vincent’s Hospitals. Dr Eric Tan, Centre for Mental Health
6 Research Impact March 2017
News Briefs
Swinburne researcher Professor Webster is Pro
wins gold at crime Vice-Chancellor of Research
prevention awards Impact and Policy, and Director
Swinburne researchers have of the Centre for Transformative
collaborated with Victoria Police Innovation.
and Forensicare to win gold at She contributes to policy
the 2017 Australian Crime and debates and is regularly pub-
Violence Prevention Awards lished in journals on innovation
for work on the project ‘En- economics and firm perfor-
hancing Police Responses mance.
to Family Violence’. Professor Webster joins the
The awards highlight best Academy alongside 45 other
practice in preventing and Australian researchers, bringing
reducing violence in Australia. the Academy’s total number
The team from Swinburne’s
Centre for Behavioural Science
to 637 distinguished social
scientists. Swinburne ranks in top 2%
developed tools to help Victoria
Police improve family violence
risk assessment and manage- Swinburne ranks in the top Swinburne has ranked 337th in the Academic Ranking of
ment. 250 for THE engineering World Universities (ARWU), and is now in the top 2% of
Superintendent Stuart and technology universities in the world.
Bateson, who worked closely Swinburne has ranked in the top “Our research has been recognised internationally as
on the project, believes it has 250 in the 2018 Times Higher among the best in the world, which is a deserving recognition
improved police operations. Education (THE) engineering of the great work our researchers are doing,” says Deputy
See page 8 for more. and technology subject ranking. Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development), Professor
These rankings judge world- Aleksandar Subic.
class universities across all These rankings confirm that despite its young age,
their core missions – teaching, Swinburne is recognised as a world-class university with
research, knowledge transfer exceptional research and industry engagement.
and international outlook.
Acting Faculty Pro
Vice-Chancellor of Swinburne’s as a Fellow of the Australian Engineering (ATSE) has named
Faculty of Science, Engineer- Academy of Science. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor,
ing and Technology, Professor One of 21 scientists elected Professor Linda Kristjanson
Sarah Maddison, says the by their Academy peers, AO, and Director of the Man-
university is proud of this Professor Glazebrook is a ufacturing Futures Research
achievement. world-leading observational Institute, Professor Bronwyn
Dr Troy McEwan led the Enhancing “Swinburne’s engineering astronomer whose research Fox, as Fellows.
Police Responses to Family Violence courses take a world-leading has significantly advanced our The ATSE described Profes-
Project, which won gold at the approach to engineering educa- understanding of the evolution sor Kristjanson as an “inspiring
2017 Australian Crime and Violence tion, with a high level of indus- of galaxies and the Universe leader” of Swinburne and Pro-
Prevention Awards (ACVPA).
try engagement that produces across cosmic time. fessor Fox as an “outstanding
quality graduates.” The Fellowship is one of the materials science researcher”
Beth Webster elected to highest honours an Australian passionate about translating
Academy of the Social scientist can receive in the field research that advances Austral-
Sciences in Australia Karl Glazebrook of natural science. ia’s manufacturing sector.
Swinburne’s Professor Beth honoured by peers Swinburne Chancellor,
Webster has been admitted Distinguished Professor and Graham Goldsmith, said the
to the Academy of the Social Director of Swinburne’s Centre Swinburne leaders prestigious fellowships are a
Sciences in Australia for her for Astrophysics and Super- named ATSE Fellows fitting acknowledgement of
distinguished contributions to computing, Professor Karl The Australian Academy of the pair’s contributions to their
the economics of innovation. Glazebrook, has been elected Technological Sciences and respective fields.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 7
Highlights
How to stop the rot 2 µm
The search for how bacteria can greatly
accelerate corrosion of marine vessels and
structures is driving a significant research area.
T
he harmful effects of marines, and any parts or ob-
bacterial infections on jects that come into prolonged
humans are well studied, contact with seawater, includ-
but it’s less well known that the ing bilges, engine drive shafts,
presence of certain microbes in pipes, pumps and key infra-
seawater can undermine the in- structure in harbours and ports
tegrity of ships, submarines and such as steel support piles and
other marine vessels. retaining walls.
