Adelaide University is home to a new Defence Research and Innovation Network

RESEARCHERS from the defence sector will be embedded across 21 research areas within the University of Adelaide, as part of a new Defence Research and Innovation Network.

Autonomous drones are being researched at Adelaide University.

RESEARCHERS from the defence sector and the Federal Government’s Defence Science and Technology Group will be embedded across 21 research areas within the University of Adelaide, as part of a new Defence Research and Innovation Network.

The network will bring together defence companies, the federal agency, and university researchers to bolster the nation’s military capability as well as the economic contribution of the sector.

The University of Adelaide also announced yesterday it was establishing a Defence Research and Innovation Hub, which would act as a first port of call for defence-related research and innovation.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne launched the DRIN yesterday, and was treated to a demonstration of five drones flying in formation through an obstacle.

Technology was also demonstrated which aims to help autonomous vehicles navigate without the aid of GPS. Minister Pyne said the University of Adelaide “has more relationships with defence than any other university in Australia’’.

“One of the key things that (Dr Alex Zelinsky, chief defence scientist) has been trying to bring about ... is this collaboration. This sense that a university researcher creates something exciting and different and new and their job is over is old thinking.’’

Instead, collaboration between the universities and agencies was key, with collocation — such as will happen within the network — vital, Mr Pyne said.

“The sites will closely align to capability areas of Defence interest, with the first sites being the trusted autonomous systems laboratory, and the institute for photonics and advanced sensing.”

Research projects under way currently included;

VERY high-powered laser technology for directed energy applications

MACHINE learning research capability, with numerous defence applications, and

THE Trusted Autonomous Systems Multi-Agent Control Laboratory — developing new approaches for multiple autonomous systems to communicate and co-ordinate their actions.

University of Adelaide interim vice-chancellor professor Mike Brooks said the university wanted to “move up a gear, and deepen our engagement through co-investment in key capabilities under a true partnership model”.

“Experience has shown us co-located researchers deliver greatly enhanced research outcomes, especially in terms of how quickly new developments can be made,” he said.

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