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VOL. 7 NO. 9 OC TO B E R 2 0 2 1
ENGINEERING IDEAS INTO REALITY
BRIDGING WHY ARE SKILLED
MIGRANT ENGINEERS
OVER-REPRESENTED
IN THE RANKS OF THE
THE GAP
UNDER-EMPLOYED?
12 20 38
CLIMATE SMART ENGINEERING OVERCOMING PARALYSIS MODELLING A TUNNEL
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CONTENTS
003
THE JOURNAL FOR ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA
VOL. 7 NO. 9 OCTOBER 2021
30 ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA
NATIONAL OFFICE
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CONTENTS
005
12
ENVIRONMENT EVERY
Previewing the ISSUE
highlights of
Climate Smart
Engineering 2021.
06
PRESIDENT’S AND
CEO’S MESSAGE
BIOMEDICAL
07 YOUR SAY
20 53 ENGINEERING
A collaboration between
doctors and engineers could
help people with spinal TRENDS
damage regain limb function.
55 EVENTS
38
TRANSPORT
Using virtual reality
56 TECH WATCH
to ease congestion
in a notoriously
58 KEYSTONE
traffic-heavy tunnel.
NEWS
08 A TASTE OF SUCCESS
When two engineers started their
own olive grove, their professional
expertise proved invaluable.
46
PEOPLE
Renee Wootton
is flying high in the
aerospace industry.
CREATE DIGITAL
createdigital.org.au
Check out the create
website — your best
resource for the latest
engineering news
and information from
Australia and the world.
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | OCTOBER 2021
INSIGHT
006
FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT & THE CEO
Engineering a world of potential
AS AN INTERNATIONAL PROFESSION FACING GLOBAL which — despite variable track
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, ENGINEERING MUST DRAW records — will remain. Supply chains,
ON SKILLS AND SOLUTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. commodity pricing, cloud computing
and space-enabled technology are
“Why would a qualified engineer Engineers Australia helps Australian also international. Expertise
choose to drive a taxi?” engineers work overseas, and vice versa, is transferred globally through
This was among the questions through international accords and research, international standards
Engineers Australia’s representatives agreements that recognise equivalent and industry practice.
were asked during a Commonwealth benchmarked qualifications. Our In November, we will (virtually)
parliamentary inquiry into skilled Chartered credentials are also gather experts from Australia and
migration earlier this year. globally recognised. around the world at our Climate Smart
Australia demonstrably relies on, As highlighted at the inquiry, we Engineering conference. Headlined
and benefits from, migrant engineers. believe the Federal Government needs by keynote speaker, former US Vice
More than half of the people working to overhaul its skilled migration system President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore,
in Australia as engineers were born to better match talent supply with speakers will share unique perspectives,
overseas — and migrants constitute an employment demand. insights and practical experiences
even greater proportion of those with Engineers Australia is also working on the challenges posed by climate
engineering qualifications. to more effectively support the change, and the opportunities for
At the same time, it’s also migrants who collectively contribute adaptation and mitigation.
true that migrant engineers face so much of our nation’s engineering We look forward to this flagship
significant barriers to professional capability, and to help organisations event, and hope you can join us — from
employment, and are more likely to access talent. Our first step — research wherever you are in the world (even
be underemployed in roles like taxi involving migrants, recruiters your lounge room).
driving — even in periods of relatively and employers — will underpin
high skills demand. new initiatives.
In response to the Joint Standing Migration is only one part of the
Committee on Migration’s “taxi” equation when it comes to the future
“Engineers Australia is working to more effectively
support migrants who collectively contribute so
much of our nation’s engineering capability.”
question, Engineers Australia Senior of the pipeline for the engineering
Manager Assessments Robin Liu team, which must expand to meet
provided a firsthand example. His visa growing demand while evolving
conditions had tied him to Canberra, to address changes in the way
where many jobs require citizenship engineering is practised and
or security clearance: “On one hand, delivers — itself a subject deserving
I need to stay in a city for two years, further conversation and consideration.
but on the other hand I cannot find While COVID-19 has temporarily
any Federal Government jobs. In that slowed migration, engineering is Dr Nick Fleming Dr Bronwyn Evans AM
sense I’m going to drive an Uber if I increasingly international. FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER HonFIEAust CPEng EngExec FTSE
APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) GAICD, NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus),
can’t find work.” Just as engineers can move, so
National President Chief Executive Officer
can engineering work, for example nationalpresident@ bevans@
through offshore design centres engineersaustralia.org.au engineersaustralia.org.au
ENGINEERSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU
YO U R SAY
007
DEBATE AND DISCUSSION BY CREATE’S READERS
or are currently rolling out schemes
like this among their citizens.
