Seeing with sound – A device for the blind conceived in Australia

ARIA is a device which will allow blind people to “see” with their ears and using it will be as simple as putting on a pair of sunglasses. The project to create this has been given the greenlight as a CRC-P and will receive $2.6 million from the federal government over 2 years.

It is a collaboration between lead partner ARIA Research Pty Ltd, the University of Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney, and World Access for the Blind – Australia Ltd.  

We chatted with the CEO and Co-founder of ARIA Research, Robert Yearsley, soon after he received the good news to hear about his reaction.
“Winning the CRC-P grant is extraordinary news. We believe this is a really worthwhile project, built by and for the blind community. For the last two year our team of 15 researchers and engineers have been bootstrapping ARIA in their own time because they believe in the project. The CRC-P gives us the juice to commit full resources, between the University of Sydney, UTS, World Access for the Blind and our development team. It’s also a stamp of approval for us, to have the backing of the federal government. This is a huge boost for us that will help us advance R&D, raise capital and support our path to market.”
He then explained why he was so excited to get this project going. 

“ARIA is the first commercially scalable solution to addressing the chronic burdens of blindness. It is a non-invasive solution that works regardless of the reason for blindness because it uses the ears.” He presented a prototype device which looked like a pair of sunglasses. “ARIA uses an advanced camera system to discriminate what is important in the nearby environment. This information is then fed to the user as sound via the ears in a form that is related to echolocation.” 

“Aria is built on Aussie research and intellectual property. There are new Aussie jobs being created out of the project, and we are engaging Australian research institutions with a team of over 20 researchers. We’re aiming to manufacture it here as well. On top of all that, Australia is the best market to launch a revolutionary new technology to help someone with a disability because of the NDIS. So we are able to do this from end to end – concept to delivery all in Australia. We are launching a global company from Australia, not because it’s our backyard, but it’s actually the best place in the world to do it.”

Robert also talked about the effects of this technology.
“The potential impact of ARIA is profound. There are 338 million blind and visually impaired people in the world today. In 2050, that number will be over half a billion people. These aren’t people who just needed prescription glasses but people who are living day to day with a disability. 9 out of 10 blind people rely on someone else’s elbow for navigating the world. So, their ability to get around is dependent on another human being. We believe that ARIA will have a range of impacts from psychosocial, to health and wellbeing, the practical effect of being able to make decisions on your own terms, and say, ‘I’m going to go outside now,’ and being able to able to just do that without considering the need for someone else's help. That is a significant effect.” 

Finally, Robert told us what motivated his organisation to seek CRC-P funding for the project.  
“It seemed to be one of the best programs out there which can allow an SME to build a landmark piece of technology. There is not a lot of funding out there for a project like this which requires deep engagement with researchers. This grant was large enough to give us a boost to get us moving quickly towards the market.”

Solving the curly problem of pigs tails.

“This particular issue of tail biting is an enigma. No one has ever solved it,” says Robert van Barneveld Group CEO and Managing Director of the SunPork Group, the company leading a $7.8 million CRC-P that will use AI to save pigs tails, further enhancing animal welfare and industry sustainability.

Sunpork will partner with PIC Australasia Pty Ltd, Australasian Pork Research Institute Ltd, Australian Pork Limited, RSPCA Australia, Rivalea (Australia) Pty Ltd, the University of Melbourne, the University of New England and the University of Queensland to work on eliminating pig tail removal in the pork industry.            

Tail biting is a confronting issue that is managed by docking pigs' tails soon after birth to prevent potential biting later in life. It has animal welfare and economic consequences for the pork industry and eliminating tail biting will help ensure the sustainability of the $5.3 billion Australian pork industry. The CRC-P aims to give pork producers the confidence to raise pigs with intact tails while maintaining high standards of pig welfare.

The team aims to develop a model that will enable them to understand the causal factors so they can then find solutions. "There is a broad combination of factors that potentially contribute to tail biting, ranging from nutritional or behavioral changes to lack of adequate ventilation,” says Robert. 

Amongst the range of technology solutions that the CRC-P plans to develop is computer vision technology that will assist in tracking behavioral changes. This technology could be an early predictor of an outbreak and help in prevention. 

 “People are concerned about where their food comes from and how it is raised. The investment in this CRC-P is reflective of that concern,” says Robert.

“Through this program we can bring all the necessary people together; the multi-disciplinary team that will be required to work out what might be causing this issue. No one working in isolation is ever going to solve this problem.”

Having generated $4 million in kind and cash to match the government’s contribution, the CRC-P is looking forward to solving this enigma.

