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
Downlinks for Future Earth Observation Satellites: Breaking the Bottlenecks. Future earth-observation satellites require gigabit transmission rates in higher frequency bands. Limitations in the radio frequency spectrum call for spectrally-efficient modulation schemes, which make gigabit data rates particularly challenging. This project aims to design a next-generation transmission scheme for future Ka-Band gigabit satellite downlinks, including novel approaches for dealing with channel effects s ....Downlinks for Future Earth Observation Satellites: Breaking the Bottlenecks. Future earth-observation satellites require gigabit transmission rates in higher frequency bands. Limitations in the radio frequency spectrum call for spectrally-efficient modulation schemes, which make gigabit data rates particularly challenging. This project aims to design a next-generation transmission scheme for future Ka-Band gigabit satellite downlinks, including novel approaches for dealing with channel effects such as group delay, ripple and non-linear satellite power amplifiers. The design intends to include high-speed signal processing and coding architectures, plus real-time signal synthesis and acquisition to allow realistic performance testing and optimisation with satellite hardware from Thales Alenia Space.Read moreRead less
Algorithmics for Extremely Mobile Wireless Networks. Existing wireless network protocols need stringent conditions to be effective. These conditions are rarely met for concrete applications such as Defence, Disaster-Relief, Search-and-Rescue. All these cannot rely on existing infrastructure, and often require high mobility. This is crucial in the case of Australia which cannot rely on complete network coverage of its lands and seas. This project will develop new wireless protocols for applicati ....Algorithmics for Extremely Mobile Wireless Networks. Existing wireless network protocols need stringent conditions to be effective. These conditions are rarely met for concrete applications such as Defence, Disaster-Relief, Search-and-Rescue. All these cannot rely on existing infrastructure, and often require high mobility. This is crucial in the case of Australia which cannot rely on complete network coverage of its lands and seas. This project will develop new wireless protocols for applications requiring extreme mobility. It will increase Australia's control of this, now ubiquitous, technology thus rendering Australia a key player in this field.Read moreRead less
Creating a smart city through internet of things. This project will deliver smart new ways of urban monitoring using ubiquitous sensing and data analysis for city management and sustainability. It will deliver researcher training, global clientele for local technology and a platform for local industry growth.
Complex magnetic structures for microwave, logic and memory applications. The proposed work addresses high profile fields of nanotechnology and frequency agile materials. Device prototypes of novel energy efficient components for microwave signal processing, for wave logic and for memory applications based on magnetic materials will be designed, fabricated and studied.
Nodal Power Saving for Disconnected Ad Hoc Sensor Networks. Bushfire, age care and farming is Australia's today and tomorrow.
A key aspect in bushfire control is early detection of ignitions by spreading miniature low power sensors in a large potential area in an ad hoc fashion and localizing. Response to panic alarm buttons by retirees in a retirement village where they are free to walk around while their location is monitored in real time using a wireless tag they carry to transmit data re ....Nodal Power Saving for Disconnected Ad Hoc Sensor Networks. Bushfire, age care and farming is Australia's today and tomorrow.
A key aspect in bushfire control is early detection of ignitions by spreading miniature low power sensors in a large potential area in an ad hoc fashion and localizing. Response to panic alarm buttons by retirees in a retirement village where they are free to walk around while their location is monitored in real time using a wireless tag they carry to transmit data relating to their physical health(i.e blood pressure, ECG etc). Locating live stocks roaming around in the dairy industry using sensory transmission used for monitoring their statues is vitals for the farmer for improving efficiency.
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Unconventional antennas from macro- to nano-scales. This research project will develop unconventional radio-frequency antennas for tomorrow's miniaturised multi-function wireless communication systems. It will also extend the principles to resonant nano-structures or 'optical antennas' which offer new perspectives in sensing physics, with the possibility of single molecule detection and identification.
Communication networks for smart electricity grids. A smart grid will improve the efficiency of EnergyAustralia's electricity grid by minimizing cost and greenhouse gas emissions. A smart grid architecture will be researched and developed by using advanced communications and control engineering techniques offering significant economic, industrial, social and environmental benefits to Australia.
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.