Model Checking Knowledge and Probability in Pursuit-Evasion Games. The research will produce software enabling modellers to better understand their models in applications including planning under uncertainty, information flow security and systems fault diagnosis. The application studied in this project is military search and rescue mission planning, resulting in greater confidence in mission success. The research is also relevant to emergency response and collision avoidance. The project will ....Model Checking Knowledge and Probability in Pursuit-Evasion Games. The research will produce software enabling modellers to better understand their models in applications including planning under uncertainty, information flow security and systems fault diagnosis. The application studied in this project is military search and rescue mission planning, resulting in greater confidence in mission success. The research is also relevant to emergency response and collision avoidance. The project will support retention of Australian intellectual property with potential for future commercialisation. It will foster linkages between Australian researchers and an international defence alliance partner. Outcomes will be available to Australian Defence through existing Defence research sharing arrangements.Read moreRead less
Design of Wireless sensor and communication networks with fixed and mobile nodes. Wireless sensor and communication networks with fixed and mobile nodes are rapidly becoming essential technologies for hostile environmental monitoring, battlefield surveillance and precision agriculture. However, due to the complexities associated with interconnected design issues involving sensors, autonomous vehicles and communication protocols, even very simple networks have proven to be difficult to design. Th ....Design of Wireless sensor and communication networks with fixed and mobile nodes. Wireless sensor and communication networks with fixed and mobile nodes are rapidly becoming essential technologies for hostile environmental monitoring, battlefield surveillance and precision agriculture. However, due to the complexities associated with interconnected design issues involving sensors, autonomous vehicles and communication protocols, even very simple networks have proven to be difficult to design. This project proposes to intelligently employ higher capabilities of mobile nodes and develop methods for rapid deployment, maintenance and routing that are aware of location, energy, and security. The outcomes of this project will form the basis for design of intelligent wireless networks for defence and civilian applications.Read moreRead less
Better Planning for and Managing Asymmetric Threats to Australia's Security: Applying the Field Anomaly Relaxation (FAR) Systems Thinking Approach. Despite an enviable national security condition, Australia is at risk in an information-abundant world that increasingly spawns asymmetric threats such as information terrorism. What is needed are enhanced strategic and operational structures to improve the nation's security and ensure sound futures planning. This research focuses on applying the Fie ....Better Planning for and Managing Asymmetric Threats to Australia's Security: Applying the Field Anomaly Relaxation (FAR) Systems Thinking Approach. Despite an enviable national security condition, Australia is at risk in an information-abundant world that increasingly spawns asymmetric threats such as information terrorism. What is needed are enhanced strategic and operational structures to improve the nation's security and ensure sound futures planning. This research focuses on applying the Field Anomaly Relaxation (FAR) systems thinking approach to asymmetric information warfare threats to Australia. This is a new approach previously developed by ECU researchers investigating risk and innovation in the armed forces. It will now be extended to improve professional practice and the knowledge and skill base of Australia's information defence practitioners.Read moreRead less
Crisis management simulation: developing a methodology for transforming communication response. The ability of any large corporation or public institution to handle a crisis can have major economic, environmental, social or cultural consequences. For the Australian Defence Force (ADF), effective crisis management communication can literally mean life or death. This project merges cutting-edge digital games technology with applied drama techniques to produce a crisis management game to simulate ....Crisis management simulation: developing a methodology for transforming communication response. The ability of any large corporation or public institution to handle a crisis can have major economic, environmental, social or cultural consequences. For the Australian Defence Force (ADF), effective crisis management communication can literally mean life or death. This project merges cutting-edge digital games technology with applied drama techniques to produce a crisis management game to simulate conflict and crisis scenarios. Working closely with the ADF to better understand organisational communication under extreme pressure, this new approach will build teamwork and break down barriers to effective crisis management. The methodology developed will have global application to public and private organisations.
