QUT has received two iMove Cooperative Research Centre Impact Extension Program (IEP2) grants, totalling $664,000, to advance innovative technologies and approaches that improve Australia's transport systems.
The projects, led by Dr Emily Darnett and Professor Michael Milford, highlight QUT's strengths in research and development partnerships that deliver real-world impact.
Murri's on the Move (MOTM), as the lead applicant, will partner with lead researcher Dr Darnett from the MAIC QUT-Road Safety Research Collaboration to deliver a $400,000 project aimed at improving road safety outcomes for First Nations communities.
The 12-month project, titled Safety on our Songlines, will be led by QUT Aboriginal research fellow Dr Emily Darnett in collaboration with MOTM, a First Nations-led not-for-profit organisation.
The project team includes Kerry and Nelly Turner from MOTM as project leads, and Professor Sharon Newnam, Head of School, Psychology and Counselling and Director of the MAIC QUT-Road Safety Research Collaboration.
Dr Darnett said the initiative would embed cultural knowledge and Indigenous data governance into road safety programs, starting with the Cherbourg community.
"The IEP2 grant empowers Murri's on the Move to co-create culturally responsive road safety solutions with First Nations communities," Dr Darnett said.
A Murri's on the Move spokesperson said: "In collaboration with QUT, we will walk alongside First Nation communities to embed cultural knowledge, community-led solutions, and work towards Indigenous data sovereignty through Indigenous data governance. We will reclaim our road safety using our ways to strengthen 'Safety on our Songlines'."
The project will co-adapt the PrepL driver education program to reflect First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing, ensuring it is culturally safe and accessible for remote communities.
MOTM will also co-develop a blueprint for an internal booking system that supports Indigenous Data Sovereignty, giving communities control over how road safety data is collected, stored and used.
Guided by First Nations leadership, the initiative will use participatory co-design methods such as yarning circles and local advisory groups to ensure solutions are community-driven and culturally grounded.
The project will be delivered in four phases: community consultation, co-design, integration and capacity building, and pilot evaluation.
MOTM staff and community members will be trained to deliver the adapted PrepL program and seek further funding to expand the booking system model to other communities.
Findings will inform policy recommendations, academic publications, and future service delivery models for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), contributing to long-term systemic change.
Professor Michael Milford, Director of the QUT Centre for Robotics, will lead a $224,000 project developing and trialling a Local Positioning System that offers a groundbreaking alternative to GPS.
Unlike satellite-based systems, the LPS works in environments where GPS fails, such as tunnels, under bridges and in dense city centres. The project will evaluate the technology across vehicles, cyclists and scooter riders, with applications ranging from safety monitoring to helmet compliance.
"Just about everything in the transport domain moves, so it's a fantastic domain in which to deploy and evaluate our positioning technology," Professor Milford said.
"Working in the transport positioning domain over many years with partners, we've identified a range of issues with current technologies, as well as exciting opportunities for better and more widely available positioning information.
"We're hoping this project firmly establishes the viability of this technology across the transport domain and leads to future commercialisation and uptake by end users.
"Our ultimate aim is to create a sovereign Australian-made positioning capability with widespread utility both within and outside of the transport sector."
The project team includes QUT researchers Melih Guenes Minareci, Maceon Knopke, Dr Somayeh Hussaini, Dr Rune Rasmussen, Deon de Saldanha, and Therese Joseph.
Industry partners are Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, RACQ, and Toyota.
iMOVE CRC is funded by the federal CRC Program, an Australian Government initiative to support industry-led research collaborations that deliver innovations with economic, social and environmental benefits to Australia.