However, this solution has sparked
a debate around ID cards and the
Flying high again reluctance of democratic governments
to be seen as effectively mandating
International airlines have been that their populations get vaccinated.
largely grounded in Australia since It could also be seen as discriminating
March 2020 and flights, except for a against those who cannot or will not
small number of repatriation flights, get vaccinated.
indefinitely suspended. However, individuals keeping a
Nineteen months on from the record of their vaccine and test status
COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with them when they fly or want to
approximately 38,000 Australians access services — such as music venues,
are stranded overseas, many of pubs and restaurants — could get our
whom are engineers. They have economies moving again and help to
lost jobs, accommodation, and the reduce the mounting debt burden.
ability to see friends and family due Surveys have shown that the
to the pandemic and have faced majority of people in free democratic
serious hardship. More than half of societies currently suffering from the
all Australians attempting to leave restrictions imposed by lockdowns all
Australia are rejected every month. over the world are willing to sacrifice
Yet it doesn’t have to be this way! some of their freedoms and carry
As professional engineers who are very an electronic health or vaccination
welcomes passport with them when they need
feedback from to fly or to access social venues on a
the community “We devised an electronic short-term basis.
However, some politicians and
Do you know of health passport — including human rights organisations are still
an exciting project reluctant to follow the will of the
we should write virus test results, virus majority; they believe once these
about? Is there measures are introduced, it will be very
an outstanding recovery results and vaccine difficult to withdraw them when the
engineer in pandemic is under control, as there
your midst? inoculation — to help get will always be a future virus threat.
Are you working If we continue as we have been
on an innovative airlines flying again.” doing, with lockdown following
technology that lockdown, the cost in terms of jobs lost,
you’d like to share good at problem-solving can attest, social isolation and debts incurred by
with your fellow once track-and-trace virus testing, governments will fall most heavily on
members? Are vaccines and quarantine facilities are the younger generation.
there engineers available, along with a system to keep They will experience high
out there doing track of this information in real time, levels of unemployment and
their bit to help the flights and a relatively normal life underemployment in an increasingly
community? Do you should be able to resume. insecure and competitive job market.
want to comment With a grant from the UK More socially isolated people will
on an article you’ve Government via the South East chase fewer and fewer jobs with very
read in create? Local Enterprise Partnership and limited and more expensive options for
the European Union Regional vacations, inflicting incalculable effects
Email letters@ Development Fund (which has now on mental and physical health.
engineersaustralia. ceased), we at Raptohna devised an
org.au and we’ll be electronic health passport — including Dr MARCO CIANNI FIEAust
pleased to consider virus test results, virus recovery results CTO, Raptohna Ltd
your suggestions. and vaccine inoculation — in October
2020 for one of our clients.
Israel and the European Union
have either already implemented
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | OCTOBER 2021
NEWS
008
FU TUR E TH IN K IN G | NEW TEC HNO LO GY
Striking oil
BY APPLYING LESSONS
FROM THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS
TO FOOD PRODUCTION, A
MARRIED COUPLE OF ENGINEERS
BUILT A UNIQUE OLIVE OIL
BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH.
WHEN TANUJA Sanders and is in project-managing all that water leaches essential
her husband Keith relocated to power plants, the company minerals from the soil.”
rural Western Australia in the late produces extra virgin olive She realised that the long-term
1990s, making olive oil was not oil that has won awards from success of her olive grove would
part of the plan. Perth to the US. depend on how effectively it was
The pair had been Some of the couple’s success irrigated and fertilised.
sub-contracted by Transfield can be attributed to the location First, she installed bore pumps
to work on the expansion of the of their property, atop sandy soil that could pump large volumes of
Worsley Alumina bauxite mine in a sun-drenched corner of WA. water at speed. Then she turned
and decided to put down roots in “We’re blessed with beautiful her mind to fertilisation.
the area. weather and land that is very Sanders knew that small-scale
They purchased a picturesque conducive to growing olives,” fertigation — injecting fertilisers
40 ha property near Bunbury and says Sanders. into an irrigation system — was
set about building a house. Because sandy soil drains established agricultural practice.
At the house-warming party, more freely than clay-based But she needed to
a neighbour suggested to earth, the couple’s trees are less replicate that technique on
Sanders that she plant some susceptible to common diseases a larger scale.
olive trees on a 12 ha parcel caused by water logging. “It was difficult to dose
of empty land at the front of But sandy soil poses precisely because bore pumps
the property. challenges, too. are very powerful and the
“I ended up buying 2500 “Because the soil drains so flow rate varies,” she says. “We
trees,” she says, laughing. “I easily, the trees require frequent couldn’t just pump X amount of
thought it could be a fun hobby.” watering,” says Sanders. “And fertiliser into the water.”
That hobby would eventually
become the Sathya Olive
Company, a thriving enterprise
that now cultivates about 30 t “BORE PUMPS ARE VERY POWERFUL AND THE FLOW
of olives per year.
Overseen by Tanuja
RATE VARIES. WE COULDN’T JUST PUMP X AMOUNT
Sanders, whose background OF FERTILISER INTO THE WATER.”
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NEWS
010
Worth bottling
Sathya Olive Company founders
Tanuja and Keith Sanders now have
their sights set on export markets.
To compete with the big players,
Sathya will need to transition from
manual bottling to automation.
“The challenge now is to come
up with a bottling methodology
that prevents cross contamination,”
Tanuja Sanders says.
“Automated bottling is nothing
new, but there is no bottling system
that is designed to be used for
multiple varieties of infused oils
without wasting too much oil in
flushing lines.”
One option is simply to purchase
a bottling machine for each variety of
oil the company produces.
