In this month’s thought piece, the Director of the UNSW AI Institute, Dr Sue Keay, calls for urgent national investment in sovereign AI infrastructure, datasets, and public-private collaboration to ensure Australia shapes its own future.

Dr Neda Mohammadi is a Sydney Horizon Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Sydney. She is a leading scholar of AI-enabled digital twins for smart cities and communities.

At the latest Sensing Industry Connect event hosted by the Australian National University, Canberra spin-out Quantum Brilliance outlined how it is taking diamond-based quantum sensing and computing from the laboratory and putting it into practical, real-world use.

Leading scientists, engineers and a startup founder will headline the next NSW Smart Sensing Network Women in Sensing panel on 16 September at the University of Sydney, exploring how we can design infrastructure that is smarter, more sustainable, and more equitable. 

With the support of the NSSN, the IoT Alliance Australia has won a $1.7 million federal government contract to deliver a security labelling scheme which will make it easier for Australians to choose safer, more secure smart devices. The NSSN is a key supporter of this program.

This edition of The Sensor celebrates nine years of impact with renewed funding and highlights smart sensing breakthroughs in health, sport, sustainability, and leadership.

Dr Kate Dunn is a UNSW researcher exploring experimental 3D printing, digital fabrication, and robotics to develop sustainable materials for construction and marine ecology. Her goal is to build Australia’s first truly sustainable 3D printed house with materials sourced from the site.

Advances in sensing technologies and AI are transforming sport and exercise science, enabling rich, complex data collection across all levels of sport. As Professor Mark Watsford, Dr John Warmenhoven, and Distinguished Professor Aaron Coutts from UTS explain, this data revolution brings both challenges and opportunities.

An Australian-first study of adults with hearing devices is using advanced sensing technologies and wearable devices to establish if the wearing of hearing aids and cochlear implants can help prevent dementia. It’s being led by Macquarie University and supported by University of Sydney researchers.

NSSN Board Member Hebbat Manhy shared her unconventional career journey – which has spanned engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and deep tech commercialisation at – at the Women in Sensing Summit.

The NSSN has secured NSW Government funding until mid-2030, enabling continued collaboration across universities, industry, and government to deliver innovative sensing solutions for real-world challenges.

This month, read how a student’s remark sparked a PFAS breakthrough; learn how UTS researchers are using 5G and AI for real-time flood sensing, and read how researchers are driving innovations like a new TGA-approved bowel therapy device now in hospital trials.