Biologically-inspired detection, pursuit and interception of moving objects by unmanned aircraft systems. Although it is well known that aggressive honeybees are very effective at detecting, pursuing and intercepting moving targets, this behaviour has never been studied quantitatively. This project will use high-speed video cinematography to investigate this behaviour, to develop visual algorithms for the detection of moving targets, and to create dynamical models of the mechanisms that control ....Biologically-inspired detection, pursuit and interception of moving objects by unmanned aircraft systems. Although it is well known that aggressive honeybees are very effective at detecting, pursuing and intercepting moving targets, this behaviour has never been studied quantitatively. This project will use high-speed video cinematography to investigate this behaviour, to develop visual algorithms for the detection of moving targets, and to create dynamical models of the mechanisms that control pursuit. The resulting algorithms will be incorporated into unmanned aerial vehicles for detecting, monitoring and tracking other objects in the sky, and their performance will be evaluated. The results will provide a better understanding of the biological basis of pursuit behaviour, as well as lead to novel technologies for aerial surveillance and safety.Read moreRead less
Strategies for mid-air collision avoidance in aircraft: lessons from bird flight. Birds seldom collide with each other and other objects, despite the high speeds at which they fly in complex environments. This project will examine how birds sense and avoid impending collisions, and will use these results to design novel strategies for the detection and avoidance of aircraft mid-air collisions.
Pharmacological modification of retinal and visual function and relation to control of refractive error. Myopia (short-sightedness) affects many hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to blindness. Drug treatments that prevent myopia are being developed, however there is no efficient way of determining who is at risk of myopia or who will benefit from these treatments. This fundamental research project will determine the retinal and visual effects of pharmacologic agents that inhi ....Pharmacological modification of retinal and visual function and relation to control of refractive error. Myopia (short-sightedness) affects many hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to blindness. Drug treatments that prevent myopia are being developed, however there is no efficient way of determining who is at risk of myopia or who will benefit from these treatments. This fundamental research project will determine the retinal and visual effects of pharmacologic agents that inhibit myopia, with the aim of determining an ocular measure that is related to myopia, which is altered by drugs that are known to slow myopia progression, and that could be used as an indication of an agent's likely effectiveness.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision system ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision systems with applications in industry and national security. Other knowledge will develop novel diagnostic technologies, for application in health delivery.Read moreRead less
Operation of nerve cell networks in the neocortex. In humans, intellectual disabilities occur when nerve cells in the neocortex, the most complicated area of the brain, fail to function correctly. The goal of this project is to understand how neocortical areas communicate and how changes in the structure of neurons disturb their function; work that will lead to a better understanding of the operation of the neocortex.
Deep Downunder: designing a deep-sea exploration and discovery capability for Australia. Exploration of the deep-sea with the modern technologies to be developed by Deep-Downunder is a first for Australia. We aim to explore and discover life at depths from 50-3000m off The Great Barrier Reef, around the seamounts of Lord Howe Island and Tasmania and in the deep canyons of WA and SA. We expect to discover new species, hope for a glimpse of giant squid at home and will answer specific questions on ....Deep Downunder: designing a deep-sea exploration and discovery capability for Australia. Exploration of the deep-sea with the modern technologies to be developed by Deep-Downunder is a first for Australia. We aim to explore and discover life at depths from 50-3000m off The Great Barrier Reef, around the seamounts of Lord Howe Island and Tasmania and in the deep canyons of WA and SA. We expect to discover new species, hope for a glimpse of giant squid at home and will answer specific questions on Australia's ocean biology, fisheries and biotechnology never before approachable. To be effective guardians of Australian waters we must learn what lies in the depths we can't see from a boat.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL140100197
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,970,898.00
Summary
Revealing the invisible: new principles of vision in Australian animals. Revealing the invisible: new principles of vision in Australian animals. This project aims to reveal how the visual systems of marine creatures from the Great Barrier Reef receive and interpret colour and polarisation information, much of which is invisible to the human eye. It aims to utilise this data to tackle fundamental questions in neuroscience and inform bio-inspired camera design and machine-vision solutions. The re ....Revealing the invisible: new principles of vision in Australian animals. Revealing the invisible: new principles of vision in Australian animals. This project aims to reveal how the visual systems of marine creatures from the Great Barrier Reef receive and interpret colour and polarisation information, much of which is invisible to the human eye. It aims to utilise this data to tackle fundamental questions in neuroscience and inform bio-inspired camera design and machine-vision solutions. The resulting new generation of polarisation cameras will be used to characterise the environments, animals and brains that inspired them in the first place. This will help the understanding of how nervous systems convey information and may improve our ability to detect dysfunction in neurons and other cells.Read moreRead less
The functions of reef fish colour patterns: how did the coral trout get its spots? How did the coral trout get its spots? Why are some reef fish striped yellow and blue while others dress in pink and orange blotches? This project goes beyond just interpreting animal colours and uses a new approach to reveal the meanings of whole body patterns. Uniquely, it does so through the eyes of the fish themselves.
Gain from pain: new tools from venomous animals for exploring pain pathways. This project aims to explore animal venoms for new pain-causing toxins, to determine their structure and mechanism of action. Many venomous animals use their venom defensively and envenomation is frequently associated with rapid and often excruciating pain. In most cases the molecular mechanisms by which they achieve this is unknown. Using biochemical, pharmacological and biophysical techniques, this project expects to ....Gain from pain: new tools from venomous animals for exploring pain pathways. This project aims to explore animal venoms for new pain-causing toxins, to determine their structure and mechanism of action. Many venomous animals use their venom defensively and envenomation is frequently associated with rapid and often excruciating pain. In most cases the molecular mechanisms by which they achieve this is unknown. Using biochemical, pharmacological and biophysical techniques, this project expects to uncover toxins that employ new mechanisms of pain signalling, leading to new insights into pain physiology.Read moreRead less
Discovery And Development Of Better Pain Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,613,850.00
Summary
Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clini ....Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clinical potential.Read moreRead less