“But we can’t justify that cost right
now,” says Sanders.
“TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONAL MODEL, YOU Instead, she hopes engineering
ingenuity will once again help the
HAVE TO GIVE BEFORE YOU GET. SO WE GIVE A LOT OF Sathya Olive Company gain a
LOVE AND ATTENTION TO THE TREES.” competitive advantage.
“If anyone out there in the
engineering community can design
However, Sanders was familiar high-density configuration with a method that works, we would love
with the chemical-dosing pumps a plan of replacing the existing to hear from them,” she says.
used in modern power plants. plantation progressively over
“Those pumps are designed five years.
to measure the flow rate of But another problem loomed.
the water in real time and “Because we were on a farm
to pump the exact amount of that only had single-phase power
chemicals required to achieve supply, we were restricted to without compromising her
consistent concentrations,” using pumps that can run on precise fertigation process.
she says. single-phase power,” Sanders “I’ve learned as a project
She purchased several says. “To grow, we needed even manager that to create a
dosing pumps, and with bigger pumps.” sustainable operational
help from her husband Keith They approached Western model, you have to give
Sanders — a commissioning Power to see if the property’s before you get,” she says.
engineer — configured them to power supply could be upgraded TOP: The trees
“So we give a lot of love and
interact with the bore pumps. to three phase and were are planted in attention to the trees.”
The fertigation problem shocked when they received a high-density The production of the oil
configuration.
was solved. a $500,000 quote. ABOVE: Sathya
is undertaken just as carefully:
Sathya Olive Company grew So they began to brainstorm Olive Company the olives are stored in shallow
steadily, and by 2019 it was alternatives with their founders Tanuja bins to prevent bruising, then
and Keith Sanders.
producing 5000 L of oil per year. electrical engineering colleagues. cold pressed within six hours
Although Sanders continued “We came up with a method by of being picked.
to project-manage for energy which we applied variable speed Among the awards won by
and resources companies in drives to convert the single-phase Sathya’s olive oil are a gold
WA, she spent much of her power supply to three phase,” medal in the 2019 Los Angeles
time developing the business. says Sanders. “That enabled us to International Extra Virgin Olive
Encouraged by their early run a three-phase motor from a Oil competition and a trophy at
success, the couple decided to single-phase input.” the 2019 Australian International
ramp up production by adding As a result, Sanders has been Olive Awards.
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QUALITY FASTENERS SINCE 1935ENVIRONMENT
012
TOMORROW
WORDS BY CHRIS SHEEDY
AND JONATHAN BRADLEY
WELCOME TO
CLIMATE SMART
ENGINEERING 2021.
Brett Mitsch
O
Managing Director,
A GREENER
UR WORLD is at a Steam Plains Capital
turning point. More aware
than ever of the effects of THE PLENARY session I’m
climate change, more receptive chairing at the Climate Smart
than ever to guidance from Engineering conference is all
subject-matter experts, and more about bringing together the
concerned than ever about the money side of the business
future of our planet, people are with engineering.
looking for leadership. Through the lens of the United
Engineers have to be a Nations Sustainable Development
major part of the solution, Goals (SDGs), there is clearly a
being involved in processes role to play for the engineering
from planning and design to community in understanding
construction and maintenance. what the investor universe is
At this year’s Climate Smart looking for and how it thinks
Engineering conference, global about monitoring and measuring
experts and specialists, including sustainable investment.
former US Vice President Al There are two major parts
Gore, will outline the fascinating of the investment arena: equity
challenges and enormous and debt. In the session, we’ll
opportunities for engineers have representatives from major
as businesses, investors and Australian superannuation
policymakers pivot to face funds, as well as ANZ’s Head of
the future. Sustainable Financing and an
In these pages, we meet four engineer from GHD.
speakers from Climate Smart The idea is to give an
Engineering 2021 and get a taste understanding of the importance
of the breadth of the event’s of the SDGs to the investor
information, value and content.
“INVESTORS THEMSELVES ARE
NOW BEGINNING TO SAY, ‘I’M A
RESPONSIBLE INVESTOR, SO
I’M USING THE SDGs TO FRAME
HOW I THINK ABOUT WHERE TO
PUT CAPITAL.’”
ENGINEERSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU013
community, and to then relate why Elise Brown
it’s important to understand that Sustainability Design
those SDGs must have clear targets Consultant, WSP
and indicators supporting them.
A lot of those targets that are ENGINEERS HAVE such an
built around the SDGs are deeply influential role in shaping and
connected to engineering. The ensuring our sustainable future.
engineering community has a vital In A Sustainable City:
role to play in finding solutions How Engineers Will Ensure
and in measuring, reporting and Long-term Sustainable Prosperity,
monitoring against clearly defined a paper I co-authored with
SDG targets. James Gleeson from Marvel
In many cases, this is about Engineers, we examined how
breaking down the silos that innovative infrastructure has
exist between the investment begun to influence our ability For example, there’s an
community and the technical to meet the United Nations opportunity, which we’re seeing in
professions. It’s about being able Sustainable Development action in some places, to integrate
to understand the language of Goals. These goals are aimed things like artificial intelligence
the investor from the engineering at creating enduring value for and big data to create a more
perspective. This assists in an ever-evolving society. sustainable agricultural system.
