Automated photonic multi-spectral weed discrimination sensor for precision agriculture. Australian farmers spend over $800 million yearly on herbicides. The proposed technology can reduce herbicide usage by 80% (i.e. over $640 million p.a. saving) and improve crop yields by 30%. Precision application of herbicides, fertilisers and nutrients to weeds and crops has both economic and environmental benefits which will increase farm profits and boost Australia's export sales. Reduced chemical loads o ....Automated photonic multi-spectral weed discrimination sensor for precision agriculture. Australian farmers spend over $800 million yearly on herbicides. The proposed technology can reduce herbicide usage by 80% (i.e. over $640 million p.a. saving) and improve crop yields by 30%. Precision application of herbicides, fertilisers and nutrients to weeds and crops has both economic and environmental benefits which will increase farm profits and boost Australia's export sales. Reduced chemical loads on ecosystems will benefit the environment and reduced chemicals in the food chain will benefit the health of Australians. This development will put Australia at the cutting edge of precision spray technology and has numerous spin-off applications in many sectors.Read moreRead less
Precision time and frequency in the lab and in space to test fundamental physics. This project gives Australia the opportunity to be involved in the world's best time comparison experiment ever conceived using the European Space Agency's ultra-accurate atomic clocks in space and the best international network of ground clocks. It strengthens collaboration between the University of Western Australia and world elite metrology institutes, including Paris Observatory, Ecole Normale Superior, the Nat ....Precision time and frequency in the lab and in space to test fundamental physics. This project gives Australia the opportunity to be involved in the world's best time comparison experiment ever conceived using the European Space Agency's ultra-accurate atomic clocks in space and the best international network of ground clocks. It strengthens collaboration between the University of Western Australia and world elite metrology institutes, including Paris Observatory, Ecole Normale Superior, the National Measurement Institute, the French Space Agency, and Humboldt, Stanford and Durham Universities. It involves cutting edge research that will test relativity, particle physics and fundamental constants that may well lead to fundamental changes to our laws of Nature and the Universe.Read moreRead less
A southern hemisphere ground station for the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space mission. Australia is aiming for membership in the high-profile space mission involving atomic clocks on-board the International Space Station. The mission will test aspects of special and general relativity, searching for tell-tale signs of new physics. This project will construct an atomic fountain clock and install a microwave-satellite link to meet the goal.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,230,000.00
Summary
Ground station facility for membership of the atomic clock ensemble in space mission. This is a unique opportunity for Australian membership of a high profile space mission involving atomic clocks on board the International Space Station and in the world's best frequency and time laboratories. The results obtained will lead to a better understanding of the unification of quantum mechanics and relativity as well as aspects of fundamental Earth metrology.
Airborne passive radiometer for high resolution soil moisture monitoring. The project proposes to create a novel technology to measure soil moisture. Accurate knowledge of soil moisture profiles at high resolution is important for sustainable land and water management including efficient irrigation scheduling and cropping practices. A passive multi-band soil moisture-measuring radiometer at L-, Ku- and Ka-bands is proposed. The radiometer comprises a three-band shared aperture antenna array, a ....Airborne passive radiometer for high resolution soil moisture monitoring. The project proposes to create a novel technology to measure soil moisture. Accurate knowledge of soil moisture profiles at high resolution is important for sustainable land and water management including efficient irrigation scheduling and cropping practices. A passive multi-band soil moisture-measuring radiometer at L-, Ku- and Ka-bands is proposed. The radiometer comprises a three-band shared aperture antenna array, a receiving electronics, a digital controller and a data logger. The array antenna comprises dual polarised stacked patch elements. Beamforming networks form agile beams to scan the ground. Sensitive radiometer receivers apply brightness temperature downscaling for high resolution. The high-resolution passive radiometer would revolutionise airborne soil moisture monitoring by removing the mechanically steerable bulky and heavy scanheads.Read moreRead less
