Projects
The VisLab provides a productive and collegial environment for students, academics and researchers engaged with digital environments, advanced manufacturing, and digital models. The following projects encapsulate the capabilities of the platform.
UQ Digital Twin
The aim of the UQ Digital Twin Campus project is to develop and deliver a framework for a Digital Twin of the UQ campus by December 2022. The research and development of the project will produce a paper, grant, and exhibited work associated with framework development and operation of spatially enabled digital twins in Queensland. The project will also showcase our BE Lab facility and Framework for Spatially Enabled Digital Twins has been commissioned by the Queensland Government.
The project will also function as a pilot study on a broader scale grant application of Digital Twins (i.e Urban Digital Twins). Rapid progress in digitalization and artificial intelligence is providing numerous opportunities for human-interaction research at TU/e. Connecting the real world to the digital world using Digital Twins is facilitated by the increasing availability of sensor information, which allows new applications in many different areas to be explored. Examples of project spinoffs could involve linking systems through AI in areas of high-tech systems, health, and mobility. The goal of the lab is to bring researchers together, share experiences, reduce the cost of setting up experimental environments, and address important societal issues. The project team is Dr. Islam Mashaly, Dr. Fred Fialho Teixeira, and Kelton Boyten-Grant (Architecture), collaborating with Dr. Jurij Karlovsek (Civil) and Assoc Prof Stephen Viller (ITEE) and Christian Dorst (UQ P&F).
Remote Additive Manufacture
The aim of the Augmented Reality in remote robotic manufacturing project is to develop and deliver a framework for Augmented Reality studies in the optimisation of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry by December 2022. The research and development of the project will produce a paper, grant, and exhibited work associated with the use of Augmented Reality in Advanced Manufacturing and serve as a demonstration and showcase our BE Lab facility as a departure point for ARC Grant applications. The adoption of BIM component parts, assemblies, and fixturing has been ad hoc and distributed across company sizes.
Design, manufacturing, production planning, and assembly operations frequently function as independent “silos” within organizations. But now this data can be aggregated and expanded to allow total process simulation of an actual production process. The Augmented Reality for robotic manufacturing project offers the potential for new insight into remote fabrication and operations is obvious and goes beyond the digital twin with the Virtual Twin experience. The project is not only the virtual model but more importantly, it is connected to the fabrication process in real-time. The Augmented Reality for robotic manufacturing is an executable virtual model of a physical system that brings in learning and experiences taken from real-world processes to update the digital twin manufacturing models. This project team is Dr. Maryam Shafiei, and Dr Fred Fialho Teixeira and collaborates with Dr. Cathy Keyes (Architecture) Dr. Nasim Amiralan (AIBN), and Prof Ben Hankamer (IMB) and Assoc Prof Joe Gatas (Civil).
Integrated Bio-economy Project and the Controlled Biosphere
This is an ARC-funded project aiming to develop advanced controlled environment production systems (Controlled Biosphere) that exceed the industry standard for profitability, sustainability, and climatic resilience. It will generate new knowledge and innovations in technology integration through a highly multi-disciplinary approach. The project outcomes will yield Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Analyses, designs of the Controlled Biosphere, and supporting policy frameworks. The benefits of this project address worsening resource constraints (e.g. available fresh water, arable land, nutrients); BY 2050 we will require 70% more food, and 80% greenhouse gas emissions reductions, to maintain economic, social, political, and climate security. This multi-disciplinary research project will promote an understanding of complex systems and technology integration to provide benefits in the primary production sector (i.e. the bio-economy).
The advanced models and designs of the Controlled Biosphere will provide benefits in resource efficiency and exceed the industry standard for profitability, sustainability, and climatic resilience. The project will provide impact by fast-tracking systems optimisation, de-risking scale-up, and supporting the development of resilient business models, sustainable regional jobs, and high-value market opportunities. Subsequent industry development will have the impact of contributing to the promotion of economic, social, political, and climate security.
This project is led by Prof Ben Hankamer (UQ IMB) and Prof Karen Hussey (UQ), Prof Damien Batstone (UQ), Prof Susanne Schmidt (UQ), Prof Halim Gurgenci (UQ), A/Prof Victor Galea, A/Prof Damian Hine, Dr. Fred Fialho Teixeira, A/Prof Matthew Hill (Monash), Dr. Thomas Rainey (QUT), Prof Paul Meredith (Swansea University), and Collaborates With F.K. Gardner & Sons, Powerplants Australia, Better Aquaponics, Global Futuremakers, Fungi Perfecti, Bw Global Structures, and Pegasus Legal.