Queensland manufacturers interested in charting the course of responsible Artificial Intelligence to underpin robotics and business systems in Queensland, pose with the Poll the parrot artwork, at the Urban Arts Precinct (UAP) during CSIRO’s National AI Centre Listening Tour on 31 May 2022, led by the Centre’s Director, Stela Solar.
The parrot artwork represents how AI technologies like computer vision, robotics and virtual and augmented reality can boost manufacturing production safety and efficiency.
Poll was created at Brisbane-based Urban Arts Precinct using a big Kuka robot as well as Virtual Reality, for the artist, Emily Floyd, to upscale Poll from a toy sized bird to its current human size.
Because UAP had the robots and capability in their Northgate factory to mill the moulds for casting, 800 hours were reshored from China to Brisbane.
UAP’s innovation journey
UAP is a global company that collaborates with artists, architects, designers, and developers and works across all parts of the creative process: from commissioning and curatorial services, concept generation and design development, right through to engineering, fabrication, and installation.
Founded in 1993, UAP is headquartered in Northgate, Brisbane, at a 5000-square-meter space formerly used for train fabrication.
The company employs 125 staff in Australia, representing a 52% increase since commencing their advanced manufacturing transformation. Its diverse team have the core skills of curatorship, design, project management, fabrication, and construction.
UAP were a driving force in the establishment of ARM Hub in 2020 and are represented on the ARM Hub Board.
Prior to this, ARM Hub staff in 2016, working through QUT’s School of Design, RMIT and the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, were embedded in UAP operations scoping how the company could use robotics, automation and AI technologies like computer vision, to expand their capabilities, reshore work and scale-up production.
Between 2017 to 2022 UAP has measured the following impact following its adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies:
- Increased AU Sales 148% from $16.2M to $40.3M
- Increased Global Sales 89% from $44.1M to $83.7M
- 1 digital spinout company, FARM launched 2022
- Projects involving with advanced manufacturing technologies expanded from 5% of all UAP projects in 2016 to 80% in 2022.
Read more about the UAP story
Read more about Emily Floyd’s Poll the parrot artwork
ARM Hub – UAP Advanced Manufacturing Case Study