The phenomenon known as Associate Professor Wade
microbiologically influenced has worked to gain a better
corrosion (MIC) occurs when a understanding of the pro-
biofilm of microbes grows on the cesses involved, and how
surface of a structure. Its effect is to devise and test potential
being studied by Associate Pro- solutions.
fessor Scott Wade and colleagues, “We used to think that just
including Dr M. Awais Javed and a couple of specific microbial
Professor Linda Blackall, at Swin- species were involved in MIC,
burne University of Technology. but now we know that it’s many
“MIC can dramatically speed more,” he explained. “One thing
up corrosion rates, with struc- that’s unclear is the role of pol-
tures sometimes being compro- lution and environmental fac-
mised in just a few months. It tors on microbial populations
affects not just metals, although and how this relates to MIC.”
that’s what my research focuses Given the scale of the prob- E. coli in a biofilm observed through an electron microscope. Their corrosive
on, but also plastics, stone, al- lem, Wade’s research has re- effect on surfaces has enormous industry costs.
most everything.” ceived considerable interest
Corrosion has been estimat- and funding from industry Maritime Australia Industry microbial biofilms, for example
ed by industry group NACE and defence sectors. Australia’s Innovation Awards. Associate by steam cleaning, is potentially
International to cost 3.4% of Defence Materials Technology Professor Wade’s research re- a good start. He is also explor-
global GDP, approximately Centre (DMTC) is playing a sults have already been used by ing the use of biocides, special
AUD$57 billion annually for key collaborative role and the the Royal Australian Navy and toxic coatings that leach copper,
Australia alone. benefit of the research was re- shipbuilders, ASC. or other sterilising treatments,
Vulnerable structures in- cently recognized with a high As for solutions, Wade said such as those that make use of
clude the hull of ships and sub- commendation at the 2017 that avoiding the build-up of ultraviolet light.
Certainty H
ighly miniaturised ‘lab- revolutionary area of research, the classical laws of hydrody-
© Swinburne University of Technology
on-a-chip’ devices ca- which steps beyond the predict- namics break down and new
in flux
pable of complex lab- able world of continuum classi- methodologies are required
oratory analyses and medical cal physics into the fuzzy realm to predict the movement and
diagnoses are the ultimate goal of statistical mechanics. transport of fluids, such as water
As microfluidic devices
of scientists in the emerging “Nanofluidics is the study flowing inside carbon nanotubes
shrink to the nanoscale, field of nanofluidics. Theoreti- of the flow of liquids in or graphene nanochannels.”
classical fluid dynamics cian, Professor Billy Todd, has nanometre-sized channels,” Todd has developed new the-
go out the window. led Swinburne’s foray into this explained Todd. “At this scale, oretical and computational
8 Research Impact March 2018Highlights
methods to predict the behav- nanofluidic devices,” said Todd. US, Europe, the UK and Asia the properties of biological
iour of atomic and molecular Along with colleague, Pro- are investing heavily in nano- solutions.
fluids in nanofluidic systems fessor Peter Daivis at RMIT, fluidic research, and while “Controlling the transport of
using statistical mechanics — Todd and his team of students Australia has yet to seize the fluids and improving the min-
a physical principle that deals and postdoctoral researchers opportunity on a large scale, iaturisation of such devices re-
with the prediction of proper- have made a number of impor- Swinburne University of mains an important technolog-
ties of large systems of parti- tant contributions in this field Technology is well regarded ical challenge, and our work can
cles that cannot be handled by in recent years. This includes internationally for its work, potentially provide insight into
continuum methods of physics, the development of non-equi- particularly around nanotech- the microscopic mechanisms
such as hydrodynamics. librium molecular dynamics nology and physical chemis- at play when conventional fluid
“In nanoscale confinements, (NEMD) algorithms to simu- try.” dynamics modelling is unable
forces between the fluid mole- late a broad class of nanofluidic The driver for the significant to make accurate predictions,”
cules and atoms on the confin- flows for atomic and molecular investments in nanofluidics said Todd.
ing surface become important, liquids, and a book covering the internationally is the remark- “I think the future is bright
as are friction and energy dissi- essentials of non-equilibrium able potential of applications for those who have the tenacity
pation. All of these aspects need molecular dynamics. such as lab-on-a-chip devices, and patience to tackle difficult
to be understood in order to “I think nanofluidics is a in which arrays of nanofluid- and scientifically challenging
manipulate fluids efficiently in vibrant field,” said Todd. “The ic ‘chips’ are used to measure problems.”
