My
research interests are diverse and multi-disciplinary.
My
main research interest is understanding engineering
practice in
Australia and South Asia. This research might help explain
why so many ‘engineering services’ are
expensive in developing countries, more so than in industrialised
countries.
In
recent years I have helped to
develop better tools and methods for clearing land
mines and unexploded ordnance. About 75 of the world's
185 nations are affected by this problem, 30 of them seriously.
This means
looking at all aspects from the interests of the different
people involved to the technologies which might help.
An
earlier interest which I maintain is in telerobotics
and remote access laboratories. I take a broad view
of robotics research: it is the quest to extend human
motor capabilities.
This starts with developing hand tools, and can involve highly
complex machines. However, I always like to find the
simplest
and most elegant solution to a problem. Some problems can
be resolved simply by thinking about them in different
ways.
I
like to encourage students to carefully think about questions
like:
