Charles Darwin University has established the Northern Territory’s first research and training centre for drones.
The North Australia Centre for Autonomous Systems (NACAS) will cement the university’s leading position in developing transformative technologies not just in the Northern Territory, but in the wide Asia Pacific region.
The drones, equipped with artificial intelligence technology, are expected to play a crucial role in logistics supply chains and monitoring and surveillance for a wide variety of industries and sectors relevant to Northern Australia.
These industries include border security, agriculture, fisheries, emergency and disaster planning, healthcare, resource extraction, and energy.
Centre Director Professor Hamish Campbell said the demand for unmanned autonomous system-based services is projected to grow significantly over the next 10 years.
Campbell noted that CDU’s strategic location and immediate proximity to uncluttered air space have established the university as a key partner for government and industry in terms of manufacturing the nation’s emerging autonomous tech sector.
“We know that the emerging autonomous technologies is a key area for investment and growth in North Australia, and this centre is about ensuring CDU becomes a leader in autonomous technology research and training,” Campbell said in a press release.
The centre director added that having a physical location in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs will attract manufacturers that seek to relocate or create an arm in Northern Australia.
CDU has already commenced work to integrate drones into logistical remote area supply chains of the Northern Territory and the associated research to accompany this, with the centre recently receiving interest and funds from national and international partners.
In October, NACAS was among the 12 projects that would share $12 million in federal funding from the Emerging Aviation Technology Partnership program.
The funding will support a trial of drone service delivery for health-related items between health centres and remote communities in the West Arhem region.
CDU and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University also secured $1.4 million from CSIRO as part of the Next Generation Graduate Program to help train a workforce at Darwin’s new TestLabs 4.0 in emerging technologies.