Success Begets Success for Rocket Booster Team

“Elation would be an understatement” said Julia O’Callaghan, Director of University Engagement and CRC Programs at DefendTex Research Labs, when the team heard they had been funded in Round 11 of the CRC Projects. 

This is DefendTex’s fourth CRC-P and in collaboration with RMIT, the Department of Defence and RocketTech, will focus on addressing Australia’s space industry capability gap, being the lack of domestically manufactured rocket boosters.  

“This project is a massive steppingstone for DefendTex. It builds on and scales up the foundational work in high speed flight, additive manufacturing and energetic materials in the previous three CRC-Ps,” said Julia. 
Compared to the traditional casting methods of building rocket boosters, 3D printing allows the rapid production of bespoke booster sections, reducing cost, waste and environmental impact. 

“Moving away from these traditional methods will increase Australia’s ‘responsive access to space’ and further develop Australia’s sovereign space capability,” said Julia. 

While Australia has expertise in developing satellites and other payloads, the reality is we are beholden to international organisations to get to space. 

“The work DefendTex is doing in 3D printing domestic rockets and Australia’s prime geographic location to launch from, is huge opportunity for Australia to be a global player in the space industry.”  

When asked why DefendTex put in for a fourth CRC-P,
Julia had the following to say: “DefendTex loves the program and its objectives. Industry lead research with commercial outcomes perfectly align to our organisation’s objective. We were looking for ways to leverage the expertise of academia and the CRC-Projects are the perfect mechanism to support and facilitate these collaborative engagements”. 

Julia went on to say that since receiving their first grant, she has seen a change in the culture and adaptability of the research sector to work towards commercial milestones and outcomes. 

CRC-P Round 11 Participants Roundtable

The Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRC Association) is pleased to deliver a virtual roundtable for participating organisations of the recently awarded Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-Ps) Round 11 grants.

In this virtual session, Round 11 CRC-P participants will have the opportunity to meet fellow participants in this cohort, hear from a panel of speakers involved in previous CRC-Ps who will share their experiences and advice, and learn about other ways the CRC Association can support their collaborative journeys.

The session will take place from 1:00pm to 2:30pm on Monday 20 September 2021 via zoom. The session is free, but you must register.

Speakers:

• Jane O'Dwyer, CRC Association
• Julia O'Callaghan, DefendTex
• Cameron van den Dungen, Sleeptite

CRC Association Welcomes Investment in Industry-Led Cooperative Research to Drive Growth

The Cooperative Research Centres Association today welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon Christian Porter, of twenty-two new Cooperative Research Centre Projects.

The new CRC-Ps have been funded under Round 11 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects as part of the Cooperative Research Centres Program.

They represent a collective investment of almost $133 million, with almost $47 million in Australian Government funding leveraging investment from both industry and universities.

“Industry-led cooperative research enabled through the Cooperative Research Centres Program is an Australian success story, translating research into action and generating enormous benefit,” said CRC Association CEO Jane O’Dwyer.

“The CRC Projects are short, highly industry-focused projects that make it possible for many Small to Medium-sized enterprises to partner with each other and research organisations and to pursue ideas that create new products, jobs and build Australian innovation capacity.

“It provides a great framework for developing highly productive cooperative partnerships and making the most of the world-leading research know-how that we find in our research institutions.

”We know that for every dollar invested by government in collaborative research through the CRC Program, some three times the value is returned, generating more than $14 billion in direct economic benefits to the nation from CRC produced technologies, products and processes since the program was founded.

“This has translated into new Australian industries, new Australian businesses and new Australian jobs,” she said.

“A huge congratulations must go to all of the CRC-P participants and partners. The field was incredibly strong, and all 22 of those who have been funded are projects that will make a real difference.

They are an extraordinary range of projects, including rocket boosters, low-cost rapid-response air ambulances, extraction of critical minerals and rare earths from bauxite residue, bionic medical devices that deliver visual-spatial perception for the sight impaired, and new ways of monitoring and preventing low oxygen for mothers and babies during birth.

The twenty-two new CRC-Ps bring the total number of Cooperative Research Centres Projects since the establishment of the program in 2016 to 176.

More information on the CRC Program and successful applicants is available at www.business.gov.au/crc-p.

About The Cooperative Research Association (CRC Association)

Established in 1994, the CRC Association advocates to enhance Australia’s industrial, commercial, and economic growth through collaborative research and innovation. The CRC Association represents the cooperative research community in Australia including CRCs, CRC-Ps, post CRC entities, universities, and firms involved in cooperative research.