Dr David Johnson
PhD (Sydney) 2010, M Science - Physics (Hons), Imperial College, London, 2001
Research Fellow
Australian Centre for Field Robotics
J04 - Rose Street Building
The University of Sydney
Telephone | +61 2 9036 6394 |
Fax | +61 2 9351 7474 |
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Website |
School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering |
Research interests
Dr David Johnson's research into radar systems and robotics has applications in mining, defence and agriculture, making many tasks safer and more efficient. But he would also like to see robotic systems recognised more broadly within the community for their other benefits, such as saving lives and making people happier and more fulfilled.
"I work with outdoor robots that need to 'see' and 'understand' their environment. A lot of the jobs we want them to do involve working through dust, smoke or fog, which makes this perception task more difficult.
"While a lot of robots use lasers to map out the world around them, even they can't see through thick smoke, so I develop imaging radar systems that allow robots to map out their world, detecting obstacles and otherwise hidden dangers. Radar therefore has the potential to allow autonomous robotic systems to operate in environments where they otherwise could not be left to their own devices.
"I expect that in the next few years robots will be seen more frequently in many applications in outdoor environments, including mining, defence, agriculture and environmental monitoring - tasks that are too dirty, dangerous or dull to be appealing to people.
"But I am particularly interested in developing systems for humanitarian assistance, such as search and rescue operations, where rescuers are often prone to danger. This means developing systems that can see not only through dust and smoke but also through solid objects and dense foliage, for example in order to detect injured people in tall grass.
"I've been working with radar systems since 2000, when I started as a summer intern with Siemens in the UK. I came to the University of Sydney in 2005 to begin a PhD at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, because it combined state-of-the-art research in both robotic and radar engineering. This has allowed me to focus on a number of more civilian uses of radar technology, and in particular radar imaging for robotic applications.
"I've now come full circle, as the increased use of defence systems for humanitarian assistance has led to an increased interest in industrial radar-imaging techniques from defence."
Current research students
Project title | Research student |
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Multi-Modal Sensor Fusion for Coherent Environmental Awareness in Rugged Systems | Jacob MACKAY |
PhD and master's project opportunities
- Electromagnetic Simulation of Complex Dynamic Environments to Assist Cognitive Active Perception
- Cross-Spectral Imaging and Classification of Concealed Targets in Cluttered Environments
- Measures to Increase Trust and Reliability of Robotic Systems in the Presence of Adversity
- Active Perception at the System Level, Including Human-(on-the-loop)-Unmanned Teaming
Selected grants
2016
- Coherent Sensing for Autonomous Operations in Unstructured Environments; Johnson D; DVC Research/Bridging Support Grant.
Selected publications
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