Australian Center for Field Robotics, University of Sydney
Located in the University of Sydney’s School of Aerospace, the Australian Center for Field Robotics aims to develop applications and dissemination of autonomous and highly intelligent robots and systems for operation in outdoor environments.
The Center is one of the world’s largest robotic research institutes and has always been actively involved in the development of advanced technologies and in carrying out world leading research and development of field robotics principles and systems.
It also has collaborated with several major national and multinational agencies in academic, government, and business, and has founded several leading research centers funded by the Australian Research Council, Mining, Security and Defence, and Environmental Agencies.
ACFR has adequate experimental facilities that include three major laboratories and a field test facility, a range of experimental and production vehicles, and industry-quality mechanical and electrical design and fabrication facilities. It also uses the latest state-of-the-art technology in embedded computing, sensing, and control technologies.
Today, ACFR houses several groups and laboratories geared towards giving vital research and development outputs to several application domains. Since it inauguration, ACFR has worked jointly and closely with several national and international governments and businesses that aim to develop a channel that lets research flow into application, deployment, and eventually commercialization.
One of these groups or affiliate centers is the Center for Social Robots, whose goal is to research robots that are placed in social locations such as nursing homes, galleries, hospitals, museums and the likes.
Among the diverse industries and government partners that ACFR has become involved with are Qantas, BAE Systems, DEEDI, Singapore Technologies Aerospace, US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Toyota, Electrolux, Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Space Research Program, Renault, Thales, and many others.
