Water and nutrient stress detection in broad acre crops using remote sensing. The national benefit of the remote sensing of water and nutrient levels in crops comes from improved agricultural practice; leading to cost savings, reduced water usage and reduced pollution. This benefit will arise since irrigation and fertiliser application can be exactly tailored to the measured needs of broad-acre crops. In Australia, water is a scarce resource. Reducing consumption by irrigators will have signi ....Water and nutrient stress detection in broad acre crops using remote sensing. The national benefit of the remote sensing of water and nutrient levels in crops comes from improved agricultural practice; leading to cost savings, reduced water usage and reduced pollution. This benefit will arise since irrigation and fertiliser application can be exactly tailored to the measured needs of broad-acre crops. In Australia, water is a scarce resource. Reducing consumption by irrigators will have significant downstream benefits. By remote measurement of nutrient variation within paddocks, fertiliser applications can be optimised. Minimum excess fertiliser will then be present and this will minimise runoff and potential downstream water pollution.Read moreRead less
Development of New Generation Tools for Regional-Scale Mapping of Noxious Weeds. This project aims to determine the potential of new remote sensing and analytical tools for cost-effectively mapping weed infestations. We envisage integrating high resolution air- and satellite-borne technology, GIS and GPS, so that weeds' distribution and spread over time can be mapped efficiently. Two contrasting case studies will be selected, an annual/biennial herbaceous agricultural weed and a woody weed of se ....Development of New Generation Tools for Regional-Scale Mapping of Noxious Weeds. This project aims to determine the potential of new remote sensing and analytical tools for cost-effectively mapping weed infestations. We envisage integrating high resolution air- and satellite-borne technology, GIS and GPS, so that weeds' distribution and spread over time can be mapped efficiently. Two contrasting case studies will be selected, an annual/biennial herbaceous agricultural weed and a woody weed of semi-arid and arid rangelands. Both are of significant importance nationally, and in Western Australia. Results will be both directly relevant to the management of these specific weeds, and to the development of similar mapping and monitoring systems for other weeds.Read moreRead less
PLAGA: Pastoral Lease Assessment using Geospatial Analysis. This project improves the capacity of Natural Resource Management (NRM) and land administration agencies to record, monitor and communicate changes in land condition across the large spatial scales characteristic of rangelands. Pastoralists also benefit through improved capacity to promote, defend, understand and if necessary change their management activities on the basis of scientific data. By further developing and operationalising t ....PLAGA: Pastoral Lease Assessment using Geospatial Analysis. This project improves the capacity of Natural Resource Management (NRM) and land administration agencies to record, monitor and communicate changes in land condition across the large spatial scales characteristic of rangelands. Pastoralists also benefit through improved capacity to promote, defend, understand and if necessary change their management activities on the basis of scientific data. By further developing and operationalising this new approach to rangeland monitoring in a project integrating human extension expertise, specifically prepared monitoring products, and the associated software, the project will confirm the benefits that satellite technology can provide to land administrators and the grazing industry in monitoring and sustainably managing rangelands.Read moreRead less
Collaborative planning support tools for optimising farming systems (CPSTOF). What you know about what you can grow is becoming a key issue in farm management. Better guidance on alternative land cropping systems that can be grown to optimise farm productivity is needed. Micro-level land classes maps have been identified hby AgWA, farmers and regional development and community groups as an urgent need to enable them to design resilient and diversified farming systems. To this end, we propose ....Collaborative planning support tools for optimising farming systems (CPSTOF). What you know about what you can grow is becoming a key issue in farm management. Better guidance on alternative land cropping systems that can be grown to optimise farm productivity is needed. Micro-level land classes maps have been identified hby AgWA, farmers and regional development and community groups as an urgent need to enable them to design resilient and diversified farming systems. To this end, we propose integrating high resolution digital multispectral images, GIS and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques to help farmers use input appropriate to the productive capacity of their paddocks and to elaborate sound farm planning based on the potential of the land for specific land uses.Read moreRead less
Determining generic indicators of stress in eucalypt leaves for application to the remote sensing of canopy condition and productivity modelling. Biotic and abiotic stresses induce generic alterations of leaf chemistry (e.g. chlorophyll, anthocyanins). We will explore the behaviour of eucalypt leaf reflectance to changes in leaf cellular chemistry and structure arising from exposure to a range of stressful factors. We will relate leaf reflectance to physiological processes using a research radia ....Determining generic indicators of stress in eucalypt leaves for application to the remote sensing of canopy condition and productivity modelling. Biotic and abiotic stresses induce generic alterations of leaf chemistry (e.g. chlorophyll, anthocyanins). We will explore the behaviour of eucalypt leaf reflectance to changes in leaf cellular chemistry and structure arising from exposure to a range of stressful factors. We will relate leaf reflectance to physiological processes using a research radiation interception model. We will report on a) the potential integration of data related to stress, into process-based models for eucalypt plantation growth and b) the exploitation of generic reflectance indicators of stress in the remote acquisition of high resolution multispectral imagery with potential to spatially quantify plantation eucalypt health.Read moreRead less
