A Centre for Biomechanics and Sleep Research has opened at QUT to provide a space for discovery and development of cutting-edge, sleep health focussed knowledge and technology, exploring the relationship between sleep quality, lying alignment, and lying biomechanics.
Building on a six-year collaboration between QUT's Biomechanics and Spine Research Group (QUT-BSRG) and leading mattrass manufacturer Sealy Australia, the new Centre is based at QUT's Garden's Point campus, but researchers will also have access to the company's facilities at Wacol.
Associate Professor Paige Little, the research director for the new centre and existing research director of QUT-BSRG said Sealy had committed to more than $2.6M over the next five years.
"This partnership gives us the opportunity to embed our research within the industry landscape and it's mutually beneficial. Sealy R&D engineers will be provided access to visit our 'research home' on campus, which will be complemented by office and lab space for BSRG staff/students at Sealy Wacol, where their R&D facilities are located," Professor Little said.
"This co-location will support high level, industry-driven, applied research outcomes in collaboration with industry partners.
"Our ongoing collaboration with Sealy has already been very successful and led to outcomes including the development of new criterion that describe body posture for sleeping alignment for healthy young adults, as well as how age, body shape, size and gender influence body posture for sleeping and spinal alignment.
"The centre will combine those previous learnings with new discoveries in sleep biomechanics, and sleep technologies over the coming years. These can include 3D imaging and simulation, biomechanical and movement measurements of subjects in the laboratory and at home, physiological measurements of sleep, artificial intelligence models, and development of advanced computational modelling and physical testing methods to predict optimum factors for healthy human sleep."
Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil opened the centre and said Sealy's international profile would facilitate QUT research having reach and impact across Asia, New Zealand and United Kingdom.
"The value of long-term industry collaborations like this one between QUT and Sealy Australia is valuable for academia and industry as it provides both breadth of expertise, and depth of research discovery, to ensure real-world applications and impact for our science," Professor Sheil said.
"Already this partnership has achieved so much, including understanding how young and mature people sleep and what they need from a mattress to get a good night's sleep. They have also discovered how important your age and body size are in defining the way you will find comfort on a mattress, providing valuable data to assist in the design of test mannequins for this exact purpose.
"Long-term projects like these demonstrate both the applied nature of QUT research and the innovative approach Sealy exhibits towards evidence-based commercial product development."
Sealy Australia MD Simon Dyer was also at the launch.
"Working with QUT over the past six years we have developed a truly world leading research capability. We are excited to increase our partnership and establish the research centre," said Mr Dyer.
"It will take our research to the next level and will help us ensure we are developing truly world leading product and improving sleep for people of all ages and conditions."
Main image: Associate Professor Paige Little, Daniel Green, Director of Research and Development for Sealy Australia, Professor Yuan Tong Gu, Simon Dyer, Managing Director, Sealy Australia and QUT Vice-Chancellor Margaret Sheil at the launch of QUT-Sealy Centre for Biomechanics and Sleep Research
