Signal Processing for Reconfigurable Antennas – a Multidisciplinary Approach for Next Generation Wireless Communications. To satisfy the enormous demand for wireless applications with scarce radio spectrum, new technologies must be researched, developed, and then employed. Reconfigurable antennas, through morphing their physical structures with various switches, can adapt to the radio propagation environment, thereby increasing spectrum efficiency and power efficiency of wireless communications. ....Signal Processing for Reconfigurable Antennas – a Multidisciplinary Approach for Next Generation Wireless Communications. To satisfy the enormous demand for wireless applications with scarce radio spectrum, new technologies must be researched, developed, and then employed. Reconfigurable antennas, through morphing their physical structures with various switches, can adapt to the radio propagation environment, thereby increasing spectrum efficiency and power efficiency of wireless communications. This project aims to design signal processing algorithms for achieving all the benefits that reconfigurable antennas can provide for wireless communications. An important outcome of this research is sound channel models validated by extensive field measurement data.Read moreRead less
Realizable Synchronization Techniques: Unlocking the Potential of Future Wireless Networks. Wireless networks are undergoing an exciting paradigm shift from carefully planned cellular networks to heterogeneous networks (coexistence of a multitude of base stations of different types), where users may also be equipped with wireless energy harvesting capability. A fundamental requirement of these next generation technologies is the need to achieve synchronisation among the different base stations a ....Realizable Synchronization Techniques: Unlocking the Potential of Future Wireless Networks. Wireless networks are undergoing an exciting paradigm shift from carefully planned cellular networks to heterogeneous networks (coexistence of a multitude of base stations of different types), where users may also be equipped with wireless energy harvesting capability. A fundamental requirement of these next generation technologies is the need to achieve synchronisation among the different base stations and mobile users. This project will develop the fundamental theory and advanced synchronisation techniques for future wireless networks. The expected outcomes will enable wireless networks to meet the increasing demand for higher data rates and extend the battery life of mobile users, benefitting the consumers and the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Semantic Vectorisation: From Bitmaps to Intelligent Representations. The objective of this innovative project is to provide a solution to the open question of representing natural images by semantically rich vector graphics. The challenges are to identify key visual and temporal elements for images and videos, and efficiently decompose the visual data into semantic vector representations that are faithful to original data, compact and editable. The project aims to investigate new bitmap-to-vecto ....Semantic Vectorisation: From Bitmaps to Intelligent Representations. The objective of this innovative project is to provide a solution to the open question of representing natural images by semantically rich vector graphics. The challenges are to identify key visual and temporal elements for images and videos, and efficiently decompose the visual data into semantic vector representations that are faithful to original data, compact and editable. The project aims to investigate new bitmap-to-vector conversion methods. It is expected to develop a framework where semantic labels and hyperlinks can be embedded in visual data automatically. It hopes to pioneer the creation of a web of images where the links are on image/video regions. New image simplification, stylisation, and non-photorealistic rendering methods are expected to be provided.Read moreRead less
Design of Multi-Gigabit Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks. It has been predicted that within the next ten years trillions of devices will connect to cellular networks and cause a thousand-fold increase in mobile traffic. This will lead to a severe spectrum shortage and congested cellular networks. Large expanses of the millimetre-wave spectrum have the potential to meet the capacity demands of future cellular networks. The project aims to develop the fundamental sciences for millimetre-wave cell ....Design of Multi-Gigabit Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks. It has been predicted that within the next ten years trillions of devices will connect to cellular networks and cause a thousand-fold increase in mobile traffic. This will lead to a severe spectrum shortage and congested cellular networks. Large expanses of the millimetre-wave spectrum have the potential to meet the capacity demands of future cellular networks. The project aims to develop the fundamental sciences for millimetre-wave cellular communications, which thought to be essential for the design of next generation cellular networks with data rates at least three orders of magnitude faster than those in current cellular networks. The research outcomes are expected to provide the foundations and tools for building a future mobile broadband network infrastructure in Australia.Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this te ....ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this team with the foremost international authorities and leading industry players in the area of sensor networks. This research network will guide collaborative research that will ensure Australia to play a world leading role in sensor network development and implementation.
