Centre of Excellence will revolutionise technology as we know it

28 September 2022 

 

Centre of Excellence will revolutionise technology as we know it  

 

Australian Research Council (ARC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ms Judi Zielke PSM, today formally launched the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS), whose work will revolutionise optics – the study of sight and the behaviour of light.  

The Centre is partnering with 20 organisations across the globe and brings together a team of researchers from five Australian universities – The Australian National University, The University of Melbourne, University of Technology Sydney, The University of Western Australia, and RMIT University.  

The research milestones achieved by this team will underpin technology that helps make self-driving vehicles a reality, allow doctors to receive real-time images from inside patients at a cellular level, develop moving holograms from smartphones and make Wi-Fi a thousand times faster.  

An exciting example of a recent milestone is a smartphone becoming a tool that can diagnose diseases such as malaria. This discovery has the potential to make mobile medical diagnostics affordable and accessible to remote communities nationally and internationally.  

With the real-life application of revolutionary technology, this Centre will contribute to a more prosperous nation by meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving digital and automated world. 

“The research conducted by the ARC Centre of Excellence will enhance the quality of life for everyday Australians, and strengthen Australia’s research capacity,” Ms Zielke said. 

“The ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems will not only develop great new gadgets, but it will also develop more compact technology that will advance fundamental science and medicine, such as a breath analyser for type 1 diabetes.  

“The Centre will also train and mentor the next generation of researchers, a key part of Australia’s knowledge-based economy, with a broad network of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.”  

In addition to working closely with industry partners, TMOS researchers will work with schools across Australia to deliver engaging, hands-on science experiences.  

The Centre is receiving $34.9 million in ARC funding over 7 years through the ARC Centres of Excellence scheme, and an additional $23 million in in-kind support from academic and industry partners.   

 

Media contact:  

ARC Communications 0412 623 056 or communications@arc.gov.au