Examining the roots of family violence
World-leading research into the psychology of offenders sheds light on stalking risk and improves
the effectiveness of response and treatment.
P
ioneering research into through face-to-face training
family violence by Swin- and online education courses.”
burne University of A key part of the centre’s
Technology’s Centre for Foren- work is developing and evaluat-
sic Behavioural Science has led ing risk assessment tools, such as
to markedly better outcomes for the Stalking Risk Profile, which
victims. is now used by mental health,
The centre works in collabo- policing and correctional agen-
ration with senior psychologists cies around the world, and
from Victoria’s forensic mental the Screening Assessment for
health services, the police force, Stalking and Harassment which
and the state’s primary health is used by front-line police and
network, and was recognised victim support agencies in the
in the 2017 Australian Crime & United Kingdom, United States,
Violence Prevention Awards. Germany, Denmark, Sweden,
Family or domestic violence As first responders to incidents of family violence, police often bear the burden of Italy and Japan.
has become a top priority for this major public health issue. “We are working with part-
government and law enforce- ners to develop systems that
ment agencies. Yet the roll-out McEwan and her team at the vention,” said Dr McEwan. ensure that day-to-day practice
© Getty Images/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
of effective support and solu- Centre for Forensic Behaviour- “One of the major challeng- is based on sound evidence,”
tions has been challenging. As al Science have been working to es is translating our findings explained McEwan. “That work
the first responders to incidents address this problem. into practice. The gap between a is enormously complex and
of family violence, police often “Our research focusses on study and what psychologists or involves lots of people. It is a
bear much of the burden of what improving understanding and police actually do on the ground largely unseen part of being an
in many ways is a public health assessment of stalking and fam- can be huge. We put a lot of time effective academic, but is hugely
issue, but without the benefit of ily violence, with the aim of im- into developing strategies to important to ensuring our re-
the necessary training. Dr Troy proving prevention and inter- translate our research findings, search has direct impact.”
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 9Highlights
Staying within
earshot of solutions
Swinburne PhD program a good fit
for students with a translational research bent
P
ersonalised earphone with Melbourne hearing aid
buds and hearing aids, company, Blamey Saunders
3D-printed for a perfect Hears. He learned that the cur-
fit, were the promising first fruit rent process for custom making
of a design-led PhD program at hearing aids — injecting a soft
Swinburne University of Tech- polymer to take an impression
nology. of the ear, creating a mould Scanner data is projected on to a
The aim was to turn out from that impression, then cre- mathematical model to produce a good
quality representation of the ear.
PhDs who will move easily into ating the custom hearing aid
industry after graduating, ex- itself — left a lot to be desired.
plained the program director, The multi-step process was ex- model of the ear,” Stoddart said. oped is a process where we can
Professor Paul Stoddart, a Swin- pensive and prone to errors that That model meant the scanner mass-customise inserts for in-
burne biomedical engineer. resulted in implants that were could be used almost anywhere, ear devices,” Stoddart said.
The concept worked for ill-fitting and uncomfortable. and didn’t need a highly skilled Since Kinsella began his
Philip Kinsella; even before he Along with industrial de- operator. “You can project the PhD, ten more students have
graduated, the university helped signer, Dr Charlie Ranscombe, scanner data on to the math- followed a similar design-led
him set up a spin-out company Professor Stoddart and Kinsella ematical model to produce a PhD pathway, thanks to Aus-
to commercialise his method for decided they could modernise good quality representation of tralian Research Council fund-
creating custom-fit earpieces. the process. Kinsella developed the ear.” ing for a Training Centre in
The design-led approach a custom scanner capable of An automated algorithm Biodevices. Stoddart is current-
started with students spending precisely capturing ear shape, then calculated where to po- ly exploring options for offering
time with potential industry and scanned many volunteers’ sition the hearing aid or ear- the design-led PhD model to
partners to identify real-world ears in the lab. “He assembled a phone speaker within the im- Swinburne students interested
problems. Kinsella’s own pro- database of ears, then developed plant, which was produced on in translational research pro-
ject stemmed from discussions a sophisticated mathematical a 3D printer. “What he’s devel- jects in other fields.
Green signals good for marketing
Future-focused consumers are more likely to spend their money
© Getty Images/AlexLMX; © Swinburne University of Technology
on products with environmental credentials.
