International Women's Day 2024: Counting smart sensing researchers in
This International Women’s Day we are proud to highlight several researchers in our network who identify as women and whose work is connected to smart sensing: from wearables and compression stockings, to bushfires and nanosensors.
Dr Colleen Bryant (left supplied) is part of a team which is evaluating a US smart sensing system which detects the lightning strikes most likely to start a fire (right Credit: Jodie Newell).
Dr Colleen Bryant, post-doctoral fellow at the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence at ANU
Under the direction of Associate Professor Marta Yerba, our team is facilitating the demonstration and evaluation of a novel American lightning detection that aims to identify the lightning strikes most likely to cause bushfires. This will help firefighters detect ignitions early, and suppress fires whilst they are small.
I am neither a smart sensing nor bushfire science expert. I am an Earth scientist by training and discovered bushfire science through a bushfire arson project at the Australian Institute of Criminology. I, like most was devastated by the destruction caused by the Black Summer fires of 2019-20, and felt compelled to do dedicate any skills I possessed and my energy to the prevention of such outcomes in the future.
At a personal level, whilst skills in STEM and integrating thinking have been useful, they have only been harnessed through the support and encouragement of managers. At a project level, this work has only been made possible through the financial support and collaboration of the NSW Smart Sensing Network, and project and industry partners. There are many ways to make a difference.
Dr Nga Wun (Doris) Li from UTS (right) and the initial prototype of her smart compression stockings (left).
Dr Nga Wun (Doris) Li, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at UTS
My research centres on developing smart, pressure-monitoring graduated compression stockings (GCS) to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in airline passengers. This innovation seeks to address the low compliance rates with traditional GCS during flights, which is often due to discomfort and poor fit, leading to potential skin and nerve damage. My project introduces a seamless, tailor-made GCS with an instant pressure monitoring system communicated through a mobile app via appearance changes in the stocking. This innovation aims to enhance GCS efficacy and comfort, ensuring optimal pressure is maintained for DVT prevention.
The importance of this work extends beyond personal interest; it addresses a critical healthcare challenge that affects millions of travellers annually, offering a novel solution with far-reaching implications. The potential impact of this work is vast, not only in producing a next-generation textile solution for DVT prevention but also in demonstrating the broader potential of textiles in addressing healthcare challenges. This project aims to lower healthcare costs, enhance the quality of life for individuals at risk of VTE, and increase public awareness of travel-related health risks. By collaborating with industry partners and engaging in public dissemination activities, the project will foster knowledge exchange and informed decision-making among various stakeholders.
Dr Theresa Harada from University of Wollongong (left). Her work with people with mobility challenges (right) involves the use of smart sensors which can detect the position and nature of nearby obstacles, reducing the rate of accidents and injuries.
Dr Theresa Harada, Research Fellow at UTS and University of Wollongong
I work with people with mobility challenges. For example, people who rely on wheelchairs or people with vision impairment. Smart sensing helps people to navigate their environments and contributes to their quality of life through enhancing their self-confidence.
Smart sensing improves safety for blind and vision-impaired people by detection of both the position and nature of nearby obstacles. This helps avoid potential collisions thereby reducing the rate of accidents and resulting injuries. Smart sensing can also detect the condition of walkways identifying things such as potholes, or areas affected by water ingress thereby supporting independent and safe navigation when out and about.
Smart sensing can reduce the risk of falls and accidents by detecting abnormalities in a person’s regular movement patterns. Thus, changes to gait or pace may relate to balance control, and a smart sensing warning may help people to reduce the risk of falls.
Mobility is such a key element of everyday life – from education and employment to shopping and socialising- but very much taken for granted. Sadly, the built environment is not designed for people with disabilities, and they often must overcome many obstacles each day. Smart sensing is a step towards greater social participation and inclusion.
Dr Connie Henson (right) and some of the technologies she uses in her research.
Dr Connie Henson, Senior Research Fellow at Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research and Education at the Heart Research Institute
I am also a Conjoint Senior Lecturer, Indigenous Studies at UNSW, and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University. My work focuses on helping people and organisations adopt and adapt to new technologies. In 2022, I became intrigued with the idea that digital health technologies could be an avenue to promote health equity. Blending my interest in working with older women and my fascination with technology, I shifted my focus to research how wearable devices can help improve health for older women.
I’m now working for Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Education at the Heart Research Institute, where I collaborate with Indigenous colleagues to explore how older Indigenous women use smart watches and patches to detect and monitor heart health, including early atrial fibrillation (AF) detection. Early detection is essential because AF can lead to stroke if undetected and untreated.
My research also includes co-designing wearable-based exercise programs with older women to reduce risk factors and prevent the progression of chronic disease. This work is vital because women have a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases; however, they are not well represented in the prevention and disease management research.
Professor Yuling Wang (right) and an illustration of her nanosensors work at Macquarie University (left).
Professor Yuling Wang, ARC Future Fellow at Macquarie University
I am a Professor in Chemistry and I currently lead a group on nanosensors that utilise the nanoparticles and their interaction with light to create the signal for biomarker sensing. My research could make the early detection of cancer and other diseases as easy as taking a home pregnancy test, thus speeding up diagnosis and the time to starting treatment.
