Computational Methods for the Social Accounting of Teamwork. The cornerstone of the knowledge industries underlying the Australian economy is not just mechanical efficiency but also teamwork productivity. The increasing trend toward placing Australian employees nearer to their customers means that Australian companies face an even greater challenge in managing effective teamwork. This research examines the pragmatics and theoretical issues of developing computer-based systems that enable real-ti ....Computational Methods for the Social Accounting of Teamwork. The cornerstone of the knowledge industries underlying the Australian economy is not just mechanical efficiency but also teamwork productivity. The increasing trend toward placing Australian employees nearer to their customers means that Australian companies face an even greater challenge in managing effective teamwork. This research examines the pragmatics and theoretical issues of developing computer-based systems that enable real-time assessments of teamwork productivity. Automated assessments of how well relationships are progressing in teams will enable them to realise the same levels of productivity gains that automated workflow management has facilitated.Read moreRead less
Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications. The mathematics community will benefit from infusion of new computer-assisted techniques and modalities for research and training post-graduate students, both from my pure research project and through development of an associated research centre. Ultimately, this should also help more school students learn mathematics well and so play a part in addressing Australia's skill shortage. Also, the work on optimization algorithms promises to ....Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications. The mathematics community will benefit from infusion of new computer-assisted techniques and modalities for research and training post-graduate students, both from my pure research project and through development of an associated research centre. Ultimately, this should also help more school students learn mathematics well and so play a part in addressing Australia's skill shortage. Also, the work on optimization algorithms promises to improve the performance and quality of many practical signal reconstruction methods. These are used by varied Australian industries from telecommunication to mining and by researchers in the digital arts and fields such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, bioscience, geoscience, engineering and medicine.Read moreRead less
Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing ....Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing in an unknown environment, (b) Vocational Training - a Forest Fire Fighting simulation that allows for different terrain configurations, undergrowth volatility, fire source, etc., and (c) Military Simulations - Anti-terrorist simulations where the level of variability will manifest itself both in the physical environment and in the nature of the combatants. Read moreRead less
Integrating deep-earth and surface processes for frontier-basin exploration. It is well-known that mantle convection has a profound influence on basin evolution, and the next step will be to quantify this relationship and provide the science that will make these concepts applicable to exploration. To do this, we will develop a workflow to link plate-reconstruction software with the mantle convection modelling to link plate motions mantle convection and the history of sedimentation systematically ....Integrating deep-earth and surface processes for frontier-basin exploration. It is well-known that mantle convection has a profound influence on basin evolution, and the next step will be to quantify this relationship and provide the science that will make these concepts applicable to exploration. To do this, we will develop a workflow to link plate-reconstruction software with the mantle convection modelling to link plate motions mantle convection and the history of sedimentation systematically for the first time for frontier basin-scale applications. We will apply these emerging technologies to the evolution of basins in the Arctic borderlands frontier for resource exploration and on the Australian continent.Read moreRead less
Defence and Security Risk Assessment using Agent Based Distillations. Today's society continues to be occupied with the idea of risk. The recent events of September 11th, the Bali bombing, SARS, the bush fires in Canberra, and the Tsunami are examples of human-made and natural disasters. These events had dramatic consequences on the social, economic, and political environment and numerous industries. This project offers an innovative methodological paradigm for assessing risk through the transfe ....Defence and Security Risk Assessment using Agent Based Distillations. Today's society continues to be occupied with the idea of risk. The recent events of September 11th, the Bali bombing, SARS, the bush fires in Canberra, and the Tsunami are examples of human-made and natural disasters. These events had dramatic consequences on the social, economic, and political environment and numerous industries. This project offers an innovative methodological paradigm for assessing risk through the transfer of technologies drawn from defence simulations to the safety and security areas. The success of this project will mark a paradigm shift in the area of risk assessment and management.Read moreRead less
