Greater Brisbane Area
I conduct interdisciplinary research at the boundary between robotics, neuroscience and computer vision and am a multi-award winning educational entrepreneur. My research models the neural mechanisms in the brain underlying tasks like navigation and perception to develop new technologies in challenging application domains such as all-weather, anytime positioning for autonomous vehicles. I am also passionate about engaging and educating all sectors of society around new opportunities and impacts from technology including robotics, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. I currently hold the positions of Director of the QUT Centre for Robotics, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow, QUT Professor, Microsoft Research Faculty Fellow and am a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. I have or am leading or co-leading projects totalling more than 48 million dollars in research and industry funding for fellowships and team grants. My papers have won (6) or been finalists (9) for 15 best paper awards including the 2012 ICRA Best Vision paper. My citation h-index is 52, with 14,145 citations as of March 2024. Awards include a Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship, the ATSE Batterham Medal and Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year. I was named top robotics researcher in Australia by citation impact by The Australian Research Magazine (2024, 23, 21, 19) and was a top 3 finalist for the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher and the APEC ASPIRE Prize. I have dual Australian-US citizenship and have lived and worked in locations including Boston, Edinburgh and London. I have collaborated with organizations including Harvard University, Boston University, Oxford University, MIT, Google Deepmind, Amazon, Ford, Intel, NVIDIA, Caterpillar, the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a lifelong educational entrepreneur, I have created innovative educational resources for students for 20 years, with customers across 35 countries. My company Math Thrills combines mass market entertainment and STEM education to create math-filled young adult fiction and movie-inspired education. Math Thrills has received funding from Kickstarter, QUTBluebox and the AMP Foundation, honours including the Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year Award, finalist at the Reimagine Education awards, a TedXQUT talk and a World Science Festival event. We have over 20 titles including The Complete Guides to AI, and Autonomous Vehicles, for Kids, the STEM Storybook and Rachel Rocketeer.
The 2022 new ATSE Fellows represent extraordinary expertise across engineering, applied science and technology.
This project is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship, awarded to Professor Michael Milford in 2021. Laureates are the premier fellowship scheme in Australia, and a maximum of 17 are awarded in any year. They support the fellow and large research teams for 5 years. In this case, it’s a $2,716,000 fellowship (plus approximately $680,000 cash funding from QUT) supporting 4 postdocs, 8 PhDs, 25 honours students and others – as well as other vital research support including robotic equipment. The focus is on basic and applied research in strategic focus areas for the Australian Government, growing local and international collaboration, attraction and retention of top research talent, and training and mentoring of early career researchers. https://research.qut.edu.au/qcr/Projects/re-evolving-natures-best-positioning-systems-for-people-and-their-machines/
Building on over a decade of QUT and federal strategic investment, the QUT Centre for Robotics (QCR) conducts world-leading research in intelligent robotics. We translate fundamental research into real-world outcomes that benefit industry and society. Our experts are leaders in education, training and development of talent in robotics and autonomous systems, and provide leadership in technological policy development and societal debate. The applications of our research extend to agriculture, health and medicine, environmental monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, defence, manufacturing, mining and construction. Our Centre recognises the benefits of an environment that celebrates and welcomes diversity, as it impacts on the retention, innovation, collaboration and productivity of staff and students. Website: https://research.qut.edu.au/qcr/ Overview video: https://vimeo.com/586143752
The MTA Institute is the largest private provider of automotive apprenticeships and training in Queensland. RTO No. 31529. Opened in 2012, the Sir Jack Brabham Automotive Centre of Excellence is a $10 million, state-of-the-art facility devised to offer the very best of training environments for the automotive professionals of the future. Equipped with the latest technology and training resources, the Centre’s design permits a flexibility that allows the Institute to monitor changing industry requirements and ensure that all apprentices and trainees that train at the Centre are equipped with the skills to navigate current and future industry trends. https://mtai.edu.au/about/about-mtai/board-of-directors/
