Formation of organic pollutants in fires of treated and contaminated wood. This project quantifies the emission of dioxins and biphenyls in burning of treated and contaminated wood to provide data on whether combustion of such materials should be regulated in Australia and whether an educational campaign needs to be mounted to make public aware of this problem. For example, our preliminary results indicate that, timber treated with copper boron azole, a non-arsenic replacement for CCA preservat ....Formation of organic pollutants in fires of treated and contaminated wood. This project quantifies the emission of dioxins and biphenyls in burning of treated and contaminated wood to provide data on whether combustion of such materials should be regulated in Australia and whether an educational campaign needs to be mounted to make public aware of this problem. For example, our preliminary results indicate that, timber treated with copper boron azole, a non-arsenic replacement for CCA preservative, produces extremely high levels of dioxins, both in flames and in the ash. If the preliminary results are confirmed, this agent must be disallowed as a wood preservative in Australia, as it poses unacceptable risks to the Australian population and environment. Read moreRead less
Programming anisotropy into responsive soft materials. The project aims to generate viscoelastic soft materials with programmable anisotropy using aqueous suspensions of colloidal rods that have tunable surface coatings. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the rheology and structural characteristics of this unique class of materials. A key innovation is the use of charge-directed polymer self-assembly to control colloidal interactions, suspension rheology and phase behaviour. The in ....Programming anisotropy into responsive soft materials. The project aims to generate viscoelastic soft materials with programmable anisotropy using aqueous suspensions of colloidal rods that have tunable surface coatings. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the rheology and structural characteristics of this unique class of materials. A key innovation is the use of charge-directed polymer self-assembly to control colloidal interactions, suspension rheology and phase behaviour. The intended outcome is spatial control over the orientation of nanostructures, potentially mimicking the structural hierarchy found in nature. This should provide significant benefits to the creation of viscoelastic materials with complex rheology as well as structural, mechanical and optical heterogeneity.Read moreRead less
Feature Learning for High-dimensional Functional Time Series. This project aims to develop new methods and theories for common features on high-dimensional functional time series observed in empirical applications. The significance includes addressing a key gap in adaptive and efficient feature learning, improving forecasting accuracy and understanding forecasting-driven factors comprehensively for empirical data. Expected outcomes involve advances in big data theory and easy-to-implement algori ....Feature Learning for High-dimensional Functional Time Series. This project aims to develop new methods and theories for common features on high-dimensional functional time series observed in empirical applications. The significance includes addressing a key gap in adaptive and efficient feature learning, improving forecasting accuracy and understanding forecasting-driven factors comprehensively for empirical data. Expected outcomes involve advances in big data theory and easy-to-implement algorithms for applied researchers. This project benefits not only advanced manufacturing by finding optimal stopping time for wood panel compression, but also superior forecasting for mortality in demography, climate data in environmental science, asset returns in finance, and electricity consumption in economics. Read moreRead less
Manufacture of precision optical components: ground-breaking through innovative constitutive modeling. It has been a worldwide challenge to make high precision optical elements using glass moulding though it is the most effective process. This project aims to develop a novel way to optimise precision glass moulding processes. The success of this research will significantly reduce the development cost and improve the quality of the moulding products.
