Work on a new project by Deakin University and Melbourne-based software company Ytek has begun, aimed to develop skills of those training in the emergency response, defence, and aerospace sectors using machine learning algorithms. Dr James Zhang, a researcher from Deakin University's Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, is working with Ytek to develop simulation solutions used to train surgeons, emergency workers, soldiers, and pilots. As part of the project, Zhang and Ytek will research how machine learning algorithms can help monitor and evaluate a trainee's conduct in mission-critical simulations by using sensors on training tools, such as manikins, to evaluate how trainers can assess students in practical training. Ytek CEO Richard Yanieri said the desired outcome of the project is to improve the practical training for students. "We've been working with Deakin's School of Medicine to understand their needs so that we can tailor a solution that works for this industry," he said.

Neota Logic has extended its law school partnership programme, this time with the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia. The legal AI and expert systems company's most recent outreach venture will see 20 UTS students develop AI applications to improve the delivery of social justice, which in this case centres around working with not-for-profits. The project, that launches next Spring is also supported by Australian law firm, Allens, whose partners will be involved directly in the programme. Allens is also the alliance partner of UK Magic Circle law firm, Linklaters. The latest educational venture follows on from several others, including last October's partnership with Melbourne Law School, where the aim was to build websites to provide legal help to the public. The programme dealt with common legal problems including inaccurate credit reports, handling and managing fines, and assessing employment rights.

The possibility that the impending robot revolution could well take most of the jobs away from humanity, leaving us as empty, directionless husks as we search for meaning in a world without toil has been widely discussed and debated. But it looks like it might be worse than we feared: Even our dogs are going to lose their jobs. Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Australian Centre for Field Robotics are working on a new robot that can monitor and herd farm animals, and keep an eye on farmers' crops, entirely on its own, according to Smithsonian Magazine. They recently put the bot through a series of tests on a farm, including running it over rough terrain and through streams, and herding cows and horses, to see if it could stand up to the task of working on its own on a farm. The jauntily named SwagBot was designed by the researchers to aid ranchers in some of Australia's more remote areas, where towns and neighbors can be hours apart, to herd livestock more effectively.

They say'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', but in a new event the beholders are robots. The Beauty.AI beauty contest used five algorithms to evaluate youthfulness, face symmetry, skin and other parameters, and then compare them to models and actors in a database. Now, the systems have announced the winners from more than 6,000 user-submitted selfies of individuals who live all over the world and range in ages of 18 to 69. The Beauty.AI beauty contest put together of robot judges to determine the winners. More than 6,000 people from around the world submitted head shots to be analyzed by the algorithms.

Technology around us will provide an "augmented intelligence" that will help humans to make smarter decisions, improve business models and solve problems that were previously intractable. "The ways in which we are able to interact with computers is going to make people a lot more efficient and more effective, and build digital models." This, says Richard Paris, senior data scientist at KPMG New Zealand, is the future of digital. We are increasingly seeing the digital world interact in our everyday lives, says Paris, who spoke at the inaugural KPMG Technology Series in Auckland. People interact with smartphones and these devices are becoming our intelligent assistants.

The "Floor is Lava" game (which some people just call "Hot Lava") has been around for so long, it's amazing no one's made a full video game out of it yet. But that changes with Hot Lava (which some people just call "The Floor is Lava"), which has a full trailer out from Klei Entertainment, known for their 2013 survival game Don't Starve. The game takes the concept quite literally, as your house and school fill with lava for you to jump over. The gameplay seems to be a first person parkour style similar to the Mirror's Edge series as you hop from chairs to countertops, running around with life-size action figures from some Saturday morning cartoon. It's currently in beta, but you can sign up to test it early. Drone footage of Uluru reveals the beauty of Australia's red centre

The ridesharing service Uber is pretty close to getting the go-ahead in almost all states and territories in Australia, with Victoria set to follow Queensland in introducing new legislation. In the short term, Uber has committed to creating tens of thousands of new jobs in Australia. Many thousands of jobs have already been created and your typical Uber driver speaks positively of being empowered in a flexible working arrangement. But we know Uber has other plans. Like almost all large car and technology corporations such as Toyota, Ford and Google, Uber is investing heavily in self-driving technology.

By 2034/35, almost 20% of Australians (6.2 million) are projected to be aged 65 or over. One sector already feeling the impact of the ageing population is construction. In Queensland, the number of construction workers aged 55 and over increased from 8% of full-time workers in 1992 to 14.2% in 2014. An ageing workforce is likely to increase the need for less physically demanding jobs or maybe technology might address this issue. Task automation and the industry's innovation culture are two of the greatest areas of uncertainty for the construction industry.

New drone footage of Uluru and the surrounding Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has been captured by Ayers Rock Resort, offering a glimpse of Australia's red centre in a whole new way. It is the first time a drone has been permitted to operate inside the national park, with special approval being granted by the traditional owners, the Anangu nation, in conjunction with the park's board. The sweeping panoramas and detailed close-ups of the ancient landscape are almost more beautiful than words allow. If you lack the ability to visit the heart of Australia, this might just be a decent alternative. Marvel's'Luke Cage' is tired of buying new clothes What happens when you reply to a scam email from Nelson Mandela's former wife

Interest in bots and artificial intelligence is on the rise. VC funds are looking at the space for new investments. Likewise, players such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are hoping to find new revenue streams here. And at the same time, an increasing number of entrepreneurs are trying to make it big with Bots. MobileBeat 2016 was all about bots and artificial intelligence and this blog will give you the lowdown on the latest and greatest in this exciting field.