U
sing renewable ener- likely to express an intention to vironmental credentials — so-
gy to make a product buy the earphones if they were called greenwash — is thought
improves its consumer advertised as having been made to have undermined the effec-
appeal, according to research with renewable energy. tiveness of such marketing.
from Swinburne University of “The study proved that prod- However, until now there
Technology. ucts made with renewables are has been very little research into
Simon Pervan, Associate preferable,” said Associate Pro- whether green credentials are
Professor of Marketing, and fessor Pervan. good for business. “We didn’t
his PhD student, Suni Mydock, Marketing products made know if consumers thought it
found that when university stu- from recyclable or recycled ma- was important that a product
dents viewed advertisements terials was popular in the 1990s was made with renewables, be-
for earphones, they were more and 2000s. But over-hyped en- cause it hadn’t been looked at Associate Professor Simon Pervan.
10 Research Impact March 2018Highlights
before,” said Associate Profes- forces, would be more likely to personality types. big-picture appeals,” said Asso-
sor Pervan. be interested in products made Later, a second study into ciate Professor Pervan.
The researchers also wanted with renewable energy. personality found that people While he is optimistic about
to find out if consumer behav- “We thought that they would focused on the future were more the appeal of products with green
iour depended on personality be more receptive to this type willing to pay a higher price for credentials, he has reservations.
type. of appeal,” said Associate Pro- a product made with renewable “Marketing needs to be de-
They hypothesized that peo- fessor Pervan. However, they energy compared to those who veloped with caution to ensure
ple who believe they have con- found there was no difference in were not. it doesn’t become greenwash,
trol over outcomes, rather than interest in products made with “Someone who focuses on which creates a sceptical and then
outcomes being due to external renewables between the two the future is more interested in cynical public,” he said.
Cosmic clashes bring
a community together
It’s been a good year for gravitational wave
research. A new centre based at Swinburne
captured all the action.
T
he promise of Swin- in the detection of gravitational
burne’s new research waves, OzGrav’s reason for
centre, OzGrav, was being.
realised when the Universe Previously, gravitational
delivered an extraordinary waves from black hole collisions
event, a collision between two had been detected, but the
neutron stars, in August 2017. neutron star collision emitted
Barely a year old, OzGrav, radiation visible through
the Australian Research Coun- conventional telescopes. It was
cil Centre of Excellence for the first time the radiation that
Gravitational Wave Discovery, accompanies a gravitational
swung into action, spreading wave event had been detected.
the news of the impending col- The resulting avalanche of
lision through their network of data from telescopes across
Australian researchers. Australia and the world has
As the two neutron stars spi- unveiled secret after secret
ralled towards each other, tele- about the Universe.
scopes across Australia, from Neutron star collisions are
rural New South Wales to the probably the main origin of the
remote north of Western Aus- gold and silver on Earth, for
© LSCSonoma State University/Aurore Simonnet
tralia, homed in on the resulting example.
An artist’s impression of the two neutron stars colliding.
fireworks display. Meanwhile, The smash also tells us about
theorists primed Swinburne’s the Universe’s expansion and
OzStar petaflop supercomputer explains the mysterious short- together a community, said Because of his experience
to crunch the data. duration gamma-ray bursts that Professor Bailes. as the Director of Swinburne’s
“The stars completed the last have puzzled astronomers for 50 “We had to not just make Centre for Astrophysics and
thousand orbits of their death years. the instrument better, but do Supercomputing, Bailes knew
spiral in just a few seconds,” That so many Australian science with it. We needed to that Swinburne was the perfect
said OzGrav’s Director, Profes- scientists observed the neutron recruit astrophysicists, and the place to base the new centre, to
sor Matthew Bailes. star collision is a tribute to missing ingredient, the people make use of the supercomputer,
The event was a new triumph OzGrav’s success in bringing who process data. OzStar.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 11Highlights
DATA DRIVEN
Arranging and analysing masses of data
creates tools to predict traffic patterns,
and the likelihood of market success.
