Swinburne’s 2025 MedTechVic showcase celebrates innovation in collaboration

Swinburne University of Technology’s MedTechVic hub brought together researchers, industry partners and end users of medical and assistive devices at their recent 2025 annual showcase.  

Themed ‘Innovation in Collaboration’, the showcase provided valuable insights into effective, supportive and meaningful collaboration and co-creation, focusing on end users. 

The showcase featured a keynote address by stroke survivor Caleb Rixon and presentations by PhD researchers on custom walking aids, mobile technology for seniors, and body movement for intuitive VR interactions, with applications in art, assistive tech and sports. 
 
The showcase also included a panel discussion on key challenges and opportunities in the medtech and assistive technology sector, and information on MedTechVic’s new training as part of the Victoria Government’s Skills Solutions Partnerships Program.

Ensuring safety in medtech co-design

The showcase highlight was keynote speaker Caleb Rixon. Caleb, a young stroke survivor and founder of the Genyus Network, created the network to provide a safe space for people affected by trauma to connect with others who truly understand. 

He emphasised that creating safe spaces is not just about the physical environment, but also the emotional infrastructure. His focus on emotional safety aligns closely with MedTechVic’s mission to foster a supportive, connected co-design process.  
 
"How we feel, how we connect, how we belong in the space is the most important thing," Caleb said.  

After building safe spaces, Caleb suggests health professionals and researchers must encourage trust-based collaboration for innovation. This approach reflects MedTechVic’s commitment to uniting individuals with lived experience, health professionals and industry leaders to co-create impactful products.

"Quit doing innovation for innovation's sake. Instead, focus all your attention on starting with collaboration. If you’re a leader, begin with validating, elevating and amplifying that person."

Innovative PhD theses

The showcase also included a 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where Swinburne PhD students working in the medtech field presented their latest research. 

Swinburne PhD candidate Jim Shen won the competition with his thesis ‘SenSational Walker’. His research focuses on embedding lived experiences into the design of walking aids, to better support individual needs – for example, asking if a walker can change size to fit different spaces.  

Other entrants included Pajani Mardamootoo's thesis on 'Volumetric Interaction' (VI), which explores using the user's body to engage with virtual reality. His work aims to refine VI for applications in art, assistive tech and sports, advancing VR interactions and contributing to health and social innovation.

Finally, Anupamanaomi Joseph’s thesis, ‘Enabling Use of Mobile Technology in Senior Citizens with Visual Impairment,’ explores how seniors interact with mobile tech and aims to create a toolkit that makes devices more accessible.

These theses reflect MedTechVic’s collaborative approach, mission to advance innovative ideas, and support of rapid prototyping.