ARC Linkage program boosts diverse projects

The ARC Linkage projects have attracted a further $2,313,153 in support from partner organisations.

The recipient research projects are:

The project, “Mobile 3D Artefact Digitisation Lab”, received a $261,250 ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities grant.

Chief investigator Professor Damian Candusso, from QUT’s School of Creative Arts,  said the Mobile Lab was an integrated research facility providing mobile, robot-automated, multi-camera photogrammetry and 3D sound capture.

“The Lab will enable researchers to investigate efficient end-to-end digitisation solutions from 3D scanning to immersive experiences with broad impact on the cultural preservation field,” Professor Candusso said.

“The facility will make inexpensive 3D sound and image digitisation available in any location in Australia and cut the time it takes to digitise artefacts by 10 or more times.

“It will be applied on projects with partner organisations, including the digitisation of museum artefacts for exhibition, historical sites, and immersive educational and research projects, and provided on a cost-recovery basis to the broader sector.”

The QUT research team comprises chief investigators Professor Candusso, Professor Jonathan Roberts, Dr David Pyle, Associate Professor Selen Turkay, Dr Imogen Smith, and Dr Kelly Greenop from The University of Queensland; and, partner investigators Thomas Peachey from the Australian Museum, and Peter Denham from Queensland Museum.

The project, “Weavable thermoelectric textile for body heat management”, received a $590,550 ARC Linkage grant.

Chief investigator Professor Zhi-Gang Chen, from the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and QUT’s Centre for Materials Science, and School of Chemistry and Physics, said the project’s aim was to develop an innovative, woven, wearable, thermal management system using advanced functional materials with partner Wooltech Goup.

“We will develop a lightweight, energy-efficient, durable, wearable smart fabric for localized and controllable heating or cooling with ultra-low power input,” Professor Chen said.

“We see this innovation will cater for workers in sectors such as construction and mining because real-time control of localized body temperature, along with efficient and effective first aid, could alleviate discomfort and enhance productivity in industries.

“By integrating device design with materials engineering, we will achieve rapid, precise, and controllable thermal regulation for specific body areas to alleviate and prevent thermal injury.”

The QUT research team comprises Professor Chen, Dr Xiaolei Shi, and Associate Professor Liangzhi Kou.

The project, “Advancing digital innovation in the Australian live performance sector” has been awarded a $281,849 ARC Linkage grant.

Chief investigator Dr Elizabeth Gibbs, (nee Old) from QUT’s School of Creative Arts, said that there was an urgent need for the performing arts to grow audiences and to reach diverse and remote communities.

“This project is focused on helping the live performance industry, such as theatre and dance, use digital technology more effectively,” Dr Gibbs said.

 “There's a need to find ways to bring performances to people who might not usually attend, including those in remote areas, and to make the experience more engaging and accessible.

“In partnership with nine of Australia’s leading performing arts institutions, the research will generate practical resources to help the performing arts sector improve digital performance making skills, and to better understand how to incorporate digital content creation into core business. The project will contribute towards a sustainable future for the performing arts”.

The research team comprises chief investigators Dr Elizabeth Gibbs, Dr Shane Pike, Dr Kathryn Kelly, Dr Susan Cake, Professor Evonne Miller, all from QUT, and Professor Katya Johanson from Edith Cowan University.

The partner organisations are Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Arts Centre, Lucy Guerin Inc, Performing Arts Connections Australia, Metro Arts, Northern Rivers Performing Arts Centre and Edith Cowan University.

The project, “Advanced heart simulator: unveiling the fluid dynamics of heart valves”, has received a $261,631 grant from the ARC Linkage Project program.

Chief investigator Professor Zhi-Yong Li, from QUT’s School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, will lead the research to develop an experimental and computational platform to simulate the dynamic interaction between blood flow and heart valves with industry partner Tavr Ai.

Professor Li said the outcome would be a state-of-the-art heart simulator that would be a critical tool for assessing and refining innovative heart valve designs.

“The simulator will characterise how each design would perform under realistic physiological conditions to enable the design and validation of novel prosthetic heart valves,” he said.

“The outcome will address the lack of heart valve-specific experimental infrastructure in Australia which makes it difficult for researchers to capture the fundamental understanding and data required to improve these complex, fault-intolerant devices.

“Future improved heart valve designs enabled by this project will reduce the growing economic burden of repeat surgeries on the health system and improve both the patient’s health and quality of life at the best cost for the healthcare system.”

The QUT research team comprises chief investigators Professor Zhi-Yong Li, Dr Qiuxiang Huang; Dr Jessica Benitez from The University of Queensland, and partner investigator Dr Ryan Markham from St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital.

The project, “Low-cost carbon materials from agricultural biomass for battery anodes”, has received a $476,190 grant.

Chief investigator Professor Zhanying Zhang, from the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering and the Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy said the project’s aim was to harness agricultural biomass to synthesise high-performance carbon materials for low-cost sodium ion battery applications.

“It will generate new knowledge and low-cost, innovative approaches for the synthesis of carbon materials from agricultural biomass,” Professor Zhang said.

“This project will advance multi-product biorefinery and manufacturing technologies and enhance capacity for research collaborations.

“This will accelerate the development of a new, low-carbon manufacturing industry for producing sustainable carbon materials from agricultural biomass in regional Australia and contribute to Australia’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions.”

The multidisciplinary research team comprises chief investigators Professor Zhanying Zhang, Professor Hongxia Wang, from QUT’s School of Chemistry and Physics and Professor Cheng Yan from QUT’s School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering; chief investigator Associate Professor Yu Lin Zhong from Griffith University and partner investigator Peter Smart from Upala Pty Ltd.

(Main images, picture on left - from left: Professor Jonathan Roberts, Professor Damian Candusso, Dr David Pyle, Associate Professor Selen Turkay. Picture on right: Front row, from left: Professor Zhi-Gang Chen, Professor Zhanying Zhang, Dr Elizabeth Gibbs, Professor Zhi-Yong Li. Middle row: Associate Professor Liangzhi Kou, Professor Hongxia Wang, Dr Susan Cake, Dr Kathryn Kelly. Back row: Dr Xiaolei Shi, Professor Cheng Yan, Dr Shane Pike, Dr Qiuxiang Huang)

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