Optimisation of signal processing and electrical stimulation algorithms for the abatement of epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is the second-most common neurological disorder behind stroke and ischemic attacks, affecting 1-2 per cent of the nation's population. Pharmaceutical therapies are ineffective in approximately one third of cases, the result being a large unmet need for novel treatments. The devices to be produced through this project will improve the quality of life of many patients in the fu ....Optimisation of signal processing and electrical stimulation algorithms for the abatement of epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is the second-most common neurological disorder behind stroke and ischemic attacks, affecting 1-2 per cent of the nation's population. Pharmaceutical therapies are ineffective in approximately one third of cases, the result being a large unmet need for novel treatments. The devices to be produced through this project will improve the quality of life of many patients in the future and alleviate their dependence on traditional medications. The devices will also reduce the patients' requirements for medical practitioners, hospital and ambulance services, and will therefore also reduce the financial burden that neurological and epilepsy patients place on the community.Read moreRead less
New Methods and Microelectronics for Wireless Communication Systems. Global demand for high quality wireless communications poses significant challenges. The so-called "physical layer" is crucial, as this is where the vagaries of the wireless channel, including interference and limited bandwidth, are mitigated by sophisticated signal processing.
This project will conduct applied research to meet these physical layer challenges, providing solutions that feed directly into next generation wirel ....New Methods and Microelectronics for Wireless Communication Systems. Global demand for high quality wireless communications poses significant challenges. The so-called "physical layer" is crucial, as this is where the vagaries of the wireless channel, including interference and limited bandwidth, are mitigated by sophisticated signal processing.
This project will conduct applied research to meet these physical layer challenges, providing solutions that feed directly into next generation wireless communication systems.
Uniquely, this project focuses on the transfer of research from theoretical genesis, through to realisation of silicon integrated
circuit "chips". This will maximise both the impact of the research
and the potential for significant national economic benefits to accrue.Read moreRead less
Implementation of cognitive radar techniques in resource limited radar systems. Cognitive radar technology enables a multiple functional radar system to be built on a single chip, to be of high efficiency and low cost. Waveform design and scheduling play a key role in such a system. This project will investigate and design waveforms and scheduling methods for building a real cognitive radar system in the extremely high frequency band.
Sampling and processing for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. This project aims to develop optimal, efficient and robust signal processing methods for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) with reduced scan times. A child, possibly distressed, can only be motionless long enough to undergo a basic dMRI scan of the brain, but enhanced forms of dMRI need at least 60 minutes. The project’s processing methods will use spherical geometries, which encode information about white matter fibres ....Sampling and processing for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. This project aims to develop optimal, efficient and robust signal processing methods for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) with reduced scan times. A child, possibly distressed, can only be motionless long enough to undergo a basic dMRI scan of the brain, but enhanced forms of dMRI need at least 60 minutes. The project’s processing methods will use spherical geometries, which encode information about white matter fibres in the brain, to collect and reconstruct images. The project is expected to reduce dMRI scan times and ultimately make non-invasive and inexpensive early detection of neurological disorders such as dementia feasible.Read moreRead less
Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all c ....Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all citizens and so positive outcomes from the research can be expected to translate into increased quality of life for the whole country.Read moreRead less
Highly nonlinear all-optical switches using chalcogenide photonic crystal. Business productivity and economic prosperity are increasingly correlated with the speed of a country's Internet connections and computer infrastructure. Australia will benefit from dramatic improvements to communications technology arising from this research, through access to improved services and through the creation of enterprises formed to commercialise our novel technology. The benefits from the eventual development ....Highly nonlinear all-optical switches using chalcogenide photonic crystal. Business productivity and economic prosperity are increasingly correlated with the speed of a country's Internet connections and computer infrastructure. Australia will benefit from dramatic improvements to communications technology arising from this research, through access to improved services and through the creation of enterprises formed to commercialise our novel technology. The benefits from the eventual development of ultrahigh speed networks include better rural and regional connectivity, improved business productivity and the emergence of new high-bandwidth services, such as telemedicine and flexible learning.Read moreRead less
Electronic Auditory Pathway. We will develop electronic building blocks to investigate biological signal processing. In particular, we will investigate the auditory pathway and develop the most accurate electronic model of the biological cochlea and auditory nerve. These will be followed by electronic circuits that model the processing of sensory signals in the brain. Processing signals with neural spikes offers distinct advantages over current analogue and digital signal processing techniques i ....Electronic Auditory Pathway. We will develop electronic building blocks to investigate biological signal processing. In particular, we will investigate the auditory pathway and develop the most accurate electronic model of the biological cochlea and auditory nerve. These will be followed by electronic circuits that model the processing of sensory signals in the brain. Processing signals with neural spikes offers distinct advantages over current analogue and digital signal processing techniques in terms of noise, energy consumption and extraction of temporal information. We will implement the first spike-based models of pitch and timbre perception, and a neural model of speech recognition in noisy environments.Read moreRead less
Improved design of hearing protection devices with binaural voice pick-up and hearing loss compensation. Hearing protection is essential to industries operating under extreme noise conditions. However, conventional hearing protection devices such
as earplugs and earmuffs inhibit face-to-face communications. Sensear
has developed and marketed a world-first product that, apart from overcoming the aforesaid limitation, also gives the wearer a perception of his surrounding sound field. This projec ....Improved design of hearing protection devices with binaural voice pick-up and hearing loss compensation. Hearing protection is essential to industries operating under extreme noise conditions. However, conventional hearing protection devices such
as earplugs and earmuffs inhibit face-to-face communications. Sensear
has developed and marketed a world-first product that, apart from overcoming the aforesaid limitation, also gives the wearer a perception of his surrounding sound field. This project seeks to extend Sensear's products to include compensation for people with hearing loss. This will give Sensear a competitive edge in hearing protection products, and enhance Australia's reputation in assistive hearing technology. The project also presents a number of opportunities to provide
industry-focussed research training to PhD students.Read moreRead less
Signal processing algorithms for interpreting multi-dimensional ambulatory data during normal activities: correlates of current measures of fall risk. This project will develop algorithms to analyse human movement, measured using a small waist-worn sensor, which approximate existing clinical tests to identify likely fallers. This will enable future fall risk monitor development. This is an important problem as one in three senior citizens fall each year, costing around $500 million in healthcare ....Signal processing algorithms for interpreting multi-dimensional ambulatory data during normal activities: correlates of current measures of fall risk. This project will develop algorithms to analyse human movement, measured using a small waist-worn sensor, which approximate existing clinical tests to identify likely fallers. This will enable future fall risk monitor development. This is an important problem as one in three senior citizens fall each year, costing around $500 million in healthcare.Read moreRead less
Dynamic substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering: piezoelectric actuated nanotextures with phase-locked signal processing. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering shows great promise for sensitive detection of a wide range of chemical and biological compounds. Novel electronic devices will be produced to actively tune the nanometre scale structures that generate the scattering signal, resulting in an improved fundamental understanding and control of the effect.