P
redicting where the next underlying the digital disruption Analysing this data, for Transformative Innovation
traffic snarl will form sweeping the world, including in Swinburne researchers used (CTI) to understand how
and understanding manufacturing, commerce and algorithms to predict the effect knowledge flows from research
how good ideas become useful science, said Professor Sellis. The of weather or a car accident on to commercialisation. “CTI
products are among the projects outcomes of the Data Science city traffic. Such predictions is looking at all the research
of researchers at Swinburne’s Research Institute’s work have cannot currently be made by articles published around
Data Science Research Institute. been similarly wide-ranging. data-rich programs such as the world, the patents that
The interdisciplinary Inst- The project on traffic Google Maps, and are useful companies or people file, and
itute, led by Professor Timos analysis is combining complex for the future consideration the products that companies
Sellis, is using data science data to improve traffic flow in of governments and town have developed,” said Professor
to transform the way that the aftermath of car accidents. planners. Sellis. The work has piqued the
businesses and governments “We bring together data about Swinburne researchers interest of organisations such as
operate. the weather, where people go have also used machine IP Australia, the federal agency
Data is a common factor typically throughout the day, learning, a burgeoning tool responsible for administering
and from where they start, to in which computers make intellectual property rights.
their destination, to understand predictions based on patterns Using machine learning,
typical traffic patterns,” detected in large amounts the researchers analysed
said Professor Sellis. of data, to understand and how innovations in a given
quantify seemingly intangible field develop. This includes
concepts, such as the transfer of quantifying the prevalence of
knowledge. concepts present in research
The Institute has partnered publications, as well as the ideas
with Swinburne’s Centre developed in new patents, and
analysing both for connections.
“The analysis of this data is
much more complex than
just analysing numbers,” said
Professor Sellis.
© Getty Images/Peter Greenway / EyeEm
12 Research Impact March 2018Highlights
A SMART LOOK AT THE CITY’S MOVING PARTS
A new multidisciplinary Institute will investigate the growing city as a whole
I
nvestigating how autono- having been a senior architect Through the game the app learns sharing and seem to have fewer
mous cars could reduce the on the Sagrada Família Basilica more about the needs of the cit- possessions than their parents,
number of vehicles on the in Barcelona and a former Aus- izen, which can then be used in so they may need less storage
road is just one of the many in- tralian Federation Fellow. city planning (see page 15). space, while recently divorced
novative ideas being studied at “Smart cities typically focus The next big technological singles in their 40s and 50s who
Swinburne’s brand new Smart on new technologies but we are revolution will be the autono- can no longer afford a family
Cities Research Institute. interested in understanding mous car and the Institute will home may prefer house-sharing.
Tackling the challenges of how new technologies can help use simulation studies to find out The Smart Cities Research
congestion, pollution and en- citizens to engage,” said Profes- if these will reduce congestion. Institute will address four key
ergy use, the Smart Cities Re- sor Burry. It will also consider strat- areas: urban mobility, smart
search Institute will investigate “Rather than cities designed egies for increasing housing spaces at home and work, infra-
not just new technologies, but for citizens, let’s have the cities density around transport hubs structure and delivery systems,
how citizens can be involved. designed with them. It’s a ma- and demonstrate to residents and new urban governance
Professor Mark Burry, who jor opportunity, but we haven’t that higher densities can create structures.
recently joined Swinburne really exploited it. We could use benefits such as a greater variety Operating as a virtual In-
to be the Institute’s Director, the internet more effectively to of shops and restaurants within stitute, it aims to foster collab-
came with an impressive give people more choices.” walking distance. oration between disciplines
list of credentials, One approach is to use “Instead of nimbyism we and with outside partners such
i nclud i ng games to find out what people want to encourage ‘imbyism’ - as government, industry and
are thinking, as an alternative in my backyard,” said Professor CSIRO.
© Getty Images/Aaron Foster
to questionnaires. This might be Burry. “Everything we do is project
as an app which citizens Investigating housing to suit based rather than pure research
play while waiting new household arrangements based and at least two disciplines
for the bus. will be another priority, accord- will be engaged in each project.
ing to Burry. Millennials, for We will always involve an outside
example, have a greater sense of party,” said Professor Burry.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 13Highlights
On the pulse of
material fabrication
Ultrafast laser processing offers the promise
of precision fabrication using light alone.
