The NCEA maintains a strong focus on commercial outcomes from our research. Where possible partners are engaged at an early stage to move from a research output to a prototype and ultimately commercial product, be it some hardware, software or a service such as training. Close collaboration is maintained with the University of Southern Queensland Office of Commercialisation.
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 IrrimateTM Services Development
The NCEA has a commercial agreement with Aquatech Consulting and a network of consultants for delivery of on farm irrigation system improvements. Fifteen consultants provide IrrimateTM Services to irrigators across Australia. IrrimateTM provides optimization of surface irrigation performance and monitoring of storage seepage and evaporation losses. The NCEA has received funding from the CRC for Irrigation Futures for further development of IrrimateTM surface irrigation optimization and seepage/evaporation monitoring systems. Plans to deploy evaporation and seepage meters across the Cotton Industry through a project funded by the National Water Commission are underway. The NCEA will have a key role in data analysis and technical support to this project. Contact: Erik Schmidt Ph: +61-7-4631-1347 Mob: 0423-029-976
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 Vickerman Cattle Monitoring
Our alliance with Vickerman Asset Management and Walker Holdings, to market selected “livestock management IP” produced by the NCEA, has progressed well. Focus is being placed on attracting commercialisation funds for large scale evaluation of the technologies
developed for animal tracking.
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Contact: Steve Rees: +61-7-4631-1890 Mob: 0400-780-815
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Client: Vickerman & Associates |
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 Implementation of Precision Agriculture in the Macadamia Industry
Development of yield mapping technologies for the Macadamia Industry based on machine vision. Accurate yield maps would be of great value to Macadamia breeding programs as well as commercial growers and harvesters. The primary purpose of this project is to design and develop a vision based yield monitoring device that relates quantity of nuts collected to location with sufficient accuracy to determine the yield from individual trees. The project is testing the systems on a number of field and commercial scale trials. Based on the success of the system developed a commercial unit will be developed in conjunction with a harvesting contractor. Contact: Steve Rees: +61-7-4631-1890 Mob: 0400-780-815
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Funding Body: Horticulture Australia Ltd. Collaborators: Hidden Valley Plantations and NSW DPI
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 Precision Agriculture Macadamia.pdf (369.66 KB)
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 GPS - Vision Guidance Systems
A key focus area of the NCEA in recent years has been in the development of machine vision systems for agriculture. The NCEA has developed a Rugged Outdoor Camera (ROC) which includes a self contained image processing unit and combines high speed digital image processing with low power consumption. A supplier has produced for a number of prototypes which are being used in a range of commercial evaluation and research projects. Contact: Steve Rees: +61-7-4631-1890 Mob: 0400-780-815
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Funding Body: AgGuide Pty Ltd
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The ROC.pdf (320.84 KB) |
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 Evaporation Trials
The NCEA has undertaken a range of trials to assess the performance of evaporation control products. These trials included an assessment of a modular floating cover systems on a mine storage at North Parkes and an effluent irrigation pond in the Lockyer Valley as well as assessment of a modular raft system and two monolayer products at an evaporation test facility established at USQ. Contact: Erik Schmidt Ph: +61-7-4631-1347 Mob: 0423-029-976
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Client: Rio Tinto |
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 Commercialisation of Acidity Measuring Systems
Project funded by Dairy Australia, commercializing acidity measurement systems developed at USQ. A technology scoping project, contracted out to DPEC (Dairy Process Engineering Centre) has been completed. International Patent Application has been completed with 9 national phase entries. The HCLTM system has been deployed at the Murray Gouldburn Leitchville plant and measurements on system performance are underway. Deployment at a second plant is underway. Contact: Nigel Hancock Ph: +61-7-4631-2552
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Client: Dairy Australia |
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 Machine Vision for Animal Identification
Access to water can be controlled for feral and native animals as well as farmed livestock. While National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) tags are becoming common, the use of machine vision to identify animals based on their shape allows control of water access for species not commonly tagged. A commercialisation agreement has been developed between USQ, Uniquest (on behalf of University of Queensland) and RPM Pty Ltd to commercialize technologies for drafting animals based on computer vision. Discussions continue to progress commercialisation agreements between the interested parties. An Australian patent is in place on the technologies developed.
Contact: Steve Rees: +61-7-4631-1890 Mob: 0400-780-815
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Funding Body: National Heritage Trust. Collaborators University of Queensland and RPM Rural Products |
Machine vision.pdf(329.38 KB)
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Commercialisation 