understanding the whys, the We explored advances in Smart technology allows farmers
hows, and the tools required digital technology and green and policymakers to create
to ensure that the SDGs are a infrastructure, solutions that cater strategies based on real-time
well-understood standard. for our shifting society and that feedback about climate conditions,
Investors are increasingly potentially offer infinite capability weather patterns, soil quality,
moving away from what has and potential, thanks to the moisture, fertilisers and more.
become relatively ambiguous scalability of technology. Smart tech can optimise the
environmental, social and Our stance is that smart use of fertilisers and pesticides
governance (ESG) language. innovations and smart technology and identify accurate irrigation
Because of the ambiguity in provide good alternatives to our levels for crops in a specific field
ESG language, they are moving current behaviours. and a specific geography. This
towards SDGs because these more
clearly indicate how and whether
targets are being met.
Investors are now beginning to
say, “I’m a responsible investor, so “ENGINEERS ARE INNOVATORS
I’m using the SDGs to frame how I
think about where to put capital.” AND THEY EDUCATE POLICYMAKERS
It’s a framework that allows all
stakeholders to measure success.
ON OPPORTUNITIES. THEY ARE
A classic example is SDG 6, INFLUENTIAL IN PLANNING, DESIGN
which concerns access to clean
water and sanitation. That’s a AND CONSTRUCTION — IN EVERY FACET
classic engineering challenge.
What is the baseline of who
OF THE BUILDING OF OUR CITIES.”
has access to clean water today?
What is the capital required to
improve that, to meet a new goal?
What is the best technology to put
to work to reach the target? Who
is going to fund it?
If you understand these
conversations you can begin to
have a powerful discussion around
investments — and a discussion
that is tied to a clear target and the
precise language of engineering.
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | OCTOBER 2021ENVIRONMENT
014
replaces the current, typically There hasn’t been a lot of
unsustainable methods of research conducted on the idea
irrigation and fertilisation. of combining multiple different
By integrating data, processes small-scale, renewable systems
are optimised and new into a single system to improve
opportunities are presented. efficiency. I framed my research
Vertical farming is a good as a case study on Winton in
example. It brings agriculture into Central West Queensland.
the areas that consume most of The local area has quite a few
its produce. low-grade geothermal sources.
Engineers implement these On their own, these are not good
designs. They’re innovators and enough to run a geothermal power
they educate policymakers and plant. There are a few bores in
others on opportunities. They are Winton supplying geothermal fluid
influential in planning, design and to the town at about 80°C. It is
construction — in every facet of allowed to cool and then used to
the building of our cities. Theresa Tian Qin supply the town mains.
And we’ll require engineers Mechanical Engineer, I suggest not wasting that
to come up with new solutions Aurecon geothermal energy and using it
in every facet of our cities. instead to make a solar thermal
This is what we’ll be INLAND REGIONAL communities system more efficient. This is a
discussing at the Climate Smart tend to miss out on a lot of major new concept and a lot more work
Engineering conference. renewables initiatives, such as needs to be done before we see a
Perhaps the best way big wind, hydro and solar plants. market-ready design.
to illustrate the breadth of These plants are typically on-grid, This is niche in the sense that
opportunity is to quote from the coastal and built to benefit cities. it’s only suitable for regional
abstract of our paper, which I What can the smaller towns towns that are not connected to
think sums it up quite nicely. that miss out on these major the grid, which usually have their
“Picture a sustainable city: initiatives do? own diesel generator. But that
net-zero carbon emissions, I looked into this during my is the case for a lot of regional
interconnectivity, digital recent honours thesis research. towns — not just in Queensland but
networks, and existing My thesis, which I’ll be presenting throughout Australia. It’s niche,
infrastructure proactively at the Climate Smart Engineering but there is potentially a very
maintained for optimal conference, is about integrating large market for it in Australia.
performance. Energy is centred a solar thermal generator with a I ran simulations to figure out
around clean and renewable geothermal generator, and at the an optimised arrangement. Solar
sources such as wind and solar, same time desalinating water. thermal is the main generation
and waste is valuable capital technology, with a boiler being
for circular and regenerative powered by solar thermal energy.
systems. As a service, transport “I SUGGEST NOT WASTING When we combine a geothermal
prioritises inclusivity and source to the mix, the efficiency is
accessibility, with well-connected THAT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY dramatically improved.
high-capacity mass transit
corridors. As society grows,
AND USING IT INSTEAD TO Adding thermal-powered water
desalination means the system
new infrastructure is adaptable, MAKE A SOLAR THERMAL wastes as little heat as possible
flexible and regenerative. while providing enough water for
“For our current society, SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENT.” the entire town to drink.
changing climates and outdated That’s just one option of
infrastructure, unable to keep combining technologies; I’ll
up with demand, have forced a go through more at the
rethink of how our cities operate. conference. Energy storage, for
With the risks of climate change times when the sun is not shining,
intertwined with our societal also needs discussing.
desire for continual growth, is Making the systems fit together
our infrastructure capable of is a fascinating challenge and
meeting the challenges that the solution will be all about
lie ahead?” brilliant engineering.