S
winburne researchers “Our work shows that
studying the detailed me- with ultrashort laser pulses,
chanics of interactions photo-initiators are not
between light and matter are required. We can control and
making significant contribu- tailor light–matter interactions
tions to 3D laser printing. solely via the properties of
Touted as the potential tech- light.”
nology for the factory of the fu- By adjusting the intensity,
ture, the current generation of wavelength, repetition and scan
3D laser printers is based on the speed of the laser pulses, Profes-
principle that a raw material, sor Juodkazis’s team has been
typically a powder, is converted able to prove the concept on sol-
into a solid by focused laser light. id transparent workpieces such
They give a tantalising glimpse as polymer blocks and glass,
of a future where high-precision producing high-precision piec-
products are created inexpen- es for microfluidic applications.
sively on demand from digital “Ultrafast laser processing
files in comparatively tiny ‘fac- has the highest precision in de-
tories’ in ordinary shop-fronts. livering light energy to materi-
Yet there remain many ways in al,” explained Professor Juodka- Swinburne trials a 3D printing device that delivers ultrashort laser
which current technology could zis. “It allowed us to tailor and pulses, cutting out the need for toxic molecules.
be improved if only the physics structure materials from tens of
of light–matter interaction were nanometres in size right up to
better understood.
The work of Professor Sau-
sub-millimetre size, making it
unique in bridging the domains
3D laser printing with light
1. 3D printers start with a raw material, for laser fusing (or
lius Juodkazis and his team at of nanotechnology, microtech-
sintering) it’s typically a powder of either plastic or metal.
Swinburne’s Centre for Mi- nology and conventional preci- 2. Toxic photo-initiators, molecules that creates reactive species
cro-Photonics has focused on sion material processing.” when exposed to radiation, are usually added to the powder to
this largely unexplored area of Professor Juodkazis’s work help it absorb laser light. This step can be skipped with new
material science. homed in on what exactly hap- ultrafast laser manufacturing.
3. A layer of powder is laid down
“One of the technological pens when a highly focused
4. A focused laser light fuses (or sinters) part of the layer into a
problems of the current gener- laser pulse interacts with ma- solid shape in a process known as photopolymerisation.
ation of 3D laser printer is the terial at the nanometre scale. 5. This process is repeated until a 3D shape is created.
need to add photo-initiators to The laser irradiation spot
the raw material to absorb laser experiences a rapid and extreme
light, since the host material rise in temperature and pres-
on its own is transparent at the sure, which can produce exotic etition rate in Australia,” said transfer for laser fabricated sur-
wavelength of the laser,” said high-pressure material phases Professor Juodkazis. “Based on faces for sensors. We also work
Professor Juodkazis. that sometimes last for only a our research and this facility, we with Laser Systems in Japan on
“But photo-initiators are toxic, fraction of a second. have a number of collaborations, industrial laser cutting applica-
which has limited the application “Swinburne has the only including with Workshop-of- tions, and with Flewsolutions in
of this technology in biomedical ultra-short pulse laser with Photonics in Lithuania, which Brisbane on sensors and laser
fields where the potential is huge. industrial-grade power and rep- started with a patent licence fabrication.”
14 Research Impact March 2018Highlights
When the city’s your playground
A free mobile game invites players to explore Melbourne, with the play contributing
to better urban design.
A
new augmented reality
game developed by a
designer at Swinburne
University of Technology allows
players to unlock a hidden city
in Melbourne’s laneways.
Wayfinder Live 2017 is a
free game that uses a mix of
real-world visual clues and dig-
ital elements. Dr Troy Innocent
created it to explore how cities
can be turned into playable en-
vironments. He won the 2017
City of Melbourne Knowledge
Fellowship for the work.
The location-based game was
played through the main hubs
of the Melbourne central busi-
ness district, where players used
the mobile app to find and scan
hidden artworks. The secret
‘urban codes’ represented frag- Wayfinder Live 2017 was commissioned for Melbourne International Games
ments of a mythical city called week and won the City of Melbourne Knowledge Fellowship for its creator.
Ludea.
While Pokemon Go! re- three teams, each representing people, and we can use
quires the player to focus on a different ideology of how the this information to im-
their mobile screen, Innocent city should be run. prove public spaces,” Dr
said that Wayfinder Live 2017 The player must race to scan Innocent said.
invites players to explore the 16 urban codes hidden through- Over the 12-month
city in a new way by switching out the city to create a map be- fellowship, Dr Innocent
between the urban environ- fore opposing teams. will further explore
ment and mobile device. When When the player scans a how urban information
a player is within 100 metres of new code, a 32-section digital systems can be turned
a scannable artwork, the app map unfolds with sounds and into games that collect
sends an alert. narrative text. Players earn in- feedback from citizens
“The game alters the play- game currency that allows them about how to create
er’s perception of the city and to take control of locations for a stronger sense of
also encourages them to reflect their team. community in cities.
