FPGA Controller Architectures for Safety Critical Applications. The project industry partner, Invensys Rail Systems, has a major design group in Australia, who work with railway signalling systems throughout the world. Invensys are keen to adopt new technologies to more efficiently and effectively implement signalling functions. However, the safety-critical nature of railway signalling means that any new technology must be analysed in detail to bring it to an acceptable technical readiness lev ....FPGA Controller Architectures for Safety Critical Applications. The project industry partner, Invensys Rail Systems, has a major design group in Australia, who work with railway signalling systems throughout the world. Invensys are keen to adopt new technologies to more efficiently and effectively implement signalling functions. However, the safety-critical nature of railway signalling means that any new technology must be analysed in detail to bring it to an acceptable technical readiness level. The outcomes of this research will be an improved technical readiness level for FPGAs in signalling systems, and this will allow Invensys' Australian design group to develop new technologies and allow them to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.Read moreRead less
Approximate algorithms and architectures for area efficient system design. This project aims to develop simpler but reliable image recognition systems that can run on low-cost, small-scale platforms, for use in driver monitoring system (DMS) applications. Cheaper reliable DMS will lead to wider availability of this technology to end users and improve safety of motor vehicles. This project will develop approximate algorithmic and circuit techniques, provide training for research students and buil ....Approximate algorithms and architectures for area efficient system design. This project aims to develop simpler but reliable image recognition systems that can run on low-cost, small-scale platforms, for use in driver monitoring system (DMS) applications. Cheaper reliable DMS will lead to wider availability of this technology to end users and improve safety of motor vehicles. This project will develop approximate algorithmic and circuit techniques, provide training for research students and build capability in the area of approximate computing. It is also expected to lead to commercial products, licences and revenue, which will enable new job creation.
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Improving the process modelling capability for manufacturing large composite structures used on passenger aircraft. This proposal aims to reduce manufacturing costs by developing innovative simulation tools for the production of future lightweight composite aerostructures.The development of a reliable predictive tool to simulate the cost-effective production of resin-infused composite aerostructures, will represent a significant technical advance. The successful transfer of this technology to Bo ....Improving the process modelling capability for manufacturing large composite structures used on passenger aircraft. This proposal aims to reduce manufacturing costs by developing innovative simulation tools for the production of future lightweight composite aerostructures.The development of a reliable predictive tool to simulate the cost-effective production of resin-infused composite aerostructures, will represent a significant technical advance. The successful transfer of this technology to Boeing Aerostructures Australia would give it a distinct competitive edge when bidding for participation in future international development programmes and will yield substantial economic benefits whilst further strengthening and developing local expertise. Lightweight aircraft structures will also contribute towards reducing the environmental impact of aviation. Read moreRead less
Design and Formal Verification of Control and Data Acquisition Protocols. This research will develop new specification and verification techniques for remote control protocols, used among interconnected sites in supply utilities such as electricity grids, based on a proven formal methods technology. These protocols are used in the monitoring of data from remote sites, and the transmission of control commands to such sites from a central location. Benefits to the industrial partner include increa ....Design and Formal Verification of Control and Data Acquisition Protocols. This research will develop new specification and verification techniques for remote control protocols, used among interconnected sites in supply utilities such as electricity grids, based on a proven formal methods technology. These protocols are used in the monitoring of data from remote sites, and the transmission of control commands to such sites from a central location. Benefits to the industrial partner include increased assurance that their control technology does correctly realise the adopted protocols. Assurance of correctness is significant in that incorrect protocol implementation may cause errant operation of equipment, and lead to economic and environmental damage.Read moreRead less
Remote sensing to improve structural efficiency of high-speed catamarans. This project aims to develop a monitoring system to remotely measure ship motions, loads and ride control activity under commercial operations. Data will be analysed using advanced statistical methods to inform evidence-based design to improve both structural efficiency and passenger comfort. The research will impact on design rules used worldwide, reducing weight and increasing payload and transport efficiency for this cl ....Remote sensing to improve structural efficiency of high-speed catamarans. This project aims to develop a monitoring system to remotely measure ship motions, loads and ride control activity under commercial operations. Data will be analysed using advanced statistical methods to inform evidence-based design to improve both structural efficiency and passenger comfort. The research will impact on design rules used worldwide, reducing weight and increasing payload and transport efficiency for this class of vessel. A "Smart” semi-autonomous interface will be developed to provide on-board seakeeping guidance to the ship captain. This technology will have significant benefits such as increased ship safety, vessel longevity and improving passenger comfort for all types of vessels worldwide including high-speed catamarans.Read moreRead less