Only engineers can provide
the answer.
ENGINEERSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AUAN ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA EVENT
CLIMATE
SMART
ENGINEERING
CONFERENCE
2021
16–17 November
#EAClimateSmart2021
WHY YOU NEED TO BE AT CSE
1 2 3 4
MORE THAN A PRACTICAL PEER REVIEWED HEAR AND LEARN
CONFERENCE ACTIONS PRESENTATIONS FROM THE EXPERTS
CSE features an Engineers from across Get access to You’ll get access to insights
ambitious, outcomes- the world will come more than 100 peer from world-renowned
focused program together at CSE to share reviewed technical leaders at influential
that explores the ideas and practical presentations that companies such as ARUP
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eacse.com.au ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | SEPTEMBER 2021ENVIRONMENT
016
In the past, people have been success. They are the designers
stuck on the argument that we and the builders.
need to choose between fossil fuels Engineers will be required to
and green energy, or between the design and build new industries
economy and the environment. and to re-tool existing facilities.
We’re arguing that it’s Engineers will be needed to
simply a smart economic convert steel smelters and
approach to diversify local other plants from running on
and regional economies. metallurgical coal and gas to
Global demand is clearly and green hydrogen. It’s a fascinating
rapidly shifting towards net-zero challenge, and one that only
emissions. Australia’s top five engineers can solve.
trading partners, who take Finally, we’ll need more smelters
80 per cent of our fossil fuel across the country to bring us up
exports, have all committed to the value chain. Rather than simply
net-zero emissions. Right now exporting very large quantities
they are implementing policies of iron ore, we can create value
Tom Quinn that will result in net-zero and jobs onshore as we tap into
Head of Policy and Research, emissions earlier. There is no our abundant and competitive
Beyond Zero Emissions long-term future in fossil fuels. renewable energy resources.
Why should engineers be All of this will require a lot of
interested in this? Because very smart engineers to make it
AT BEYOND Zero Emissions engineers will be critical to its a reality.
we’ve focused a lot of energy
on creating a model for the
reindustrialisation of Australia ”THESE AREAS CAN BECOME
through doubling down on green
industry and green export. POWERHOUSES OF THE FUTURE GREEN
Much of this effort will centre
on renewable energy industrial
EXPORT SPACE, PARTICULARLY IN
precincts (REIP). BELOW: GREEN STEEL, GREEN ALUMINIUM
We have identified 14 ideal Port of Gladstone,
REIP locations, almost every one
Queensland. AND GREEN HYDROGEN.”
in current industrial heartlands.
And we’ve taken a much deeper
dive into two of these: Gladstone
in Queensland and the Hunter
Valley in New South Wales, both
known for their intensive fossil
fuel economies.
These areas could become
powerhouses of the future green
export space, particularly in
green steel, green aluminium and
green hydrogen.
From a jobs perspective, we’ve
shown that, in those two locations
alone, REIPs could create 45,000
jobs by 2032. These precincts
would bring billions of dollars of
revenue into regional areas and
significant capital investment.
All of this will rely on
engineering skill sets.
These REIPs are a good
news story from every angle.
Our proposals have garnered
support from industry, from local
communities and from both sides
of politics.
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ENVIRONMENT
018
Dr Massoud Sofi BUILDING A
Research Fellow, The University SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
of Melbourne Attend Engineers Australia’s
Climate Smart Engineering 2021
AS AUSTRALIA’S uptake of Conference on November 16-17
photovoltaic (PV) solar panel to find out how you could be
technology has grown over the involved in a greener future.
past few decades, a new problem
has come along with it: what to do For more information, visit:
with the panels when they reach eacse.com.au
the end of their life.
Australia will have to deal
with 1.5 million tonnes of
decommissioned photovoltaic
waste by 2050. Globally, that figure meet Environmental Protection
is roughly 80 million tonnes. But “AUSTRALIA WILL HAVE Authority requirements, to make
the current approach to PV panels
as they reach their end of life is to
TO DEAL WITH 1.5 MILLION sure there are pathways for those
materials to actually be used.
dispose of them as general waste. TONNES OF DECOMMISSIONED It’s not just a matter of putting
There are no other alternatives. solar panels into a machine and
Those disposal costs are around PHOTOVOLTAIC WASTE BY 2050. producing phones or polymer
$2000 per tonne, and although
there’s technology to recycle the
THE CURRENT APPROACH TO materials at the other end. How
do we separate materials that
materials in panels to a very high PV PANELS IS TO DISPOSE OF are classified as non-hazardous
purity that could possibly be used from those that are classified as
to remake solar panels or similar THEM AS GENERAL WASTE.” hazardous? Are the extracted
electronics, these new materials materials efficient in terms of
cost approximately the same. So meeting industry partners’
electronics manufacturers would investment requirements? Are
prefer to use virgin materials those products useful enough for
rather than recycled ones. them to have a market down the
But rather than recycle track? Otherwise, it would be quite
the materials, my research is easy to process these materials
looking at upcycling them. The and use them as a filler material in
LEFT:
problem is complex; a lot of Photovoltaic concrete or construction.
