This year marks a milestone for the NSSN as we celebrate ten years of impact across research, industry and government. In this edition, we begin a special anniversary series with an Op-Ed from NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, reflecting on the Network’s origins, achievements and the priorities that will shape the next decade of sensing innovation in NSW, leading up to our August celebration in Sydney.
We also invite Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified individuals to join the NSSN Board, including the role of Board Chair, and introduce two emerging researchers whose smart sensing innovations are helping address critical climate and environmental challenges.
The Sensor - March 2026
A decade of impact: the NSSN turns 10
NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte reflects on the NSSN’s decade of impact and the priorities shaping the future of sensing innovation in NSW.
Drone Innovation Day to showcase next-generation capabilities
Researchers, industry innovators and emergency services personnel will meet in Canberra on 10 March to explore emerging drone and RPAS capabilities. The event is hosted by the NSSN, AFAC, and ANU's Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence.
Meet two researchers using smart sensing technologies to tackle climate challenges
On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate two emerging researchers who are using smart sensing innovations to help solve climate and environmental challenges, from Antarctica to Australian farms.
Australia can lead the next wave of advanced hardware, says Emergence Quantum CEO
Co-Founder and CEO of deep tech startup Emergence Quantum, Professor David Reilly, said Australia is well positioned to build the next generation of hardware beyond traditional silicon computing at last month’s NSSN Sensing Industry Connect at the University of Sydney.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab, University of California have developed an AI-enhanced spectral imaging sensor that performs machine-learning analysis directly within the camera hardware, allowing it to identify chemicals and materials in real time without the heavy data processing normally required. Its impact could be transformative across fields like semiconductor manufacturing, environmental monitoring and agriculture, enabling faster, more energy-efficient sensing systems.
Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science have developed a low-power, LED-based electronic nose that can selectively detect multiple hazardous gases without heat, improving safety while reducing energy use and cost across industrial and everyday applications.
And scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a fruit-fly-inspired artificial compound eye that enables robots to simultaneously see and smell, potentially transforming how drones navigate confined and hazardous environments.
Events
Emergency Services Drone Innovation Day
10 March
This Canberra event is designed for emergency services personnel involved in the use, management, or future application of drones and RPAS.
This joint NSSN–S3B event at Macquarie University brings together research, industry and government to explore opportunities and impact across the sensing–semiconductor value chain.
Celebrate the 60th birthday and remarkable career of Founding NSSN Co-Director and UNSW Scientia Professor Justin Gooding at this special conference highlighting Justin’s global impact in biosensors, electrochemistry and translational sensing research.
