Showcase looks beyond intelligent systems

PREPARING for the next revolution in manufacturing will be the focus of a presentation by a Deakin expert in intelligent systems at the Victorian Manufacturing Showcase in Geelong next week.

The director of the university’s Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innova- tion, Professor Said Nahavandi, said the world was in the middle of Industry 4.0 and the automation of manufacturing technologies but he would be talking about what awaited beyond Industry 4.0.

“We need systems where robot and human can work together and coexist,” Prof Na- havandi said. He said there would be a move from mass production towards mass customisation of product, and value adding.

“We need to create an environment where human intelligence works creatively with machines,” he said.

He said future would see robots working with humans to achieve far more complex goals and targeting niche markets.

Prof Nahavandi is one of the guest speakers at the showcase which is this year themed “Evolve, Grow, Prosper” and is being hosted in Geelong for the first time.

Other guest speakers include Nicholas Kerr from Farm Foods, Lyn George from Austeng, Dean Haritos from Flat Glass Industries Geelong and Vanessa Katsanevakis from Sussex Taps.

Exhibitors include Visy, Emu Australia, Portland Precision Engineering, IXL Sys- tems, Berringa Honey, Paccar and Sykes Racing.

Presented by the Victorian Government and Industry Capability Network, the fifth Victorian Manufacturing Showcase is at GMHBA Stadium on September 12. The event is free but bookings are essential on Eventbrite.