hazardous materials are involved waste. Once the technique is
in the make-up of a solar panel, established, we could look at ways
including lead, copper, zinc and to use that to produce oil and to upcycle similar types of waste.
other heavy metals. And because fuels that could be also used for For example, TV screens have
the panels are made to be very other applications. similar features to PV cells — they
compact so they can function the This involves some challenges. are made up of glass and polymers
way they do, it becomes quite We are setting up an innovative and metals. Future research could
challenging to process them. high-capacity separation process consider what other outputs
We are trying to look at how that ensures the volume of the process could create with
we can create value out of these upcycled materials is high. properties that fit the market.
materials — in our case, we are Conducting experiments in One example is grinding glass
looking at processing the materials laboratories is one thing, but to a level fine enough that it could
to turn them into construction when it comes to scaling the be automatically taken up by
materials. And because the panels process, it must be transferred cement production industries and
are made up of a composite where so that it is suitable for industry. combined with fly ash. You could
the front is glass and the backing Lastly, the output materials actually combine different types of
is a polymer material, we’re trying produced by the process must materials to give them value.
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Website: w w w.spacegass.comBIOMEDICAL
020
NEW WORDS BY JONATHAN BRADLEY
A CAR ACCIDENT DURING MEDICAL
SCHOOL LEFT DINESH PALIPANA
PARALYSED FROM THE CHEST DOWN.
NOW HE’S WORKING WITH A TEAM OF
ENGINEERS TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE HIM
ONE DAY WALK AGAIN.
S E N S AT I O N
I
T BEGAN in an elevator. giving people return of function
That’s where Claudio after being paralysed for many
Pizzolato ran into his years, and it’s really the first time
neighbour, Dinesh Palipana, we’ve seen that in human history.”
a fellow student who was living At the same time, Pizzolato
a couple of doors down. The was researching musculoskeletal
two found they had a lot in models — computational models
common: Pizzolato was an that help explore the interaction
engineer and Palipana was in between muscles and the
medical school, but each was nervous system during movement
studying at Griffith University, and rehabilitation.
and both had an interest in spinal “We started talking about
cord research. spinal cord injury research,
But for Palipana, the interest and his work and my work,”
was also personal. When he met Palipana recalls. “And we started
Pizzolato in 2016, he had been fiddling around with the idea
paralysed from the chest down for of putting some of these studies OPPOSITE: Dinesh
Palipana (seated)
five years. A car accident in 2010 together, building on it, and with BioSpine team
had put him in hospital for nearly building a research project members Professor
a year, disrupted his studies and and building therapies here David Lloyd (left),
Dr Laura Diamond
left him with quadriplegia. in Queensland.” (second from right);
“I came back to medical “We found this great synergy and Dr Claudio
school, but through this whole where we could apply our Pizzolato (far right).
period, I was looking at what the excellent research and years
new developments were with of research — not in spinal cord
spinal cord injury research and injury, but in computational
paralysis, and looking at what
was happening around the world
to treat and restore function in
people that had been paralysed
“IT WAS ACTUALLY GIVING
from it,” he tells create. PEOPLE RETURN OF FUNCTION
“I saw some really
interesting research coming AFTER BEING PARALYSED FOR
out with robotics and
robot-assisted rehabilitation
MANY YEARS, AND IT’S REALLY
[and] thought-control THE FIRST TIME WE’VE SEEN
rehabilitation, which was
really interesting. It was actually THAT IN HUMAN HISTORY.”
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BIOMEDICAL
023
themselves, as would happen
organically in the case of someone
with an undamaged spinal cord. think of the cycling action and
“That is basically three allow the specific signals required
modelling — to the problem of BELOW (from components: the brain, the to make it happen to fire from
top): Dr Laura
spinal cord injury,” says Pizzolato. Diamond; Palipana
computer model to transform the the spinal cord, and then adjust
The two graduated on uses the BioSpine thought into controlled signals for their movement according to the
the same day in 2016. Today, ergometer. the devices, and then the devices sensations they feel in their legs.
they’re running the BioSpine themselves,” Pizzolato says. “Part of the technology involves
Research Group, based at But to make this work requires stimulating the muscles so that
Griffith’s Centre of Biomedical the technology to mimic a lot of there’s a thought-provoking
and Rehabilitation Engineering. bodily functions we do not usually process, of course, as well as
The goal: for Palipana — and notice. A cyclist does not think actual [functional electrical
for other people with spinal cord about every contraction of their stimulation] of the muscles,” says
injuries — is to walk again. muscles required to move; they Dr Laura Diamond, a biomedical
engineer on the team. “We want
to understand that feedback
“THAT IS BASICALLY THREE COMPONENTS: THE BRAIN, loop: how much stimulation is
required, how much is safe.”
THE COMPUTER MODEL TO TRANSFORM THE THOUGHT
INTO CONTROLLED SIGNALS FOR THE DEVICES AND A CUSTOMISED TWIN
This is a complex system, and to
THEN THE DEVICES THEMSELVES.” make it all work, a digital twin is
integrated into the technology.
