Surya Singh

Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar

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 “Landmines, whilst being an effective military tool, are a global scourge that victimise nearly 100 civilians daily. I am an advocate for advancing the tools of modern robotics, so that the technology can be transformed from being a ‘black art’, practiced by an elite group of professionals, to widely accepted tool-sets that empower humankind.”

Surya Singh is a doctoral graduate of Stanford University specialising in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he specialised in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Economics. Surya is undertaking study with Professor James Trevelyan at the University of Western Australia (UWA) where he will research developments into simplified robotic technology for use in demining operations.

His goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the landmine clearance issue and to learn how best to leverage technology in robotics for demining purposes.

“Australia may seem an unlikely location for pursuing research in demining, however, Australia is home to many experts in the field, such as the UWA’s Professor Trevelyan, a global leader in the demining community.”

Learning from Professor Trevelyan’s expertise in developing simplified robotic de-miners, Surya will spend six months adapting robotics technologies developed at Stanford to the unique constraints of demining operations in remote locations.

Until recently, demining research has resulted in technologies that were either too complicated or too fragile. The cost of clearing a single landmine is approximately $US400. This cost stresses the funds of relief organisations and diverts precious humanitarian resources. Surya’s project will integrate novel methods in robotics and manufacturing with Australia’s pioneering field and mineral extraction technologies.

Surya hopes that his research aided by his Fulbright award will make positive contributions to demining science and field robotics. The outcomes of Surya’s and Professor Treveleyan’s study will not only contribute to an understanding of how to extract mines more productively, it will also improve techniques for simplifying robot designs for robustness. About robotics, he says, “it’s really a design philosophy … about extending human operation with increased precision.”