A scalable and portable question-answering system. The current availability of large volumes of free text digitally stored demands the development of methodologies that can automatically find specific answers to user questions about this "unstructured" information. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable portable and domain-independent real-time natural-language question-answering system that explores the logical contents of the text. To achieve this we will fuse current approaches to ....A scalable and portable question-answering system. The current availability of large volumes of free text digitally stored demands the development of methodologies that can automatically find specific answers to user questions about this "unstructured" information. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable portable and domain-independent real-time natural-language question-answering system that explores the logical contents of the text. To achieve this we will fuse current approaches to question answering with approaches that look at the logical contents of the questions and answer candidates. A central part of the project will be the characterisation of the optimal logical forms, the determination of efficient methods to create and store sentence logical forms of potentially large volumes of text, and the treatment of difficult questions by incorporating summarisation and text generation techniques.Read moreRead less
A Layered Controlled Natural Language for Knowledge Representation. In this research project we will develop a controlled natural language for knowledge representation that has the potential to bridge the gap between fragments of natural language and formal languages. This controlled language will be based on a variety of increasing sophisticated layers, each building upon those below it by providing enhancements in expressive power. Sentences of the controlled language will be unambiguously tra ....A Layered Controlled Natural Language for Knowledge Representation. In this research project we will develop a controlled natural language for knowledge representation that has the potential to bridge the gap between fragments of natural language and formal languages. This controlled language will be based on a variety of increasing sophisticated layers, each building upon those below it by providing enhancements in expressive power. Sentences of the controlled language will be unambiguously translatable into a corresponding formal language. Anyone who can read and write English can immediately use the controlled language with the help an intelligent text editor. This technology will make it possible for non-specialists to write problem specifications in terms of the application domain without the need to formally encode the information.Read moreRead less
A Skin Detection Micro-Sensor for Face Identification using Color and Stereo Information. The objective of this research is to develop a micro-sensor for face identification, using color and stereo information. The micro-sensor chip performs a real-time search of the scene to locate human skin for subsequent face detection. This micro-sensor could also be used for gesture recognition, lip reading, monitoring driver's hypo-vigilance or tracking a person in a crowd. The chip image-recognition capa ....A Skin Detection Micro-Sensor for Face Identification using Color and Stereo Information. The objective of this research is to develop a micro-sensor for face identification, using color and stereo information. The micro-sensor chip performs a real-time search of the scene to locate human skin for subsequent face detection. This micro-sensor could also be used for gesture recognition, lip reading, monitoring driver's hypo-vigilance or tracking a person in a crowd. The chip image-recognition capabilities will spur the development of a new generation of consumer products with "intelligent eyes".
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A Computer-Aided Cartooning System. This project is aimed at developing a computer-aided system to accelerate main image-related processes in cartoon production. Using such a system, many of the tedious and repetitive tasks can be performed semi-automatically. The project is focused on accurate representation and matching of shapes. New vectorization methods based on projection onto convex sets (POCS), and new matching methods based on multi-stage hierarchical structures will be developed. The t ....A Computer-Aided Cartooning System. This project is aimed at developing a computer-aided system to accelerate main image-related processes in cartoon production. Using such a system, many of the tedious and repetitive tasks can be performed semi-automatically. The project is focused on accurate representation and matching of shapes. New vectorization methods based on projection onto convex sets (POCS), and new matching methods based on multi-stage hierarchical structures will be developed. The targeted applications include entertainment, next generation mobile services, and the internet.Read moreRead less
Advanced Processing for Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging. There is currently considerable interest around the world in imaging systems that can 'see' through-the-walls. This project is at the cutting edge of through-the-wall radar imaging research and technology. It will benefit both the defence and security industries, and position Australia among the leading countries in this technology, as only a handful of research teams around the world have the necessary background and expertise in this area ....Advanced Processing for Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging. There is currently considerable interest around the world in imaging systems that can 'see' through-the-walls. This project is at the cutting edge of through-the-wall radar imaging research and technology. It will benefit both the defence and security industries, and position Australia among the leading countries in this technology, as only a handful of research teams around the world have the necessary background and expertise in this area. The research outcomes will enhance the capability of the military, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and search and rescue personnel. It will play a vital role in protecting and safeguarding Australia from terrorism and crime.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Through-Wall Imaging using Bayesian Compressive Sensing. The aim of this project is to develop radar imaging techniques which enable us to 'see' objects behind walls and opaque materials. The major intended breakthrough is the ability to image objects behind walls and inside buildings or enclosed structures without accessing the scene. Novel signal and image processing algorithms, based on Bayesian compressive sensing, will be developed to enhance image quality and resolution, improve s ....Enhanced Through-Wall Imaging using Bayesian Compressive Sensing. The aim of this project is to develop radar imaging techniques which enable us to 'see' objects behind walls and opaque materials. The major intended breakthrough is the ability to image objects behind walls and inside buildings or enclosed structures without accessing the scene. Novel signal and image processing algorithms, based on Bayesian compressive sensing, will be developed to enhance image quality and resolution, improve speed of operation, and reduce the cost and time of data acquisition and processing. Many applications are expected to benefit from this research including search and rescue, surveillance, security, and defence. The research outcomes are expected to enhance the capabilities of the Australian armed forces, counter-terrorism, police and law-enforcement agencies.Read moreRead less