“It’s a computational model of
MIND AND BODY the nervous system, the muscular
BioSpine is billed as a “novel system and the skeletal system
neural restoration technology”. It of the person,” explains Pizzolato.
combines technological solutions “That allows us to translate these
designed to help people with signals into something appropriate
spinal cord injury to regain for the rehabilitation devices that
control of their limbs, such as is consistent with how the person
a brain–computer interface would actually move.”
and machine learning, with a “It’s actually a clinical problem
therapeutic approach designed as much as it is an engineering
to one day restore damaged problem,” says Diamond. “People
nerve connections. with spinal cord injury, because
The technology involves
a motorised ergometer — an
exercise bike, essentially — on
which the patient sits. A
brain–computer interface in the
CONNECTING MIND AND MUSCLE WITH THE BIOSPINE SYSTEM
form of a head-fitting picks up
the patient’s thought patterns
using electroencephalography, Control system XR system Biosensor system
Virtual reality Haptic feedback Heart rate
and a machine-learning algorithm monitor
classifies the intention of Digital
twin
those thoughts.
“You put the headset on and
Human– Drive system User
then you think about cycling or EEG
machine
walking or just relaxing and the interface
AI basically distinguishes what the
person is trying to think and that
generates an appropriate signal,”
says Pizzolato. EMG
That signal is then transmitted
Brain–
to the ergometer to enable the computer
desired movement — in this case, interface
cycling — to be performed. The
system also stimulates the muscles
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026
they don’t have that sensory
feedback loop, that can often
result in injuries, over-training.”
That’s because they cannot rely
on feedback from their nervous
system to tell them if something
has gone wrong.
“Without that feedback, we
need to rely heavily on the
computation, and the digital twin
is what we’re actually able to do
that with,” Diamond says.
The ultimate goal of this is
rehabilitation: the hope is that
the patient will be able to regain
at least some control over the
paralysed portion of their body.
“By combining the downward
signals from the brain down and
upward from muscles and tendons
back up, there is evidence that it
promotes neuroplasticity,” Pizzolato
says. “That enables reconnection
of neurons within the spinal
cord, as well as neuroplasticity,
meaning that these signals can
be redirected through still intact
pathways back to the brain.”
That’s based on pre-existing
research showing that such
connections are possible to form, “EVERY INJURY IS VERY
and the digital twin is designed
to adapt once the patient has
UNIQUE AND HOW THAT
regained some control. PRESENTS ACROSS PEOPLE
“At the moment, Dinesh
doesn’t have any voluntary IS VERY UNIQUE. WE WILL
control of muscles in his lower
limb; he’s relying fully on
HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF
stimulation,” Diamond says. “But NEEDING TO PERSONALISE
the assumption is that when that
changes, we would then want the THESE TREATMENTS.”
stimulation to adapt depending
on how much he was actually
contributing to the cycling.” “Dinesh gives us an opinion and the engineering aspect of it, but
brings in lots of expertise from a he knows the overall purpose,
EXPERT INSIGHT medical perspective and also from and overall goal … his feedback is
BioSpine is now undergoing its first the perspective of an individual a little more on point. He knows
round of clinical trials and, as well with spinal cord injury so we also more where he wants to get.”
as leading the team, Palipana is understand what are some of the Palipana’s unique place in the
currently its sole test subject. Using additional constraints we need to research means the team can
his experiences and expertise, undertake,” Pizzolato says. ensure the patient’s experience is
they plan to report their results That enables his feedback to centred in what they do — which
TOP: A virtual
and make refinements to their be more precise, says Dr Ana matters, because rehabilitation is
reality set-up (inset)
processes, and then proceed to de Sousa, an expert in using helps the patient most successful when the patient
phase two, which will be a robotics for rehabilitation. direct the right is engaged, comfortable and has
signals to the
year-long trial with six subjects. “It’s funny to see our their needs addressed.
brain–computer
Having Palipana as a test subject conversations, like we’re trying interface. ABOVE: “With spinal cord injury,
gives the team unique insight. to find out when he’s the patient, Dr Ana de Sousa. obviously every injury is very
when he’s the boss of the thing,” unique and how that presents
she tells create. “He doesn’t know across people is very unique,”
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ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | OCTOBER 2021BIOMEDICAL
028
them based on the head shape of
the participants.
“So we used structural scanning TAKING STEPS
explains Diamond. “We will to do a 3D-reconstruction of each The BioSpine project uses existing
have the challenge of needing to person’s head and virtually technologies but combines them in
personalise these treatments.” we’ve selected the optimal location unprecedented ways in hopes of
The team engaged industrial for the electrodes where they need making a breakthrough that is not
design students to customise the to be placed.” yet possible. That, Pizzolato says, is
equipment so it would be more The technology is also what distinguishes it from similar
comfortable. Pizzolato describes constructed so that it can be work being conducted overseas.
the brain–computer interface, for easily changed or repaired. “Our foundation is solid,” he
instance as a “rigid hat”. “One of our ideas is having a says. “What we’re doing is putting
“We went through a couple of system that’s modular, in a way everything together, plus adding
very expensive research-grade that you can add new features, a computational model of the
systems which were uncomfortable you can remove features, and you person to really coordinate the
to wear after a while — after 10, 15 can just replace features quite rehabilitation devices.”