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Information Security Evaluation of Embedded Computer Software. Safeguarding classified electronic communications is of major national importance. This research, into security evaluation of computer software, is supported by the Defence Signals Directorate, which verifies the security of communications devices used by Australia's government and armed forces. As such devices become increasingly sophisticated, traditional security evaluation techniques have become unacceptably difficult and costl ....Information Security Evaluation of Embedded Computer Software. Safeguarding classified electronic communications is of major national importance. This research, into security evaluation of computer software, is supported by the Defence Signals Directorate, which verifies the security of communications devices used by Australia's government and armed forces. As such devices become increasingly sophisticated, traditional security evaluation techniques have become unacceptably difficult and costly. Hardware evaluation techniques, based on tracing paths through circuitry diagrams, have proven unsuitable for software evaluations. Consequently, devising new tools and techniques for information security evaluation of embedded computer software is essential for preserving Australia's national security.Read moreRead less
A comparative study of the laser-tissue interaction between solid state 213nm vs excimer gas 193nm laser systems. We will carry out a comparative study of the latest technological developments in laser vision correction surgery. We will compare the biological effects of a new solid state laser operating at 213nm and a traditional excimer gas laser operating at 193nm. For each laser type, long-term scarring, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and free radical production will be studied in relevant in viv ....A comparative study of the laser-tissue interaction between solid state 213nm vs excimer gas 193nm laser systems. We will carry out a comparative study of the latest technological developments in laser vision correction surgery. We will compare the biological effects of a new solid state laser operating at 213nm and a traditional excimer gas laser operating at 193nm. For each laser type, long-term scarring, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and free radical production will be studied in relevant in vivo and in vitro animal models. Furthermore, optimization of the irradiation protocol for the solid state laser will lead to the development of a wide range of biological applications.Read moreRead less
Photonic Antenna: Nested multi-band patch antenna and arrayed photonic interconnect. This project aims to investigate the design of a broadband ?photonic antenna? for airborne radar warning and electronic countermeasure systems. The project will investigate the development of a suite of printed antennas that cover bands in the range from 2-40 GHz realised on a single substrate. Nesting these antennas to reduce system size, and integration of this module with a custom optical modulator array and ....Photonic Antenna: Nested multi-band patch antenna and arrayed photonic interconnect. This project aims to investigate the design of a broadband ?photonic antenna? for airborne radar warning and electronic countermeasure systems. The project will investigate the development of a suite of printed antennas that cover bands in the range from 2-40 GHz realised on a single substrate. Nesting these antennas to reduce system size, and integration of this module with a custom optical modulator array and RF signal combiner will be investigated. The resulting broadband antenna suite with photonic interconnect will require minimal fabrication and packaging resources, and will thus be an economically viable photonic solution for practical defence systems.Read moreRead less
A hardware accellerated platform for high-fidelity, high speed simulation of infrared scenes. Missiles present a major military and terrorist threat to aircraft and ships. A possible method to detect them is an infrared imaging system which is sensitive to a missile's spectrally unique rocket propulsion exhaust. It is both dangerous and expensive to conduct field trials; so simulation is used extensively. This project aims to use high performance computing to accelerate the slowest parts of the ....A hardware accellerated platform for high-fidelity, high speed simulation of infrared scenes. Missiles present a major military and terrorist threat to aircraft and ships. A possible method to detect them is an infrared imaging system which is sensitive to a missile's spectrally unique rocket propulsion exhaust. It is both dangerous and expensive to conduct field trials; so simulation is used extensively. This project aims to use high performance computing to accelerate the slowest parts of the industrial partner's existing simulations: the generation of simulated infrared images.
This project will improve the competitiveness of the manufacturer of infrared threat and warning systems and provide research training in an area of high performance computing.
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Low power optical limiting for laser receiver protection. This project will place Australia as one of the leaders in the world in both science and technology of soft glass Photonic Band Gap Fibres, which is an enabling field of research with enormous number applications in Medicine, Defence, communication, etc. The project will develop a critical component (receiver protection) for laser range finders, which are widely being used in defence industries, therefore having national benefit in terms ....Low power optical limiting for laser receiver protection. This project will place Australia as one of the leaders in the world in both science and technology of soft glass Photonic Band Gap Fibres, which is an enabling field of research with enormous number applications in Medicine, Defence, communication, etc. The project will develop a critical component (receiver protection) for laser range finders, which are widely being used in defence industries, therefore having national benefit in terms of safeguarding Australia. The project will also be an excellent vehicle for educating young physicists and engineers in Australia. This is of national importance in itself due to the current shortage of photonics physicists.Read moreRead less
Automated helicopter hover and recovery system for operations at sea. The small size and simplicity of the integrated system outlined in this project will significantly improve the effectiveness of maritime surveillance for homeland security whilst enabling substantially lower operational costs. The proposal aims to develop control and sensing techniques, enabling small rotary wing unmanned air-vehicles (UAVs) weighing less than 100 kgs to operate from small-size vessels. This will be achieved ....Automated helicopter hover and recovery system for operations at sea. The small size and simplicity of the integrated system outlined in this project will significantly improve the effectiveness of maritime surveillance for homeland security whilst enabling substantially lower operational costs. The proposal aims to develop control and sensing techniques, enabling small rotary wing unmanned air-vehicles (UAVs) weighing less than 100 kgs to operate from small-size vessels. This will be achieved by resolving the current lack of integration between ship motion and the unmanned vehicle guidance systems. The proposed research will make substantial contributions in areas of ship motion prediction and sensing and hover control of tethered and non-tethered small helicopters.
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