NSSN Sensing Industry Connect travels to NSW’s Central West
The NSW Smart Sensing Network welcomed 40 members of NSW’s Central West smart sensing community at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst last week.
The quarterly industry engagement event attracts a wide variety of entrepreneurs, manufacturers, designers, developers, and researchers of smart sensing and offers a chance to connect and share opportunities.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at CSU, Professor Michael Friend told the audience the university is investing $70 million in future-focused research programs which involve smart sensors.
This includes the Global Digital Farm in Wagga, the Bega Circular Valley initiative and the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute (AICF).
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at CSU, Professor Michael Friend addressed the Sensing Industry Connect event in Bathurst.
“There is a strong focus, right throughout our research themes on digital and technology solutions to address the challenges of our times, and particularly the challenges affecting our regional and rural communities,” Professor Friend said.
“Most of you would have heard about our Global Digital Farm at Wagga…which has a network of sensors across the farm which is about 2,000 hectares to monitor soil moisture, environmental monitoring in terms of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, livestock sensors and crop yield sensors. The objective is to have a full digital twin of the farm in the next 12 months.”
Bathurst Regional Council’s David Flude (left) with NSSN Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Haskins.
He said AICF is looking at sensors to address challenges to biosecurity, plants and animals, and sustainable supply chains, while the Rural Health Research Institute was interested in sensing and digital solutions to address challenges in rural and regional health.
NSSN Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Haskins said the smart sensing network existed to bring together universities, industry and government to “solve some really compelling challenges that smart sensing can have impact in”.
“We are seeing, in the eight years that (the NSSN) has been around, that the game has really changed, and the conversations that we are having now around quantum around AI and the application of sensing right across the industry are becoming ever more compelling,” Mr Haskins said.
Manager of Economic Development at Bathurst Regional Council, David Flude, showcased the Bathurst Spatial Twin Project, a digital model of Bathurst and its surrounds which is the first of its kind for an NSW regional council.
“One of the problems that regional centres have is historic town centres which are increasingly becoming hard to maintain and keep vibrant,” Mr Flude said.
“The decision was made to map our centre from the river to the university to George Park…down to two centimetres.”
The digital model incorporates all town services and has allowed the council to see how a proposed medical centre would look in the historic town centre.
“The sky is the limit on what we can do with it, as opposed to without it,” he said.
He said the council used sensors for air quality and temperature monitoring around the town, to collect data as part of the council’s Cooling Strategy.
Some of the 40 members of NSW’s Central West smart sensing community at the event.
The next Sensing Industry Connect will be hosted by the University of Newcastle in August.