Thermo-mechanical interactive atlas of basin evolution. We propose to create a thermo-mechanical interactive atlas of basin evolution as a desktop geodynamic modelling resource for exploration geologists. The atlas will allow the user to iteratively run our 2D/3D basin modelling software ELLIPSIS to alter model parameters until they match observed basin geometries or thermal history. Model iteration will be based on interactive user evaluation of model outputs and genetic algorithms, which pr ....Thermo-mechanical interactive atlas of basin evolution. We propose to create a thermo-mechanical interactive atlas of basin evolution as a desktop geodynamic modelling resource for exploration geologists. The atlas will allow the user to iteratively run our 2D/3D basin modelling software ELLIPSIS to alter model parameters until they match observed basin geometries or thermal history. Model iteration will be based on interactive user evaluation of model outputs and genetic algorithms, which progressively modify the solution set by mimicking the evolutionary behavior of biological systems (selection, cross-over and mutation), until an acceptable result is achieved. The interactive atlas will be applied to Australian and international case studies.Read moreRead less
Applying Method Engineering Techniques to the Construction of Agile Methodologies. Agile approaches to software development provide flexibility within the method but provide no assistance for improving the selected method. This second kind of flexibility is important to permit organizations to improve with time. To accomplish such improvement, a method engineering approach is proposed for agile method construction using the OPEN Process Framework, which consists of a metamodel and a collection ....Applying Method Engineering Techniques to the Construction of Agile Methodologies. Agile approaches to software development provide flexibility within the method but provide no assistance for improving the selected method. This second kind of flexibility is important to permit organizations to improve with time. To accomplish such improvement, a method engineering approach is proposed for agile method construction using the OPEN Process Framework, which consists of a metamodel and a collection of method components, stored in a repository. In collaboration with Eagle Datamation International, we will devise methods of constructing an agile method tailored to their business needs and then evaluate it in practice, monitoring as the method evolves and improves.Read moreRead less
Metamodel-based Methodology for Developing Agent-Oriented Systems. In the context of building high quality software, agent technology offers substantial promise. However, its widespread deployment by industry is hampered by the lack of commercially acceptable development methodologies. Here, we expand a metamodel-based process framework (the OPEN Process Framework) to support agent-oriented (AO) software development that will eventually both form a de facto standard for AO methodologies and be ....Metamodel-based Methodology for Developing Agent-Oriented Systems. In the context of building high quality software, agent technology offers substantial promise. However, its widespread deployment by industry is hampered by the lack of commercially acceptable development methodologies. Here, we expand a metamodel-based process framework (the OPEN Process Framework) to support agent-oriented (AO) software development that will eventually both form a de facto standard for AO methodologies and be acceptable for commercial software application development. To create this extension, significant research in AO software engineering is required. Our basis will be the OPF plus elements from existing AO methodologies, notably Tropos and Gaia, whose authors will collaborate actively.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0566892
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$220,000.00
Summary
The EarthByte software and database system. Earth processes over geological timescales cannot be understood outside of a plate tectonic context. However, no standard tool exists to explore the causes and effects of lithosphere-mantle interaction in accordance with past plate configurations. Our aim is to develop a Palaeo-Geographic Information System called EarthByte that will connect the open source and architecture-independent GPlates and GMT software, and implement XML-based service interfac ....The EarthByte software and database system. Earth processes over geological timescales cannot be understood outside of a plate tectonic context. However, no standard tool exists to explore the causes and effects of lithosphere-mantle interaction in accordance with past plate configurations. Our aim is to develop a Palaeo-Geographic Information System called EarthByte that will connect the open source and architecture-independent GPlates and GMT software, and implement XML-based service interfaces and databases. EarthByte will create the foundation for an e-geoscience framework for grid-based data access and Earth process modelling by linking geological and geophysical observations to palaeogeographic models for constraining mantle convection and lithospheric deformation.Read moreRead less
Planet-scale reorganizations of the plate-mantle system. Vast sedimentary basins, fold belts and associated resources represent the main source of Australia's wealth, formed largely as consequences of major global tectonic events. We propose to connect two key national Simulation and Modelling infrastructures to a novel geodynamic modelling tool, developed specifically for modelling plate tectonics at the global and regional scale and suitable to unravel the causes and consequences of sudden gl ....Planet-scale reorganizations of the plate-mantle system. Vast sedimentary basins, fold belts and associated resources represent the main source of Australia's wealth, formed largely as consequences of major global tectonic events. We propose to connect two key national Simulation and Modelling infrastructures to a novel geodynamic modelling tool, developed specifically for modelling plate tectonics at the global and regional scale and suitable to unravel the causes and consequences of sudden global plate tectonic reorganizations. The knowledge-base derived from this work will considerably improve our understanding of catastrophic tectonic events affecting plate boundaries and plate interiors.Read moreRead less