Reconfigurable antennas for satellite on-the-move communications. Reconfigurable antennas for satellite on-the-move communications. This project aims to design and develop low-cost reconfigurable end-user antennas that could be integrated with low-earth-orbit satellites so regional and remote Australians can access broadband. While broadband is taking its place alongside water and electricity as essential infrastructure, people in regional Australia lack genuine broadband services. These antenna ....Reconfigurable antennas for satellite on-the-move communications. Reconfigurable antennas for satellite on-the-move communications. This project aims to design and develop low-cost reconfigurable end-user antennas that could be integrated with low-earth-orbit satellites so regional and remote Australians can access broadband. While broadband is taking its place alongside water and electricity as essential infrastructure, people in regional Australia lack genuine broadband services. These antennas are expected to give these communities reliable access to e-health services and distance education, and make their businesses more productive with access to new markets. The proposed antennas should also make broadband services available in the air, at sea, or on the move.Read moreRead less
Discreet reading of printable multi-bit chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on polymer banknotes. Counterfeiting of banknotes is a serious and costly world-wide problem, and very sophisticated measures are necessary to thwart counterfeiters. This project will use radio frequency identification techniques to enable bank tellers and other staff handling cash to discreetly check banknotes as they count them in front of customers.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100918
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Real-Time Electromagnetic-wave Engineering for Advanced Wireless Systems. This project aims to enable and accelerate the development and deployment of next generation high-speed wireless networks, particularly in high network density areas. It aims to apply real-time electromagnetic signal processing engineering to achieve all-analog mm-wave radio systems for ultrafast wireless systems. Next-generation wireless networks will need to support a 1000-fold increase in data capacity. The mere evoluti ....Real-Time Electromagnetic-wave Engineering for Advanced Wireless Systems. This project aims to enable and accelerate the development and deployment of next generation high-speed wireless networks, particularly in high network density areas. It aims to apply real-time electromagnetic signal processing engineering to achieve all-analog mm-wave radio systems for ultrafast wireless systems. Next-generation wireless networks will need to support a 1000-fold increase in data capacity. The mere evolution of current digital based mobile technologies will be largely insufficient to meet the anticipated demands, and in light of rapid transitions towards mm-wave domain, new disruptive technological solutions are needed. This project aims to provide these new technological devices and systems for the faster deployment of future wireless networks in Australia.Read moreRead less
Compact Millimeter-Wave Terminal for LEO Satellite Communications. On the basis of the cutting-edge and concept-proofed beam-steerable antenna invented by the team, this project aims at tackling the system-level challenges and developing a commercial-ready millimeter-wave satellite terminal to deal with the digital inequality facing rural and remote Australia. The proposed terminal can lead to a household-affordable price system that is compact and can be installed on a fixed/mobile platform for ....Compact Millimeter-Wave Terminal for LEO Satellite Communications. On the basis of the cutting-edge and concept-proofed beam-steerable antenna invented by the team, this project aims at tackling the system-level challenges and developing a commercial-ready millimeter-wave satellite terminal to deal with the digital inequality facing rural and remote Australia. The proposed terminal can lead to a household-affordable price system that is compact and can be installed on a fixed/mobile platform for broadband connectivity. The project will have an immediate socio-economic impact for families and small businesses located in rural areas in Australia that have poor digital access, meanwhile, it has great potential to transform the local industry partner' business into a highly profitable emerging market.Read moreRead less
Microwave Detection of Structural Degradation in Maritime Industry. Novel applications of microwave technology to inspection systems in marine infrastructure will transform industry practice. By utilizing multi-mode antennas, the project aims to develop a gold-standard in microwave inspection, delivering more accurate and early detection of defects. The project aims will be achieved by combining innovative microwave technology, featuring multi-mode antennas and novel processing and imaging algor ....Microwave Detection of Structural Degradation in Maritime Industry. Novel applications of microwave technology to inspection systems in marine infrastructure will transform industry practice. By utilizing multi-mode antennas, the project aims to develop a gold-standard in microwave inspection, delivering more accurate and early detection of defects. The project aims will be achieved by combining innovative microwave technology, featuring multi-mode antennas and novel processing and imaging algorithms, with ground-breaking smart scanning and unmanned marine vehicle implementations. This innovative outcome obviates the need for current industry approaches based on inaccurate and tedious manual inspections, yielding massive cost savings and reductions in hazard associated with unanticipated structural failure.Read moreRead less