My pioneering research will enable rapid detection of biomarkers, which are molecules in the body that indicate the presence of particular diseases. I create tiny tags, up to 100 nanometres in diameter that attach to specific biomarkers if they are present in the patient’s sample. Then a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum can easily read these tags — like a retail barcode with an optical scanner — to rapidly diagnose multiple diseases simultaneously and so increase the chances of effective therapy.
Dr Randall-Moon’s (left) research focuses on community understandings of smart technology and remote sensing, and promoting First Nations inclusion in smart planning and policy.
Dr Holly Randell-Moon, non-Indigenous Senior Lecturer in the School of Indigenous Australian Studies, Charles Sturt University
I am a non-Indigenous Senior Lecturer in the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at the Dubbo campus of Charles Sturt University. Smart technologies and remote sensing offer enormous benefits to regional and rural areas through enhancing infrastructure, connectivity, and growth. It is important that technological transitions are just and socially inclusive. My research focuses on community understandings of smart technology and remote sensing and promoting First Nations inclusion in smart planning and policy. I am passionate about community participation and education in technology revolutions. To learn more about my research, please see the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network funded project on smart regions.
Professor Flora Salim (left). Her work involves data-efficient learning methods for unlabelled sensor data from wearables and smartphones (right).
Professor Flora Salim, inaugural Cisco Chair of Digital Transport & AI, UNSW
My research is on AI and machine learning for time-series and multimodal sensor data, and on trustworthy AI. I have been working on data-efficient learning methods, such as self-supervised learning, for unlabelled sensor data from the environment, wearables, smartphones, and wireless sensing. I have also been researching on model robustness and trustworthiness, given that sensor data captured in the wild are heterogeneous, noisy, sporadic, and may have distribution shifts.
I have led many initiatives and industry research projects that have led to actual practical outcomes, such as a next generation personalised assistant, through multimodal behaviour sensing and AI. My research has been funded by ARC, Microsoft Research US, Northrop Grumman Corporation US, Qatar National Priorities Research Program, Cisco, IBM Research, and many other industry and government partners. I am a Chief Investigator on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S), co-leading the Machines Program and the Mobilities Focus Area. I was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and Bayer Foundation Fellow. In 2022, I received Women in AI Award 2022 Australia New Zealand for the category AI in Defence and Intelligence.
Dr Amanda Davies PhD (left). Her main area of research is the use of body worn cameras (right).
Dr Amanda Davies, Senior Researcher in Policing and Security at Charles Sturt University
One of the main areas of my recent research has been associated with the use of body worn cameras by police and associated agencies and more recently the combination of body worn cameras, drone technology and artificial intelligence.
A key driver of my research is drawn from more than 20 years’ experience designing, managing and delivering police education in Australian and the United Arab Emirates where I have witnessed extraordinary commitment and dedication by agencies to develop and deploy best practice policing and security. To do this the agencies need to be informed about what works and what does not. Undertaking research studies on technologies for policing and associated agencies assists in informing decision making that is underpinned by the views of those who may be impacted by the use of such technologies e.g. the community, judiciary, victims, officers, senior agency leaders.
A significant proportion of police agencies across the globe now employ body worn cameras. Importantly, this technology is not only to protect officers, it is also to protect members of the public, providing evidence of criminal activity for example and the subsequent apprehension of perpetrators leads to increased safety for community members. In parallel, we have witnessed the emergence into the public domain of drone technology. Such technology has a valid role to play in supporting safety and security, for example, flying in drones to access risk in fire zones, hostage situations, traffic management. As technology advances, artificial intelligence capabilities are enhancing these sensing devices to provide ever increasing depth of knowledge to support efforts of first responders.
Dr Liwan Liyanage (right). Her work played a pivotal role in the OPENAIR air quality sensors initiative (left) which involved the NSW Government, five universities and local councils.
Dr Liwan Liyanage, Senior Lecturer in Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences at Western Sydney University
My research focuses on data driven modelling for decision making and automation, and targets data quality enhancement, infield calibration, and environmental data integration. I played a pivotal role in the $2.4m OPENAIR air quality initiative with the NSW Government, 5 universities and local councils.
My research is also aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Since 1998, my work in data mining for education has led to real-life solutions in public health, sensor accuracy, and green energy - all grounded in sensor data.
My solutions, highlighted in 30+ publications and secured grants totalling $387,725 in the last 5 years, underscore the crucial role of sensor data. I was instrumental in establishing the Data Driven, Accountable Solutions for Social Good and Sustainability Research Lab at the School of Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences at Western Sydney University, where I engage with 14 Higher Degree Research students and partners. This shows my commitment to sensor-driven education and research.
I initiated a dedicated topic in the Frontiers for Sustainability journal, advocating for accountable open applied AI solutions. As a leader in the IFIP Climate Change Digital Technology Task Force, my role in the digital technology subgroup shows the pivotal role of sensor data in fostering global innovation for climate change.
This work underscores public awareness of data quality and modelling techniques' accountability, which is crucial for developing credible, open AI solutions benefiting the public good. A key goal for me is to raise awareness about sensor data-driven initiatives which help policymakers to improve human, animal, and planetary health.