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change the world and affect one group in society more than any other... our kids. The "Complete Guide to Artificial Intelligence for Kids" introduces children to today's most transformative technology and the key concepts underlying it. It includes *kid-friendly* fully-illustrated coverage of topics including what is AI, neural networks, how does AI learn, data bias, AI strengths and weaknesses, application areas, challenges like driverless car decision making and potential benefits and problems for society. We've also worked hard to make the guide inclusive and affordable. The guide has been successfully funded on Kickstarter and is now available for direct ordering at our online store: Order now at https://store.maththrills.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-complete-guide-to-artificial-intelligence-for-kids
This is a more comprehensive and much improved version of the original award winning resource, incorporating extensive feedback (both supportive and constructively critical) from students and teachers over the past 4 years. Order now at: https://store.maththrills.com/collections/high-school/products/maths-in-fiction-textbook We are already getting some great feedback: this is what the Head of Mathematics at the first school to order the new version just said: “I am so blown away!!! These books that arrived this morning are amazing! How exciting.” The Maths in Fiction resource contains three main components, all linked to the Australian curriculum and all designed to excite and engage students in mathematics and STEM learning through fiction, movies, real life examples and fun scenarios: YOUNG ADULT NOVEL "Code Bravo" embedded inside the textbook, with 26 key mathematical scenarios and accompanying tutorials, real life examples, worksheets and worked solutions. MATHS IN THE MOVIES: 17 tutorials, worksheets and worked solutions covering popular movies including The Martian, Star Wars, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Speed, Unstoppable, The Hunger Games, King Kong, Top Gun, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, Furious 7, The Great Escape, Jurassic Park, Logan, Sahara, The Perfect Storm and Sully. THRILLIFY SCENARIOS: 14 exciting math-filled scenarios including Stunt Person, Fashion Designer, Architect for Millionaires, Base Jumping, Luxury Car Dealer, Firefighter, Surviving the Wilderness, Hazardous Materials Expert, Social Media Star, Racing Car Driver, Runaway Plane, Self-driving Cars, Space Rescue Mission and Speed Record Setter. AGE RANGE: 12 and upwards
Successfully funded on Kickstarter, August 2017. Order now at: https://store.maththrills.com/collections/frontpage/products/stem-storybook I love reading storybooks to my young son and daughter, and like all parents I care about giving them the best possible start to life. That's why I created the STEM Storybook: a series of beautifully illustrated stories for children that gently introduce them to the key mathematical concepts they'll encounter in their future lives. As a Professor, father and multi-award-winning educational entrepreneur, I've spent my life innovating in education including creating STEM textbooks, action-packed maths workshops for young and old, a Hollywood STEM movie review series and even a maths novel for teenagers .
I am a regular writer for The Conversation (27 articles), covering topics including robotics, AI, neuroscience and science in the movies: https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-milford-271854/articles - AVENGERS: ENDGAME EXPLOITS TIME TRAVEL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS AS IT TRIES TO RESTORE THE UNIVERSE - REMEMBER BLOCKBUSTER, NIRVANA AND PAGERS? THE NEW CAPTAIN MARVEL LIVES IN THE 1990S - A ROBOT THAT CAN TOUCH, EAT AND SLEEP? THE REALITY OF CYBORGS LIKE ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL - THE PREDATOR: YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER ROPE TO TIE DOWN THIS ALIEN HUNTER - WHEN AI MEETS YOUR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IT KNOWS WHAT YOU BUY – AND WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BUY - THE MEG! WHEN THE (GIANT PREHISTORIC) SHARK BITES, THE SCIENCE BITES BACK - ROBOTS CAN LEARN A LOT FROM NATURE IF THEY WANT TO ‘SEE’ THE WORLD - FROM OUTSIZED DINOSAURS TO OUTRUNNING HOT LAVA IN JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM -WHY BLASTERS MISS THEIR MARK AND OTHER SCIENCE STUNNERS IN SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY -THE BIGGEST CLASH OF HEROES AND VILLAINS IN AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - BUT CAN SCIENCE SURVIVE? -SOME ‘BLOODY’ ROCKET SCIENCE GIVES PACIFIC RIM UPRISING AN EXTRA LIFT -DRIVERLESS CARS COULD CREATE NEW JOBS IN A WELCOME BOOST TO AUSTRALIA’S MOTOR INDUSTRY -WE NEED ROBOTS THAT CAN IMPROVISE, BUT IT’S NOT EASY TO TEACH THEM RIGHT FROM WRONG COMING SOON TO A HIGHWAY NEAR YOU: TRUCK PLATOONING -THOR: RAGNAROK PITCHES SUPERHEROES AGAINST SCIENCE (AND HOW DOES HULK KEEP HIS PANTS ON?) -TERMINATOR 2 IN 3D REMINDS US WHAT WE’VE STILL TO LEARN ABOUT AI AND ROBOTICS -THE FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: TWO EXPERTS DISAGREE -SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING SPINS A WEB OF FACT AND FANTASY -THE MUMMY STRUGGLES WITH THE CHEMISTRY BUT GETS THE PHYSICS RIGHT WITH A CRASH -PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5: THERE BE SOME GOOD SCIENCE IN THAT THERE FILM -FROM BREAKING GLASS TO CHEST BURSTING, THE SCIENTISTS’ REVIEW OF ALIEN: COVENANT -THE FUTURE OF FLYING CARS: SCIENCE FACT OR SCIENCE FICTION? -GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 2: A SCIENTIST’S REVIEW
I am a member of the advisory board commissioned by the Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur to promote and enable Artificial Intelligence innovation and development in Queensland.