Skin friction control using engineering and biological surface coatings. The development of techniques to reduce skin friction in water conveying assets will increase renewable energy production from existing hydro-electric plant and improve the energy efficiency of water conveying utilities. There is also potential for application to marine biofouling problems and reducing fuel usage by shipping. Passive (non-chemical) and biological control methods to reduce fouling and friction will be sought ....Skin friction control using engineering and biological surface coatings. The development of techniques to reduce skin friction in water conveying assets will increase renewable energy production from existing hydro-electric plant and improve the energy efficiency of water conveying utilities. There is also potential for application to marine biofouling problems and reducing fuel usage by shipping. Passive (non-chemical) and biological control methods to reduce fouling and friction will be sought to minimise environmental impact and maintain potable water quality. This multidisciplinary project combining engineering, photogrammetry and biological sciences will provide valuable training for the project team members and develop a pool of skilled personnel available to Australian industries.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Automation of Close-Range Photogrammetry for Defence and National Security Applications. The project, which falls under the National Research Priority of safeguarding Australia, will be of significant national and community benefit. The research outcomes will advance close-range photogrammetry (CRP) technology, especially in the critical areas of defence and national security. It will lower the cost base of CRP and expand its commercial potential in new application domains, thus promoti ....Enhanced Automation of Close-Range Photogrammetry for Defence and National Security Applications. The project, which falls under the National Research Priority of safeguarding Australia, will be of significant national and community benefit. The research outcomes will advance close-range photogrammetry (CRP) technology, especially in the critical areas of defence and national security. It will lower the cost base of CRP and expand its commercial potential in new application domains, thus promoting business activity in the broader Australian spatial information industry. Also, community oriented benefits will be seen through the improved prospects for new public-good applications of CRP, ranging for example from cultural heritage recording through to homeland security and forensic measurement for crime scene analysis.Read moreRead less
Traffic Incidents: Reducing the Impacts. Road congestion due to traffic incidents in major urban areas adversely affects traveller safety and travel reliability, and is a significant cost burden to industry and the community in social, environmental and economic terms. This project will investigate the impact of traffic incidents, with the aim being to produce outcomes that contribute to more efficient traffic management, and specifically to reducing the incident duration. Outcomes will include ....Traffic Incidents: Reducing the Impacts. Road congestion due to traffic incidents in major urban areas adversely affects traveller safety and travel reliability, and is a significant cost burden to industry and the community in social, environmental and economic terms. This project will investigate the impact of traffic incidents, with the aim being to produce outcomes that contribute to more efficient traffic management, and specifically to reducing the incident duration. Outcomes will include the development of decision support tools to aid in policy and operational responses, as well as the development of faster and more comprehensive accident reconstruction based on spatial information technology. Read moreRead less
Vision and remote sensing: using nature's technology to examine the health of The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. We aim to use what is known and what we will discover about animals visual systems to examine environmental health on The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. Technology and knowledge from 8 university departments, 4 industry partners, and 7 international collaborators will be combined to both learn and provide information. The innovative aspect of our approach is to examine the w ....Vision and remote sensing: using nature's technology to examine the health of The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. We aim to use what is known and what we will discover about animals visual systems to examine environmental health on The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. Technology and knowledge from 8 university departments, 4 industry partners, and 7 international collaborators will be combined to both learn and provide information. The innovative aspect of our approach is to examine the world with the eyes of birds, fish and invertebrates. Tricks animals employ to solve visual tasks will be implemented at scales of instrumentation from hand-held to remote sensing and used to address problems such as coral reef bleaching.Read moreRead less
Geospatial Information Processing for Quickbird Satellite Imagery. Of the new generation of commercial high-resolution earth observation satellites, the Quickbird system with its 70cm resolution has greatest potential for metric applications. The capabilities of Quickbird imagery for digital mapping, GIS and geopositioning are, however, yet to be fully established and the models, procedures and computational systems required for higher-accuracy applications require further research. The aim of t ....Geospatial Information Processing for Quickbird Satellite Imagery. Of the new generation of commercial high-resolution earth observation satellites, the Quickbird system with its 70cm resolution has greatest potential for metric applications. The capabilities of Quickbird imagery for digital mapping, GIS and geopositioning are, however, yet to be fully established and the models, procedures and computational systems required for higher-accuracy applications require further research. The aim of this project, which is a collaboration with SKM, is to develop the tools necessary to validate Quickbird imagery as a source for geospatial information collection, to develop the associated data processing systems to proof-of-concept stage and to experimentally verify these systems.Read moreRead less