Research & Development

Space-age engineering, applied to real-world problems.

We don't just build products — we push the boundaries of what robotic systems can do. Our R&D programme tackles frontier challenges in locomotion, autonomy, additive manufacturing, and human-robot interaction.

Core Research Domains
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Bio-Inspired Locomotion

Drawing from nature's most capable climbers and walkers — cockatoos, spiders, primates — to design robots that move through unstructured, vertical, and hostile environments where wheeled and tracked systems fail.

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Robotic Additive Manufacturing

Mobile 3D printing using in-situ resource utilisation. Building structures from locally sourced materials — sand, earth, waste products, lunar regolith — eliminating supply chain dependencies and carbon-intensive processes.

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Autonomous Operation

State estimation, Kalman filtering for legged systems, digital plan execution, and self-guided construction sequencing. Building robots that can make decisions in real-time without constant human intervention.

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Extreme Environment Design

Designing for vacuum, radiation, temperature extremes, and reduced gravity. Compact folding frames rated for space transit. The same principles that solve lunar construction also solve remote terrestrial challenges.

Featured Project
Case Study
Charlotte Robot
Presented at IAC 2025 Sydney · Supported by NSW Governement

Charlotte — Autonomous Construction for Earth & Space

A six-legged autonomous robot that combines bio-inspired locomotion with 3D printing to construct buildings using locally sourced materials. Developed in partnership with Earthbuilt Technology and backed by the NSW Government via SmartSat CRC's $700K grant programme.

Capabilities Demonstrated
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Bio-Inspired LocomotionHexapod design traversing uneven terrain with dynamic stability
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Additive ManufacturingZero-cement extrusion using sand, earth, and waste materials
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Autonomous OperationDigital plan execution and self-guided construction sequencing
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Extreme Environment DesignCompact folding frame rated for space transit and lunar surface
Work With Us

For Industry Partners

Have a robotics challenge that existing solutions can't solve? We work with industry partners to co-develop robotic systems for the toughest operational environments.

  • Joint R&D programmes
  • Co-funded development with matched contributions
  • Field trials and validation on your sites
  • Custom robotics solutions for specific workflows
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For Researchers & Agencies

We partner with universities, space agencies, and research organisations on collaborative projects at the frontier of robotics and autonomous systems.

  • CRC-P and SmartSat CRC grant programmes
  • Academic partnerships and capstone projects
  • Space agency collaboration (Artemis, lunar construction)
  • Published research and conference presentations
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