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Robotics and autonomous systems

Helping humans

Robotics, autonomous systems and sensing technologies sit at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution. These technologies are uniquely designed to perform the four Ds - dangerous, dirty, dull and dear work, enabling people and organisations to focus on workplace safety and more important tasks that require a human touch.

Australia's mining and agriculture industries are already using robots to explore environments, such as an unstable mine shaft, and perform manual tasks, like assessing the appearance of grapes that are being grown for wine. These are just some of the ways how autonomous robots equipped with sensing technology can capture information about complex environments and to automate tasks that would otherwise be completed by humans in high-risk situations and at a greater cost.

At CSIRO, we're developing world-class robotics technologies that can be used to ensure biodiversity and biosecurity, perform environmental research and monitoring, maintain cultural heritage sites and structures, and make online learning more interactive and detailed. Our systems provide scientific, social and economic benefits through cutting-edge science, deeper understanding of natural and built environments, increased productivity and human safety, and augmentation of human capabilities.

Robotics news

Australia claims historic top two spot in the 'Robot Olympics'

Robotics experts led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have beaten teams from NASA JPL, MIT, California Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University to claim second place in a world leading robotics competition dubbed the ‘Robot Olympics’.

Our robots

We build robots that can operate in bushland, the factory floor, the ocean and even the sky. Such a broad range of working environments requires an equally large fleet of diverse and specialised robots to tackle them.

Meet our robot family

Legs, wheels, cameras, sensors, fins, blades and magnets - our robot family is incredibly diverse and have a huge range of capabilities, from mapping their surrounds, monitoring animal health, and traversing difficult and dangerous terrain.

Magneto

Magneto represents the next generation of maintenance and inspection robots that can minimise risk and increase safety in the industrial workforce, particularly around confined space entry.

Hexapods

Designed to navigate uneven terrain thanks to their many limbs, our legged robots are able to go where no other robot or human can easily access.

Sensing the surroundings

Through the use of sensors, smart vision and communications technology, we're developing accurate, fast and interactive 3D maps for autonomous robots and people to use when surveying an analysing an area.

Designing robots to detect and deactivate landmines

Demining is currently a painstakingly difficult and dangerous task, something that robotics are uniquely equipped to handle. CSIRO's Data61 are working to create a machine that can detect, deactivate and destroy mines.

UAV Challenge

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles can analyse vast stretches of terrain significantly faster than traditional methods, making them especially suited to search and rescue operations. The UAV Challenge allows new techniques, equipment and systems to be put into practise.

Tracking in underground mines

Our wireless tracking technology can hone in on mine workers deep underground, helping to boost productivity and more importantly save lives.

Navigating the environment

Australia's notoriously difficult terrain can make it difficult for automated robots to successfully collect the data they need. We're constantly developing new methods and techniques that enable these robots to explore and analyse unstructured, confined and dangerous terrain.

DARPA Challenge

CSIRO's Data61's Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group is one of 11 teams selected worldwide to participate in the three-year DARPA Subterranean challenge, and is the only Australian entity. The challenge, funded by the US's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, aims to explore new approaches to rapidly map, navigate, and search underground environments.

PaintCloud

We're using cutting-edge sensing and visualisation technology to add real-world colour to 3D maps, giving robots and people a detailed and realistic look at an environment before they see it for themselves.

Evolutionary field robotics

Australia's notoriously difficult terrain can make it difficult to benefit from automated robots. CSIRO’s Data61 is working to evolve robots piece by piece, allowing them to be implemented.

Immersive experiences

We're developing clothing and accessories that integrate advanced technology such as electronics, tracking systems, virtual reality and camouflage to enable people who are off or onsite to fully experience the environment.

TAE: Wearable tech

We worked with Queensland company TAE to help them commercialise our Guardian Mentor Remote (GMR) wearable technology system and make it available to the global aerospace industry.

Critterpedia

This AI-powered platform can identify insect and snake species from photo

Wildcat SLAM, a 3D SLAM mapping software solution

Wildcat is our 3D SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) software enabling teams of autonomous robots to understand and work in challenging and complex environments.

Helping humans

Robotics, autonomous systems and sensors are enabling people to have increasing autonomy in their lives and those of their loved ones. There smart devices are enhancing the healthcare sector's ability to provide personalised and specialised care to Australians.

Robots for therapy & education

We're trialling social robots as tools to support education and therapy for children on the autism spectrum.

How machine learning is detecting seizures in people with traumatic brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries affect over 69 million people worldwide, with roughly 700,000 of those Australians. 30% of those Australians are likely to develop chronic epilepsy as the result of their injury, but a small and powerful piece of data-driven medtech could change that.

Living at home longer

We're developing a low-cost, non-invasive sensor, monitoring and support system to enable older people to live in their own homes for longer.

More robotics research

Robotics blogs

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