Australia is set to get its first ever Robotics Strategy. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources has just released a Discussion paper.  The Department has also released the dates for online (sector-specific) and in-person (location-specific) consultation sessions and I encourage you to register and attend. The online workshop that will cover Education (deemed part of the Services sector) is

  • Science, healthcare, medical and services: Thursday 20 April, 2 pm to 3:30 pm

Please consider submitting a robotics case study (use of robots in the classroom or teaching robotics) to Robotics Australia Group via a Google Form we have set-up https://forms.gle/U1VojzSfZXPyAjs17 and we will promote these on our website, submit to the government and potentially use in a future edition of the robotics roadmap. The more concrete examples of Australian success we can provide the stronger our chance of meaningfully influencing government policy.

We encourage people to make their own submissions directly to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in response the attached discussion paper, however Robotics Australia Group is also offering the opportunity to contribute to our submission via a survey. We will do our best to incorporate the views expressed in the survey.

The survey includes 26 questions. You do not have to answer every question. You should be able to leave and return to the survey as it may take some time to complete.

The questions cover 6 areas: Definition; Australia’s Robotics Opportunity; National Capability; Trust, Inclusion and Responsible Development and Use; Skills and Diversity; Increasing Adoption. For further background please refer to the government’s discussion paper.

The survey will close at the end of April so we can meet the submission deadline of 7th May.

This is a great, possibly once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity to shape robotics policy in Australia and Robotics Australia Group encourage you to be part of it.

  • Sue Keay – Chair, Robotics Australia Group
  • Erin McColl – Toyota Research Institute