Swinburne supports Acusensus to develop innovative road worker safety device

Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Design Innovation is supporting Acusensus to enhance the safety of roadside workers and first responders through advanced technology. This collaborative effort addresses the significant dangers faced by road workers and emergency services personnel, who often operate in high-risk environments.

The innovative safety solution has two main components: a hazard detection unit and a wearable alert device.

The hazard detection unit – a small, portable, tripod-mounted radar – detects oncoming vehicles that workers may not hear due to heavy equipment noise or hearing protection. This radar technology has been refined to ensure precise detection of potential threats.

Complementing the radar system is the wearable alert device. The wearable features GPS tracking, fall detection and proximity alerts. It communicates imminent threats to workers through a combination of high pitch alarms, vibration haptic alerts and multi-function LED alerts, ensuring workers are warned of any dangers promptly. Swinburne Centre for Design Innovation worked closely with Millennium Electronics to commercialise the internal electronic componentry.

Mat Lewis, Senior Industrial Designer at the Centre for Design Innovation, says the collaborative project reflects Swinburne and Acusensus’ shared vision to harness cutting-edge technology for positive change.

“This innovative wearable device will help create a safer working environment for all roadside personnel. This technology could be the difference between someone making it home after their shift, or not."

Alexander Jannink, Managing Director of Acusensus, says the product will be transformative for road workers, who brave significant dangers as part of their routine.

"The product we are creating at Acusensus has the potential to revolutionise road worker and first responder safety. Road works are a high-risk occupation, not just in Australia but across the globe – statistics show that road workers experience the most fatalities among all professional industries.”

Extensive testing is being conducted to validate the system's real-world effectiveness, ensuring the technology can provide reliable protection to workers.

Once in-market, the technology has the potential to elevate industry standards nationally for road workers in a range of contexts – from those in traffic management and road construction, to emergency responders attending roadside incidents.

“As road worker fatalities occur routinely, there needs to be a functional and mandatory solution that addresses the problem,” Mr Jannink said.