© Swinburne University of Technology
on how the city is constantly In addition to turning the “If I’m changing
changing,” said Dr Innocent. urban environment into a vir- the way people relate
Commissioned by the Vic- tual game, Dr Innocent said that [to] or experience
torian Government for Mel- Wayfinder Live 2017 presents a the city then I think
bourne International Games novel way of gathering insights that’s a contribu-
Week in October 2017, the from the public about how to tion to quality of
treasure-hunt style game re- design better urban spaces. living,” said Dr
quires players to choose from “Play is a good way to engage Innocent.
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 15Highlights
A GREENER HOME? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
Being a committed environmentalist does not automatically mean a smaller household footprint.
But renovating could help.
T
he homes of committed ted greens and environmen- “Energy efficiency is not top of media and so are developing a
environmentalists have a tal skeptics,” said Professor their list. People are conscious of ‘renovator accelerator’: an advice
similar carbon footprint Newton. budget, but they also want com- website that will be made into an
to other Australians, Swinburne Since behavioural change is fort. It’s a funny mix of financial app for mobile phones.
researchers have found. Scien- not guaranteed to reduce car- and emotional factors,” she said. “People spend a lot of time
tists argue that more needs to bon consumption, Professor Professor Hulse’s research researching at the early stage of
be done to make environmental Kath Hulse, Director of the found that communication the project, so this is the ideal
improvements the status quo Centre for Urban Transitions, about how to make homes more time to help people incorporate
in Australian homes. has investigated the benefits of energy efficient could be made energy efficiency into their pro-
After surveying 1,250 house- communicating energy efficien- more pertinent to homeowners. ject,” said Professor Hulse.
holds, Professor Peter Newton cy strategies to home renova- “Our prototype treats energy
from Swinburne Centre for Ur- tors. Our prototype efficiency as mainstream — not
ban Transitions was surprised While building regula- special, not different, and not
to find that people professing tions mandate energy efficien-
treats energy more costly,” she said.
to have strong environmental cy in new homes, houses built efficiency as The website will even tell you
concerns used almost the same before 2004 are poor perform- mainstream. how much your home value is
amount of resources as people ers. Renovations present a likely to increase after imple-
with little interest in environ- prime opportunity to improve “The issue is people are menting energy efficient initia-
mental issues. the energy rating of existing spending money on a renova- tives.
“People might say they have homes, but it is often not a high tion and want to see where the It is expected the prototype
pro-environmental attitudes priority for homeowners, said money goes, but some things, will be completed this year.
but when you look at consump- Professor Hulse. like insulation, you can’t see. It’s This research is part of the
tion of electricity, gas and wa- She found that renovators not glamorous,” she said. Cooperative Research Centre
ter; travel; housing space; and are primarily interested in com- Professor Hulse and her team for Low Carbon Living’s work
appliances, we found there was fort and livability but also have discovered renovators gather on engaging communities in
no difference between commit- an eye to future resale. their information via digital improving energy efficiency.
© Getty Images/zstockphotos
16 Research Impact March 2018Highlights
Learning from an AFL pack
Research to improve efficient collaborative digital networks took a lead from Australian sporting culture.
W
hen it comes to busi-
ness networks in the
digital age, Swin-
burne researchers have gained
insights from an unexpected
source: real-life interactions in
a football club.
A team of analysts from the
Swinburne Centre for Trans-
formative Innovation, led by
Associate Professor Dean Lush-
er, has used insights from face-
to-face socialising to inform
innovation in multinational
organisations such as Boeing.
Associate Professor Lusher,
who is also Deputy Director of
the Social Innovation Research
Institute, said the term ‘social
networks’ encompassed more
than just social media. “They
also capture the daily interac-
tions we have at work, such as
whom we go to for advice to
Associate Professor Dean Lusher will use his research on interpersonal relationships in organisations, including the
solve a problem, gossip to, or
Australian Football League, to inform his work with Boeing.
enjoy spending time with after
hours.”
