Engaging Augmented Reality on 3D Head Up Displays to Reduce Risky Driving. This project aims to reduce risky driving behaviours through novel augmented reality applications for three-dimensional head-up displays, making safe driving more engaging so that drivers will take less risk. Over 1 million people are killed and 50 million are seriously injured on roads each year worldwide. Risky driving behaviours (speeding and distracted driving) are major causes. This project intends to produce novel i ....Engaging Augmented Reality on 3D Head Up Displays to Reduce Risky Driving. This project aims to reduce risky driving behaviours through novel augmented reality applications for three-dimensional head-up displays, making safe driving more engaging so that drivers will take less risk. Over 1 million people are killed and 50 million are seriously injured on roads each year worldwide. Risky driving behaviours (speeding and distracted driving) are major causes. This project intends to produce novel in-car interaction design implementations, provide important visual design guidelines for future display technologies, and provide novel road safety interventions.Read moreRead less
Participatory Visualisation & Assessment of Risks: A Crowdsourcing Approach. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate innovative interaction and visualisation approaches that allow the insurance sector to include social media and crowdsourced data in risk identification and assessment. This data, combined with traditional risk assessment information, offers time-critical insights into emerging hazards and threats. The study aims to deliver methods and tools to crowdsource data from contr ....Participatory Visualisation & Assessment of Risks: A Crowdsourcing Approach. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate innovative interaction and visualisation approaches that allow the insurance sector to include social media and crowdsourced data in risk identification and assessment. This data, combined with traditional risk assessment information, offers time-critical insights into emerging hazards and threats. The study aims to deliver methods and tools to crowdsource data from contributors through sensing and active sharing, as well as novel interaction and visualisation approaches to aid in the analysis of the resulting data. The project intends to benefit both the insurers and the insured by making non-traditional data sources available for risk assessment and prevention.Read moreRead less
Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how ind ....Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how individuals learn to drive, changes in skill and attitudes as well as the influence on crashes and offences. It is intended that a second parallel study will adapt the intervention for Indigenous Australians and examine the effectiveness of this adaptation.Read moreRead less
Using 3D printing to improve access to graphics by vision-impaired people. This project aims to investigate the possible benefits of 3D printing for production of accessible materials for vision-impaired people. Currently tactile graphics are used to provide severely vision-impaired adults and children with access to graphical content used in education and in orientation and mobility training. This project is expected to clarify the kinds of graphics for which 3D prints are better suited than ta ....Using 3D printing to improve access to graphics by vision-impaired people. This project aims to investigate the possible benefits of 3D printing for production of accessible materials for vision-impaired people. Currently tactile graphics are used to provide severely vision-impaired adults and children with access to graphical content used in education and in orientation and mobility training. This project is expected to clarify the kinds of graphics for which 3D prints are better suited than tactile graphics, and to build capacity within the national accessible format provision sector for the production and use of 3D prints. Benefits will include increased educational opportunities and quality of life for Australians with severe vision impairment, through improved access to graphic materials used in education and orientation and mobility training.
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Streaming video media using semantic information. Delivering video over the Internet has posted a big problem. Video files are extremely big and need hours or even tens of hours to download. This is too long to wait for the content. Much research has been attempted over low-level structures such as coding, buffer, protocol, agent and server. These techniques are either not scalable or impractical. This project aims to collaborate with CyberView on developing a high-level scheme of streaming vide ....Streaming video media using semantic information. Delivering video over the Internet has posted a big problem. Video files are extremely big and need hours or even tens of hours to download. This is too long to wait for the content. Much research has been attempted over low-level structures such as coding, buffer, protocol, agent and server. These techniques are either not scalable or impractical. This project aims to collaborate with CyberView on developing a high-level scheme of streaming video using semantic information. It breaks videos into shots and allows semantic browsing of the content. It also introduces intelligent agents with various behaviours.Read moreRead less
Tailoring cellulose properties by manipulating cellulose synthase. Cellulose, a highly abundant polymer produced by plants, has many existing uses in Australian fibre and polymer industries and potential uses as, for example, an abundant feedstuff for biomass conversion into ethanol and other high value products. The optimal properties for different applications vary so that, for example, high crystallinity cellulose gives strong fibres whereas low crystallinity cellulose dissolves in gentler so ....Tailoring cellulose properties by manipulating cellulose synthase. Cellulose, a highly abundant polymer produced by plants, has many existing uses in Australian fibre and polymer industries and potential uses as, for example, an abundant feedstuff for biomass conversion into ethanol and other high value products. The optimal properties for different applications vary so that, for example, high crystallinity cellulose gives strong fibres whereas low crystallinity cellulose dissolves in gentler solvents on the way to producing cellulose-based polymers. By exploring ways to adjust the properties of celluloses for use in different applications, we can deliver potential benefits to primary producers, industries and the environment.
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Eat, cook, grow: Ubiquitous technology for sustainable food culture in the city. Raising people's awareness of healthy and ecological food options with nutritional data and educational information does not foster a sustained practice towards a more environmentally friendly food culture. This study seeks to develop a better understanding how to go beyond just informing and into supporting and sustaining action and change. Drawing on interaction design, ubiquitous computing and real- time informat ....Eat, cook, grow: Ubiquitous technology for sustainable food culture in the city. Raising people's awareness of healthy and ecological food options with nutritional data and educational information does not foster a sustained practice towards a more environmentally friendly food culture. This study seeks to develop a better understanding how to go beyond just informing and into supporting and sustaining action and change. Drawing on interaction design, ubiquitous computing and real- time information, the study will deliver research findings that inform viable new design approaches and information interfaces which will strengthen Australia's position to resolve the problems of obesity, malnutrition and ecological issues of mass food processing, and contribute to the sustainability of life in Australian cities.Read moreRead less
New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. This project aims to co-design a social, interactive and visual internet search interface for people with intellectual disability. Enabling choice and independence is key to the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, but people with intellectual disability are effectively excluded from much of the Web. This project will investigate ways to a ....New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. This project aims to co-design a social, interactive and visual internet search interface for people with intellectual disability. Enabling choice and independence is key to the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, but people with intellectual disability are effectively excluded from much of the Web. This project will investigate ways to access and provide information using technologies such as interactive avatars, virtual worlds and trusted social support. New interfaces will enable people with intellectual disability to inform themselves, make choices and foster their social inclusion. Expected outcomes are new search interface technology, a theoretical framework and new Web accessibility guidelines.Read moreRead less
CyberMate: using digital social media and Internet data to support mental health interventions in young Australians. This project will develop CyberMate, which is a novel automated psychological intervention based on data collected from social networks, personal diaries, natural language processing and machine learning techniques. The Internet-based intervention will be the first of its kind, helping young people affected by depression and other mental health issues.
Humanising the Convergence of Information and Communication Technology. The convergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) enables delivery of multiple services by a single mobile device. Frequently ICT convergence is driven by the capabilities of the technology. However, if technologies are to be appropriated, that is enter into long-term use, they must be compatible with that use.
The University of Melbourne and Novell will establish a way of identifying opportunities f ....Humanising the Convergence of Information and Communication Technology. The convergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) enables delivery of multiple services by a single mobile device. Frequently ICT convergence is driven by the capabilities of the technology. However, if technologies are to be appropriated, that is enter into long-term use, they must be compatible with that use.
The University of Melbourne and Novell will establish a way of identifying opportunities for ICT convergence based on an understanding of appropriation. Our research project will examine the social and personal use of mobile ICTs by young people 16 to 22 years as the basis for understanding the human drivers of convergence.
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