Associate Professor Selby Coxon
Selby is an Associate Professor and Director of the Mobility Design Lab, a research group within MADA that seeks to understand and advance the quality of passenger experience in transport through design. He holds a PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Design. His professional career spans more than 30 years and has seen employment with major corporations and consultancy firms in Europe, Scandinavia and Australia. These companies include Philips Electronics; Schlumberger; Anglo Nordic Design and IDC in the UK.
Selby teaches in the Industrial Design undergraduate program, is a recipient of the Australian Design Educators Award from Dyson and has supervised a prolific number of design competition winners both nationally and internationally. He was a former Acting Head of Department and Course Coordinator in 2003 to 2013.
Selby’s research is committed to far-reaching, ambitious interventions in the design of mobility. Recent research projects undertaken have been for a diverse group of organisations; Metro Trains Melbourne, Yarra Trams, Volgren, Transdev, General Motors, SNCF in France and IITB in India. He received the Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (ECR) in 2017.
Recent news
Returning confidence in public transport in a post-COVID-19 world
Public transport is essential because it's by far the most spatially efficient way to move large numbers of people about the city. However, the notion of sharing confined public spaces for potentially extended periods of time will play heavily on the minds of a public learning to maintain physical distance.
3 Jun 2020
Graduate research opportunities
We look favourably on applications to study a graduate research degree that align with our research labs, focus areas, and the expertise of our supervisors, and encourage you to explore the list of opportunities below.
Advancing active mobility
The role of the bicycle in sustainable transport. Of particular note here are studies that engage with industrial design studio practice to manipulate the intrinsic and socially constructed properties of bicycles to make them are more acceptable transport mode choice in low cycling mode share cultures like Australia.
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Dr Robbie Napper and Associate Professor Selby Coxon
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Design to assist the transition from driving to other modes for elderly road users
Design projects that investigate the safe design and use of assistive technology such as; the motorised mobility scooter (MMS) and in particular examines some contradictions and ambiguities associated with this increasingly popular form of mobility. This project will have shared supervision between the Mobility Design Lab and Monash University Accident Research Centre.
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Associate Professor Selby Coxon and Prof. Jennie Oxley
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Improving accessibility to rail station infrastructure for those with physical and cognitive impairments
Design research that seeks to address improved accessibility to public transport from those who have physical impairment. This project will have shared supervision between the Mobility Design Lab and Monash Institute of Rail Technology.
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Associate Professor Selby Coxon and TBA - Monash Institute of Rail Technology
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Pedestrian safety amongst Autonomous Vehicles
Design project seeks to address how pedestrians will navigate safely a road network dominated by Autonomous Vehicles. How will the man machine interface be effective between robot and pedestrians and active transport users?
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Associate Professor Selby Coxon, Prof Jennie Oxley and Dr Steve O'Hern
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Research that investigates human powered logistics
The future of human powered logistics. We invite proposals that use industrial design studio practice to carry out research on cyclelogistics. These may engage with transferring technology from one culture to another or developing new vehicles, or other approaches to this problem.
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Dr Robbie Napper and Associate Professor Selby Coxon
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Research that investigates the design of a variety of home delivery systems
The number and frequency of home delivery services has grown enormously over recent years, accelerated by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the ubiquity of digital platforms that serve a wide variety of needs from food takeaway services to goods and services. The design of vehicles and objects to facilitate these needs has largely been iterative rather than considered and so the Mobility Design Lab welcomes research that addresses these issues that underpin safe and reliable delivery services from micro mobility to delivery trucks.
- Scholarship may be available
- Open call
- Supervisors: Associate Professor Selby Coxon and Dr Robbie Napper
- Undertaken within: Mobility Design Lab
Current research projects
At Monash Art, Design and Architecture, we focus on the pursuit of research that addresses the social, economic and human issues facing Australia.
Augmented on-road driving simulator for autonomous vehicles using virtual reality (VRAV)
The most authentic experience yet of being a passenger in a fully autonomous vehicle using a combination of real world driving and augmented reality visualisation.
Emergency Waiting Rooms
A co-design investigation into Emergency Department waiting rooms.
More accessible railway stations
Examining how design can help public transport companies address disability access compliance for a more equitable and accessible rail network.
Rail passenger boarding, alighting and dispersal experiments
Investigating how rail carriage interior design influences passenger boarding and alighting times using agent-based modelling techniques.
Reformulating the Movement and Place framework
Making the urban environment safer and more liveable.
Urban Mobility Design Book
A comprehensive review of cutting-edge design work addressing key contemporary themes in mobility.
Past research projects
An Autonomous Driverless Public Transport
A wide study on the advent of an intelligently connected driverless public transport system.
Improved Passenger Dispersal on Commuter Trains
Quicker and safer trains for all.
Innovative and Human-centred Design in Underground Coalmining
A new concept vehicle for safe personnel transport.
Motorcycle Evolution
Investigating a range of issues addressing the motorcycle, from safety to new forms of manufacture.
Optimus
Improving Volgren’s route bus manufacturing, performance and user experience using holistic design.
Passenger Boarding and Alighting Simulations
Exploring new techniques in agent based modelling.
Track and Road Research
Communicating road and track to other road users to communicate safety and place.