Geometric methods in mathematical physiology. This project will develop new geometric methods for the analysis of multiple-scales models of physiological rhythms and patterns, and will design diagnostic tools to identify key parameters that cause and control these signals. Thus, this project will deliver powerful mathematics for detecting and understanding fundamental issues of physiological systems.
A probabilistic and geometric understanding of transport and metastability in mathematical geophysical flows. Complicated fluid flow is at the heart of physical oceanography and atmospheric science. This project will develop new mathematical technologies to reveal hidden transport barriers around which complicated fluid flow is organised. This project will lead to more accurate circulation predictions from ocean and atmosphere models.
Stochastic Methods in Mathematical Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. The project will develop analytical and numerical methods for long-term weather forecasting and climate modelling. The project deals with the mathematical aspects and fundamental mechanisms underpinning numerical climate forecasting. The project will develop new methodology for accurate modelling of the important and dominant slow global processes without explicitly resolving the precise detail of the weather of each day at all scale ....Stochastic Methods in Mathematical Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. The project will develop analytical and numerical methods for long-term weather forecasting and climate modelling. The project deals with the mathematical aspects and fundamental mechanisms underpinning numerical climate forecasting. The project will develop new methodology for accurate modelling of the important and dominant slow global processes without explicitly resolving the precise detail of the weather of each day at all scales. Using sophisticated mathematics, this project investigates how to parameterize the fast and small processes by using stochastic processes in a controllable and adaptive way.Read moreRead less
Integrated Piezoelectric Microsystems for Actuation and Sensing. Piezoelectric transducers provide the highest positioning accuracy of any known actuator and the highest dynamic force resolution of any known sensor. However, these capabilities are limited to macro scale applications since piezoelectric materials are not compatible with integrated circuit (IC) or Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems fabrication processes. This project aims to extend the use of piezoelectric materials to the meso- and ....Integrated Piezoelectric Microsystems for Actuation and Sensing. Piezoelectric transducers provide the highest positioning accuracy of any known actuator and the highest dynamic force resolution of any known sensor. However, these capabilities are limited to macro scale applications since piezoelectric materials are not compatible with integrated circuit (IC) or Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems fabrication processes. This project aims to extend the use of piezoelectric materials to the meso- and micro-scale by fabricating miniature piezoelectric positioning and sensor systems. These devices will include six-axis nano-positioners and ultra-high resolution accelerometers and gyroscopes. This technology will create a new market for devices that are lower cost than macro-scale systems but provide higher performance than silicon based microsystems.Read moreRead less
Mathematical modelling unravels the impact of social dynamics on evolution. This project aims to mathematically model human evolution as a dynamical process. The anticipated goal is to quantitatively analyse theories of human origins. The project expects to develop innovative mathematical models, improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, and advance a unique area of interdisciplinary collaboration: applied mathematics and anthropology. Expected outcomes include refined methods fo ....Mathematical modelling unravels the impact of social dynamics on evolution. This project aims to mathematically model human evolution as a dynamical process. The anticipated goal is to quantitatively analyse theories of human origins. The project expects to develop innovative mathematical models, improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, and advance a unique area of interdisciplinary collaboration: applied mathematics and anthropology. Expected outcomes include refined methods for mathematical modelling of human evolution and improved techniques for analysing such models. It should provide benefits, such as increasing research in mathematical biology, an important growth area of science in Australia, and advancing mathematical approaches to engaging questions arising from anthropology.Read moreRead less
Real-time friction sensing, feedback and control for dexterous prosthetic and robotic manipulation. Prosthetic and robotic hands demonstrate poor dexterity during object manipulation, often dropping objects. Humans rarely allow objects to slip because we can sense when an object is slippery and adjust our grip. Exceptionally little research has been directed at replicating this ability to sense friction. This project aims to enable artificial hands to estimate frictional properties while graspin ....Real-time friction sensing, feedback and control for dexterous prosthetic and robotic manipulation. Prosthetic and robotic hands demonstrate poor dexterity during object manipulation, often dropping objects. Humans rarely allow objects to slip because we can sense when an object is slippery and adjust our grip. Exceptionally little research has been directed at replicating this ability to sense friction. This project aims to enable artificial hands to estimate frictional properties while grasping an object. Non-invasive methods to feed back this frictional information to an amputee will also be investigated. Finally, the friction-sensing system will be used to improve robotic gripper control. The outcomes of this research will significantly advance the fields of prosthetics, telesurgery, and service and manufacturing robotics.Read moreRead less
Next generation real-time trajectory mining for travel and transportation decision support. Mining human and vehicle trajectories in real time will enable a suite of next-generation applications such as traffic overload prediction, real-time event detection and route recommendation. This project will develop novel techniques for immediate mining of massive volumes of trajectory data as it is being continuously generated.
A general framework for the stability and robustness of dynamical systems. Stability and robustness are crucial properties of well-engineered dynamical systems. This project aims to unify several notions of stability and robustness and to expand these notions to the emerging area of hybrid systems, which includes next generation electricity distribution networks.
Swarm construction: ant-inspired processes for teams of building robots. Construction and manufacturing can be dangerous, wasteful industries—prime candidates for automation by teams of mobile robot builders. However, our understanding of how to program robots for teamwork is limited. This project aims to understand how colonies of weaver ants build complex nest structures, using novel 3D-imaging and ant tracking techniques. The anticipated outcomes of the project are i) a framework for how indi ....Swarm construction: ant-inspired processes for teams of building robots. Construction and manufacturing can be dangerous, wasteful industries—prime candidates for automation by teams of mobile robot builders. However, our understanding of how to program robots for teamwork is limited. This project aims to understand how colonies of weaver ants build complex nest structures, using novel 3D-imaging and ant tracking techniques. The anticipated outcomes of the project are i) a framework for how individual-level behaviour drives structure-level outcomes, applicable to many complex systems, and ii) novel software and hardware for robot swarms that can 3D-print structures using ant inspired teamwork strategies. Benefits of the project include new construction technologies that are safer, greener, cheaper and faster.Read moreRead less
Sustainability in Computing: A Holistic View. Green computing must provide sustainable processing capabilities with high energy efficiency (lower carbon footprint) and increased product longevity (reducing the need for product replacement). While advances in technology have afforded significant reduction in power requirements, they come with inherent challenges due to uncertainties in micro-scale behaviour, high complexity of quantifying/optimising energy cost or system lifetime in extreme scale ....Sustainability in Computing: A Holistic View. Green computing must provide sustainable processing capabilities with high energy efficiency (lower carbon footprint) and increased product longevity (reducing the need for product replacement). While advances in technology have afforded significant reduction in power requirements, they come with inherent challenges due to uncertainties in micro-scale behaviour, high complexity of quantifying/optimising energy cost or system lifetime in extreme scale computing, and the interaction of non-computing components with individual computing systems. This project addresses these challenges via a holistic, multi-scale paradigm for modelling, analysis, and optimisation of energy cost, carbon footprint, and product lifetime in emerging computing systems.Read moreRead less