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New Technologies for Second Generation Search and Rescue. This project aims to improve the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue system to ensure faster, more reliable, more accurate, and more cost-effective search and rescue operations, ultimately saving lives. The satellite-based Cospas-Sarsat system has assisted with the emergency rescue of more than 35 000 lives worldwide since its introduction in 1982. A second generation of this system is currently under development, promising to significantly i ....New Technologies for Second Generation Search and Rescue. This project aims to improve the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue system to ensure faster, more reliable, more accurate, and more cost-effective search and rescue operations, ultimately saving lives. The satellite-based Cospas-Sarsat system has assisted with the emergency rescue of more than 35 000 lives worldwide since its introduction in 1982. A second generation of this system is currently under development, promising to significantly improve detection rate and localisation accuracy. However, in an emergency, the system’s performance is often compromised due to interference and atmospheric effects, leading to false detections that waste valuable resources. This project aims to develop novel techniques to improve this performance.Read moreRead less
Safeguarding Future Wireless Communications with Physical Layer Security. Wireless communication is vulnerable to eavesdropping attacks since the transmitted signal enters an open wireless medium allowing anyone to overhear it. This project tackles the challenging problem of secure wireless transmissions through the advancement of a new security technology termed physical layer security. Theoretical frameworks are expected to be developed to understand how this new technology extracts the intri ....Safeguarding Future Wireless Communications with Physical Layer Security. Wireless communication is vulnerable to eavesdropping attacks since the transmitted signal enters an open wireless medium allowing anyone to overhear it. This project tackles the challenging problem of secure wireless transmissions through the advancement of a new security technology termed physical layer security. Theoretical frameworks are expected to be developed to understand how this new technology extracts the intrinsic security from the wireless medium to protect the confidentiality of information transmission. The research outcome is expected to provide for innovative solutions to safeguard Australia's future commercial, government and military wireless networks, and to give pivotal insights into the impact of this new technology on national security.Read moreRead less
Precision Pulsar Timing and its Applications. The rapidly rotating pulsars known as millisecond pulsars have period stabilities which rival that of the best terrestrial clocks. Observations of many millisecond pulsars spread across the sky should allow detection of the gravitational-wave background - likely to be the first direct detection of gravity waves. It will also enable establishment of a long-term time standard which is independent of and probably superior to that derived from terrestria ....Precision Pulsar Timing and its Applications. The rapidly rotating pulsars known as millisecond pulsars have period stabilities which rival that of the best terrestrial clocks. Observations of many millisecond pulsars spread across the sky should allow detection of the gravitational-wave background - likely to be the first direct detection of gravity waves. It will also enable establishment of a long-term time standard which is independent of and probably superior to that derived from terrestrial clocks. New analysis techniques and establishment of an international observing network will be required. Investigation and application of techniques for overcoming radio interference will be an important part of the project.Read moreRead less
Defeating Radio Frequency Interference. The radio spectrum is a valuable resource. Development of techniques which minimize the impact of various users on one another, allowing this resource to be shared, will benefit the entire community. For astronomy in particular, shared use is essential because of the very wide bandwidths needed to obtain sufficient sensitivity. Usage of the radio spectrum is increasing rapidly and radio telescopes are becoming more and more sensitive, compounding the probl ....Defeating Radio Frequency Interference. The radio spectrum is a valuable resource. Development of techniques which minimize the impact of various users on one another, allowing this resource to be shared, will benefit the entire community. For astronomy in particular, shared use is essential because of the very wide bandwidths needed to obtain sufficient sensitivity. Usage of the radio spectrum is increasing rapidly and radio telescopes are becoming more and more sensitive, compounding the problems. The digital signal processing techniques developed under this project will be widely applicable, not only to future radio astronomy facilities such as the Square Kilometer Array, but also to the communications industry generally.Read moreRead less
Enabling ultra-reliable and sustainable machine-to-machine communications. This project aims to develop spectrum sharing and power transfer techniques for machine-to-machine communications in future wireless networks. Current wireless networks have high data rate as a priority but cannot deliver ultra-reliable and extended battery life operation for many low data rate machine-type devices. Through proper design of wireless and autonomous machine-to-machine communications, this project expects to ....Enabling ultra-reliable and sustainable machine-to-machine communications. This project aims to develop spectrum sharing and power transfer techniques for machine-to-machine communications in future wireless networks. Current wireless networks have high data rate as a priority but cannot deliver ultra-reliable and extended battery life operation for many low data rate machine-type devices. Through proper design of wireless and autonomous machine-to-machine communications, this project expects to improve quality of life and implement ultra-reliable, intelligent and long lasting machine-type monitoring devices for health, agriculture, mining, wildlife and critical national infrastructure.Read moreRead less