Defence investing $50 mil in robot research

The Department of Defence has delved into researching'Trusted Autonomous Systems' (aka, robots), as part of the Turnbull government's $50 million investment into launching the Defence Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). The Defence CRC is a collaborative program that brings together academia, publicly funded research agencies, industry (particularly small to medium enterprises) to create an interlocking research and innovation capability that is focused on driving a Defence outcome. It is a federal government initiative of the Next Generation Technologies Fund, which complements the Defence Innovation Hub as the two core initiatives of the new Defence Innovation System outlined in the Government's Defence Industry Policy Statement. These two signature innovation research and development programs, together with the Centre for Defence Industry Capability, deliver on the government's $1.6 billion commitment to grow Australia's defence industry and innovation sector. Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne said the first Defence CRC will focus on Trusted Autonomous Systems to deliver'game-changing' unmanned platforms that ensure reliable and effective cooperation between people and machines during dynamic military operations.