Robust and Scalable Autonomous Landing for Drones. The aim of this project is to develop a transformative robust and scalable autonomous landing system for drones. This is the critical missing technology needed to unleash exponential growth in a potentially enormous drone delivery industry by enabling a multitude of applications to deliver goods and supplies via drones to a wide range of destinations in Australia and the world in a timely, flexible and accurate manner. Such an autonomous landi ....Robust and Scalable Autonomous Landing for Drones. The aim of this project is to develop a transformative robust and scalable autonomous landing system for drones. This is the critical missing technology needed to unleash exponential growth in a potentially enormous drone delivery industry by enabling a multitude of applications to deliver goods and supplies via drones to a wide range of destinations in Australia and the world in a timely, flexible and accurate manner. Such an autonomous landing solution would revolutionise drone technology, and propel Australia to the forefront of technology innovation. This project would benefit not only large scale delivery by drone in urban and suburban areas of Australia but also long distance delivery via drone to remote areas of Australia.Read moreRead less
An extensible framework for analysis of Java language-based security conformance. Java is a programming language and platform running on 3 billion devices. While Java provides a sandbox-based security architecture within the Java Class Library to protect systems from untrusted code downloaded from Internet, it cannot defend against implementation bugs that occur in the Java Class Library. The goal of this project is to provide a formal model of the Java security architecture, which can be used b ....An extensible framework for analysis of Java language-based security conformance. Java is a programming language and platform running on 3 billion devices. While Java provides a sandbox-based security architecture within the Java Class Library to protect systems from untrusted code downloaded from Internet, it cannot defend against implementation bugs that occur in the Java Class Library. The goal of this project is to provide a formal model of the Java security architecture, which can be used by program analysers to identify faulty or insufficient security checks in the Java Class Library that may lead to the sandbox being bypassed.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
Investigation of potential spudcan punch through failure. The safe and economic use of mobile jack-up structures is critical to the prosperous development of Australia's significant offshore oil and gas industry. However, their use is hindered by potential 'punch-through' failure during installation, when their large conical footings can unexpectedly and uncontrollably push a locally strong zone of soil into underlying softer material. To improve their safety, this research will investigate a po ....Investigation of potential spudcan punch through failure. The safe and economic use of mobile jack-up structures is critical to the prosperous development of Australia's significant offshore oil and gas industry. However, their use is hindered by potential 'punch-through' failure during installation, when their large conical footings can unexpectedly and uncontrollably push a locally strong zone of soil into underlying softer material. To improve their safety, this research will investigate a potential new site-investigation procedure and develop an appropriate calculation method for predicting failures for sites where sand overlies clay. Results will be based on a series of innovative physical and numerical experiments, and assessed against field data and existing industry standards.Read moreRead less
Improving the modelling of insolvency risk and financial health assessment of global companies using hybrid intelligent techniques. The social and economic impacts of corporate collapses are severe, and much research has modelled financial health and insolvency risk of companies. Most research, however, uses simple and out-dated financial ratios used by Altman (1968), and attempts to develop a universal model valid for specific (non-global) markets. Our approach is to improve the relevance of th ....Improving the modelling of insolvency risk and financial health assessment of global companies using hybrid intelligent techniques. The social and economic impacts of corporate collapses are severe, and much research has modelled financial health and insolvency risk of companies. Most research, however, uses simple and out-dated financial ratios used by Altman (1968), and attempts to develop a universal model valid for specific (non-global) markets. Our approach is to improve the relevance of the information provided to the models (including measures of strategy, recent accounting metrics, global context). We also challenge the merits of a universal model by developing and testing a novel hybrid intelligent approach combining neural networks, genetic algorithms and self-organising maps, applicable to global markets.Read moreRead less