1 x Master by Research / PhD Funded Student @ Swinburne

Postgraduate (Master by Research / PhD) under Swinburne-National Road Safety Action Grants Program (NRSAGP) funded by Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

In Australia, there are around 4.62 million Australians riding bikes for commuting or recreational purposes weekly, according to the National Cycling Participation Survey 2021. The road traffic deaths among vulnerable cyclists in Australia still remain intolerably high, with 3.4% of total road deaths over the last 5 years, and the rate of fatalities remains consistent over the last 10 years. Moreover, with the rapid take-up of personal mobility devices such as e-scooters, our road safety landscape is becoming more complex than before, and preventing cyclist/road head injuries is becoming increasingly urgent for these vulnerable road users.

The best way to protect our on-road riders is to equip them with advanced protective equipment! Since most in-stances of serious harm and death in cyclists are attributed to injuries pertaining to the head and neck, this NRSAGP initiative aims to design and develop a new and more effective airbag helmet, comprising of an airbag system overlying a hard-shell bicycle helmet upon activation. This proposed new airbag helmet has the ability to sense an impending collision and expand to protect the head.

The proposed airbag helmet’s performance will be evaluated by experimental drop tests on the airbag helmet prototypes. This project will lead to the development of a next-generation bicycle or personal mobility device (PMD) helmet, which can provide effectual protection against life-threatening and serious injuries to vulnerable cyclists and PMD riders.

The project uniquely combines engineering design with materials, modelling and manufacturing skills, which will qualify the candidate for an excellent career in automotive R&D industry, and/or academia.

There is ONE full Postgraduate Scholarships (1 x Masters by Research) available. There will be opportunities to gain experience as research assistant and sessional tutoring work during the postgraduate journey.

Key words: Cyclist Helmet; Airbag; Biomechanics; Product Design; Cost-effective

Further information and how to apply: 

Please submit expression of interest (EOI) for this Master by Research or PhD scholarship position to Assoc. Prof. Kwong Ming TSE (ktse@swin.edu.au) by using email subject “EOI-Swin-NSRAGP Scholarship”. Please include a copy of your CV, academic degrees, academic transcripts, English test results (IELTS or TOEFL or equivalent) and copies of journal publications (if applicable).

The deadline for the EOI is 15st Jan 2025.

For further information about the position, please contact Assoc. Prof. Kwong Ming TSE at:

ktse@swin.edu.au