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Robotics Australia Group and remote operations group AROSE have partnered to strengthen Australia’s robotics and automation ecosystem.
Michelle Keegan, AROSE’s director of space and resources, recently led the largest mining and METS mission at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
The mission showcased innovative approaches to exploration, innovative robotics and sensing technologies developed by the Australian METS sector that could be deployed in space exploration.
Keegan said: “By expanding into the space sector, non-space suppliers can become more financially resilient and help diversify the Australian economy.
“In addition, through increased cross-sector collaboration, staff from both sides are acquiring new skills and expertise.”
Robotics Australia Group is working on an updated robotics roadmap for 2025 to identify the challenges and opportunities available for robotics and highlight the application of robotics technologies, according to a statement.
The group is calling on robotics industry players to contribute to the roadmap through a series of sector-specific webinars in areas including construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, defense, agriculture, education, arts, sports and emergency response.
IMDEX, a world-leading Australian mining technology company, joined AROSE on the NASA mission, showcasing its remotely operated BLASTDOG technology, which combines a robotic platform with advanced mining borehole detection for use on a mining bench.
Leanne Cunnold, CEO of AROSE, said: “IMDEX is known worldwide for its exploration drilling technology, deployed on approximately 80% of the world’s exploration drilling rigs. This knowledge can also be applied to applications off-world.”
Datarock, another innovative company present at the NASA workshop, provides machine learning solutions to extract valuable geological and geotechnical information from images, videos and point clouds.
Keegan said: “Combining these technologies with other drilling technologies already deployed on the Moon and Mars could be part of a future vision for planetary exploration.”
Cunnold said NASA had asked Australia to design, build, test and remotely operate a lunar rover because of Australia’s capabilities in remote operations and autonomous systems.
“When the Australian-made rover heads to the Moon on a future NASA science mission, it will be a demonstration of how sharing expertise and technology improves outcomes in space and on Earth.”
Photo: AROSE Rover with solar base