BELOW: Palipana
minutes,” he says. easily,” says De Sousa. “So I use is the sole test
The BioSpine team comprises
“And if it’s not comfortable what’s called a robot operation subject in the first engineers, doctors, physiologists,
to wear, you can’t use it to do system, ROS. With the system, round of trials. pharmacologists and more
rehabilitation. So, through our I can create this environment in pursuit of a genuinely
students, we redesigned some where we add everything, and we multidisciplinary goal.
of these headsets, and what we can remove parts of the system, “The thing with medicine
have done is basically redesigned and it still works.” is that it’s so slow to adapt to
change,” Palipana says. “Engineers
“WE DON’T WANT IT TO REMAIN A NICE are so solution-focused and
they’re practical as well, which
EXERCISE THAT WE DO AT THE UNIVERSITY I have found to be really good
because we are able to identify all
AND NEVER GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC.” these different problems and the
guys in our team drive solutions.”
And though the team is yet to
report results, everyone create
spoke to was optimistic about
the technology’s future prospects.
If the round two trials go well,
Pizzolato expects the therapy
to be used outside a university
setting by the end of 2023.
“We don’t want it to remain a
nice exercise that we do at the
university and never goes out to
the public,” he says. “Eventually, if
the technology goes in clinics, you
need to get the clinicians on board.”
Diamond concurs.
“We can’t service large
numbers of people in the
community within the university
long-term. It’s not sustainable,” she
says. “The idea is that you want
accessibility; you want effective
therapy to be accessible to all.”
When asked about his next
steps, Palipana’s response is
direct — and literal.
“To take steps,” he says.
“That would be the dream
actually. It’s an audacious
dream, but that’s what we’re
working towards. To give people
that opportunity.”
ENGINEERSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AUCOVER FEATURE
030
WORDS BY CHRIS SHEEDY
H E L P WA N T E D
ENGINEERSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU031
DESPITE CLOSED BORDERS, A
TALENT SQUEEZE AND RECORD
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING, MIGRANT
ENGINEERS REMAIN OVER-REPRESENTED
AMONG THE UNDEREMPLOYED. A MAJOR
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA STUDY SEEKS
TO UNDERSTAND BARRIERS
AND HELP EMPLOYERS, MIGRANTS
AND THE NATIONAL INTEREST.
A
S A YOUNG graduate, only a few possessions and
engineer Sam Matti leaving behind his job, his
had a seemingly home, his friends and his
promising role at a Baghdad country, most likely forever.
power station – until a personally He spent four long
targeted death threat from the years working outside the
Islamic State terror group (ISIS) profession — in construction
tucked under the windscreen in Turkey and, in Australia, as a
wiper of his car forced him to flee. catering assistant, an interpreter an economic recovery hinging
Today, Matti is a Senior Project and community volunteer. on major infrastructure projects,
Manager at GHD and Site Access Matti had lost all faith he the effective use of all available
Lead on Melbourne’s North East RIGHT: would ever find appropriate engineers could be considered a
Link Project. Sam Matti, GHD. professional work again before national strategic imperative.
However, like many migrant landing a 12-week internship with “Most of the engineers working
engineers, he has had to GHD in 2017 via a CareerSeekers in the profession in Australia
overcome significant barriers program that supports refugees today were born overseas — 51.1
along the way to employment in and asylum seekers. per cent. And 58.5 per cent of
his chosen profession. The internship led to a qualified engineers in Australia
In October 2012, Matti contract role and then ongoing are migrants, going on Census
was a site engineer at Baghdad’s work, all with GHD, where he still data,” says Justine Romanis,
Al-Dora Power Plant. The role works today. Engineers Australia’s National
drew on his freshly minted “Being displaced is a terrible Manager, Professional Diversity
degree from Russia’s Don thing,” Matti says. “If we give and STEM.
State Technical University, people opportunities to prove “Overseas-born engineers
his cross-cultural skills and his themselves then they absolutely have a higher unemployment
fluency in five languages. He was will. That’s very good for them, and significantly higher
the perfect middleman between and very good for the business underemployment rate compared
Russian power plant managers that had faith in them.” to locally born engineers. And
and his fellow Iraqi engineers.
But the job only lasted
13 months.
51 %
of engineers
VITAL AND UNDERUSED
With an emerging engineering
overseas-born female engineers
have almost three times
the unemployment rate of
“I received a personally working in the
skills shortage exacerbated by Australian-born female engineers.”
targeted death threat. My car profession in COVID-19, an engineering job Engineers Australia has
was vandalised. An envelope Australia are vacancy rate that has gone up publicly called for an overhaul
born overseas.
on the windscreen contained a 97 per cent in just 12 months, and of the skilled migration system,
letter that said I could pay
US$40,000 and leave my job,
and live, or I would be killed,” “OVERSEAS-BORN ENGINEERS
59 %
Matti recalls.
“I’m an Assyrian Christian HAVE A HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT
and I worked with people ISIS
referred to as ‘infidel Russians’, of qualified
AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER
so it was a double strike.”
With his parents, he fled to
engineers in
Australia are
UNDER-EMPLOYMENT RATE COMPARED
Turkey the next morning, taking
migrants.
TO LOCALLY BORN ENGINEERS.”
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA | OCTOBER 2021You can also read
