Catherine Ball

Catherine Ball is a businesswoman, scientific futurist, and environmental scientist, noted for her work in the field of drone technology for environmental conservation. She is an honorary associate professor at Australian National University in the College of Systems and Society, where she contributes to research and education in emerging technologies and their applications. Ball works on a range of projects from the making of documentaries, to conferences, and to advising on novel approaches across environmental and humanitarian projects.

Ball's expertise ranges across several areas including environmental monitoring, technology and more specifically the integration of emerging technologies into scientific research and science communication.

Early life and education Ball's interest in science grew from her father, who worked on an oil rig in the North Sea and had engineering-related hobbies, and her exposure to Star Wars and wildlife documentaries on the BBC.

Innovation and contributions Ball founded World of Drones and Robotics Global, based in Brisbane, Australia. This organisation runs the annual World of Drones and Robotics Congress and associated trade exhibition. These conferences have led to projects that have used drones to find people who are lost in the wilderness and to help communities manage bushfire risks and endangered species. She addressed the underuse of drones which had potential to help when used correctly. Her method to solve this problem was to create conferences for people to share their ideas in a more open space and foster innovation that could make an impact.

She has contributed to the spread of information about drones throughout Australia and internationally. Her innovation of the conferences has encouraged the adoption of drones for novel applications in environmental monitoring and disaster response. Her work towards this has led to drones being integrated into information-gathering practices on a large scale.

Publications

Ball, Catherine (2022). Converge: A futurist's insights into the potential of our world as technology and humanity collide.