Zane Smith

Dr. Zane Smith is a Research Fellow at the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, University of Queensland, specializing in Future Autonomous Systems and Technologies. With a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UQ and extensive experience in mining automation, he focuses on collision avoidance systems, path planning algorithms, and operator assist technologies for heavy machinery.

• Qualifications: BEng (Hons), PhD (The University of Queensland)

His research spans multiple domains including:

• Collision avoidance for large excavators
• UWB transceiver applications in mining
• Minkowski hull operations for geometric processing
• Distributed data representations for equipment interactions

Dr. Smith has secured significant research funding from Caterpillar Inc (2018-2024) and ACARP (2013-2022), primarily focused on autonomous bulldozers, electric rope shovels, and articulated truck automation systems.

Currently available for supervision, Dr. Smith collaborates with industry partners on practical implementations of autonomous systems in mining environments. Contact: z.smith@uq.edu.au