Associate Professor Lusher’s Australian Football League, will “Most standard statistical tests multiculturalism, and that In-
team, a world leader in social inform his work with Boeing. have an assumption that what I digenous players felt more mar-
network analysis, is working His team analysed the effec- do is completely independent of ginalised from their clubs than
with Boeing to study their re- tiveness of the AFL’s racial and what you do, but in a network, their non-Indigenous team-
search and development net- religious vilification laws across people are connected, and what mates.
works hoping to unpick the nine clubs. “We wanted to un- one person does is related to “AFL teams are culturally
most efficient methods of col- derstand the way teams work what another does.” popular organisations, but the
laboration. together and interact, wheth- same sort of social dynam-
“When you’re innovating, er people from diverse back-
We wanted to ics occur in many workplaces
trying to solve complex prob- grounds are socially included in across Australia, such as finan-
lems and transfer knowledge, the team, and the potential for understand the way cial institutions or business
how do you do that across geo- divisions to destabilise teams,” teams work together, teams who are trying to develop
© Swinburne University of Technology
graphical, language and cultur- he said.
and the potential products,” he said.
al barriers? Part of that comes To do this, the research- “There’s the opportunity to
down to interpersonal rela- ers used network visualisation for divisions to instigate organisational change
tions,” he said. maps as well as exponential destabilise teams. by understanding what’s hap-
Associate Professor Lusher’s random graph models (ERGM), pening internally and how well
research on interpersonal rela- a class of statistical model that The research found a general informal social networks align
tions in the structure and culture takes into account dependent lack of understanding among with formal organisational
of organisations, including the connections between people. players about reconciliation and charts.”
research.swinburne.edu.au Research Impact 17Highlights
A study found children using touchscreens performed
as well or better in nearly all key cognitive measures
as those taught using flash cards.
Shattering the
He said screens were of edu- learning when using the touch-
cational value when the infor- screen,” Associate Professor
mation presented by them met Kaufman said.
screen myth four criteria: it was interactive,
engaging, relevant to the child’s
life and encouraged them to
Additional data from an
eye-tracking device worn while
completing the tasks suggested
Screen-time is not inherently bad for children.
want to learn more. touchscreens were more effec-
It’s a lack of interactivity that is problematic. The Babylab’s work in- tive for those aged four and five
cludes being commissioned than younger children.
G
eneralisations about how Tower of Hanoi as when using by the Commonwealth gov- Earlier work by the Baby-
too much ‘screen-time’ the physical puzzle. ernment to evaluate the Early lab examined how children re-
affects development fail He said the resulting paper, Learning Languages Australia spond to video chat programs,
to recognise the ways in which published in the journal Com- (ELLA) program, which uses and whether they felt it was
screen-based activities can help puters in Human Behaviour in touchscreen apps designed to analogous with a real-world
children learn, Swinburne Uni- 2016, was among the first to enhance interest in learning conversation.
versity of Technology research counter the idea that screens among preschool-aged chil- It found children’s anxiety
has suggested. were not an effective way to dren. about being separated from a
A series of studies by Swin- learn. It found children using loved one could in part be ad-
burne’s Babylab have demon- “Everyone talks about it, but touchscreens performed as dressed by using video calling.
strated that, in the right circum- screen-time is a very limited well or better in nearly all key “We found with a video call it
stances, interactive touchscreens concept,” Associate Professor cognitive measures as those was almost like being there for
can be used to teach young chil- Kaufman said. taught using flash cards. The the child. An audio call wasn’t
dren at least as effectively as “We should be making sure digitally taught were found to sufficient — it had to be a vid-
real-world tasks. kids aren’t too sedentary, that have superior response speed, eo call to make a difference,”
© Getty images/Hero Images
Babylab Director, Jordy Kau- can certainly be affected by brain activity, level of engage- Associate Professor Kaufman
fman, an Associate Professor in the amount of time they spend ment and time spent on task, said.
the Centre for Mental Health, watching screens. But people indicating the level of interest “It’s another example that
said children learned as much should be focused on the type of in the game. shows it’s not the screen, it’s
playing a touchscreen version screen-time, not the amount of “The results seemed to sug- what you do with it that makes
of the problem-solving game screen-time.” gest they had a deeper level of the difference.”
18 Research Impact March 2018You can also read
