Dr. Karthick Thiyagarajan's primary research area is Robotics. His research enables the autonomy of robots operating in complex and dynamic real-world environments through better sensing and perception. His current robotics research focuses on the following areas:

• NDT and flexible sensor development for robotic sensing and condition assessments
• Soft robotics design and development for tiny space environments
• Embedded multimodal sensing for soft robotics
• Deep learning algorithms for robotic vision
• SLAM using unconventional sensors

EXCELLENCE: His robotics research has applications in the water industry, telecommunications industry, assistive healthcare sector, and disability services businesses. His robotics technologies are used by Australian and global companies to examine the state of national broadband network pipes, wastewater infrastructures, drinking water mains, ocean outfalls, and assist the mobility of vision-impaired individuals in urban areas. His robotics research was widely acknowledged by industry and academia, earning him eight highly prestigious national and international awards. These accolades are a testament to his research excellence.

FUNDING: He has achieved notable success in securing research grant funding of more than $1.4 million from the Australian Federal Government Agency, publicly owned companies of the Australian Government, the New South Wales Government-owned statutory corporation, private organizations, and blue-sky research initiatives in the previous four years. The Australian Research Council, NBN Co Limited, Sydney Water Corporation, and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT are a few of the funding partners of his research.

COLLABORATIONS: He has collaborated with over 35 companies and 10+ research organizations from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Finland, and India since 2018. His collaborations resulted in a number of industry-funded collaborative research projects, joint publications, and grant proposals. He has various collaborations with UTS academics at the Data Science Institute, Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, School of Electrical and Data Engineering, and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in addition to external collaborations with companies and research institutions.

RESEARCH TRANSLATION AND INDUSTRY UPTAKE: His research on the development of national award-winning intelligent sensing and robotic tools for wastewater pipe condition assessment has been operationalized by Sydney Water, resulting in significant operational cost savings and positive environmental and societal impacts through evidence-based pipe failure prevention. His research on the $24 million-funded CRC-P: Smart Lining for Pipes and Infrastructure project led to the development of four sensing and robotic tools and new industry standards for post-application quality assurance and long-term quality assurance of pipe linings.