A Computer-Aided Cartooning System. This project is aimed at developing a computer-aided system to accelerate main image-related processes in cartoon production. Using such a system, many of the tedious and repetitive tasks can be performed semi-automatically. The project is focused on accurate representation and matching of shapes. New vectorization methods based on projection onto convex sets (POCS), and new matching methods based on multi-stage hierarchical structures will be developed. The t ....A Computer-Aided Cartooning System. This project is aimed at developing a computer-aided system to accelerate main image-related processes in cartoon production. Using such a system, many of the tedious and repetitive tasks can be performed semi-automatically. The project is focused on accurate representation and matching of shapes. New vectorization methods based on projection onto convex sets (POCS), and new matching methods based on multi-stage hierarchical structures will be developed. The targeted applications include entertainment, next generation mobile services, and the internet.Read moreRead less
Detecting, Locating and Tracking Human Faces using Skin Colour. With growing concerns for national security and public safety, government agencies in Australia and around the world are taking strong measures to introduce biometric-enhanced official identification documents such as passports, visas, and ID cards. The proposed face detection and tracking system will play a key role in personal identification and human activity monitoring. The developed system will have a huge potential in surveill ....Detecting, Locating and Tracking Human Faces using Skin Colour. With growing concerns for national security and public safety, government agencies in Australia and around the world are taking strong measures to introduce biometric-enhanced official identification documents such as passports, visas, and ID cards. The proposed face detection and tracking system will play a key role in personal identification and human activity monitoring. The developed system will have a huge potential in surveillance, security, law enforcement, and ICT. This project will contribute to building a knowledge economy in Australia and help safeguard and protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Furthermore, its outcomes will enhance the reputation of Australia as a leader in frontier technologies and smart information use.Read moreRead less
A New Paradigm for the Representation and Distribution of High Dimensional Multimedia Content. The proposed project involves cutting edge research in a field of great international significance. The most obvious benefits will be international acclaim and the potential to patent, develop and ultimately export technology and systems for the distribution of high dimensional multimedia content. Outcomes from the project may support the growth of surveillance and networking equipment industries wit ....A New Paradigm for the Representation and Distribution of High Dimensional Multimedia Content. The proposed project involves cutting edge research in a field of great international significance. The most obvious benefits will be international acclaim and the potential to patent, develop and ultimately export technology and systems for the distribution of high dimensional multimedia content. Outcomes from the project may support the growth of surveillance and networking equipment industries within Australia. One application considered explicitly within the project is the demonstration of a new surveillance oriented approach to both distance education and pre-recorded educational content, based upon dense multimedia sampling and our proposed paradigm for efficient distribution to interactive clients.Read moreRead less
Highly Scalable Video Compression with Finely Embedded Motion Signalling. Highly scalable video compression is critical to the emergence of new applications in video distribution and management. Examples include interactive remote browsing of video and robust video surveillance over shared networks. Previous ARC funding produced fundamental breakthroughs in scalable video compression, resulting in a new paradigm which has been adopted by leading researchers in the field. The present project a ....Highly Scalable Video Compression with Finely Embedded Motion Signalling. Highly scalable video compression is critical to the emergence of new applications in video distribution and management. Examples include interactive remote browsing of video and robust video surveillance over shared networks. Previous ARC funding produced fundamental breakthroughs in scalable video compression, resulting in a new paradigm which has been adopted by leading researchers in the field. The present project addresses the two most important problems which currently limit the potential of this paradigm. Inspired by the applicant's recent discoveries, the outcomes of this project are likely to represent significant scientific breakthroughs and contribute to a new international video coding standard.Read moreRead less
Filters reveal what flicker conceals: temporal processing in the human visual system. I have recently discovered a new form of camouflage using 10Hz luminance flicker. This project will quantify this effect and examine the extent to which it generalises across colour and spatial dimensions and to video sequences depicting natural scenes. This information is expected to provide foundational information to technologies relating to national security that rely on visual concealment. This research wi ....Filters reveal what flicker conceals: temporal processing in the human visual system. I have recently discovered a new form of camouflage using 10Hz luminance flicker. This project will quantify this effect and examine the extent to which it generalises across colour and spatial dimensions and to video sequences depicting natural scenes. This information is expected to provide foundational information to technologies relating to national security that rely on visual concealment. This research will examine the extent to which filtering out these camouflaging frequencies enhances our sensitivity to low temporal frequency information. This decamouflaging aspect of my research is expected to improve the clarity of digital video-based technologies including ultrasound, educational, info-tainment and defence applicationsRead moreRead less
Algorithmics for Interactive 2.5D Graph Drawing. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and consequently have led to many large and complex network models in many domains. This includes terrorrist networks and biological networks, software engineering structures, and webgraphs. Visualisation is an effective tool in helping humans to understand such networks. This project aims to provide a new direction in network visualisation, using 2.5 dimensions. The algor ....Algorithmics for Interactive 2.5D Graph Drawing. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and consequently have led to many large and complex network models in many domains. This includes terrorrist networks and biological networks, software engineering structures, and webgraphs. Visualisation is an effective tool in helping humans to understand such networks. This project aims to provide a new direction in network visualisation, using 2.5 dimensions. The algorithms developed in the project will help security analysts to detect abnormal behavious such as money laundering, help biologists understand protein-protein interaction networks, and help engineers to understand large software systems.Read moreRead less
Scalable Visual Analytics for Uncertain Dynamic Networks. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and have led to many large uncertain and dynamic network models. This includes terrorist networks, marketing networks, facebook networks, various biological networks, and software engineering structures. Human understanding of such networks is difficult. This project aims to provide new methods for visual analysis of large uncertain dynamic networks such as these. ....Scalable Visual Analytics for Uncertain Dynamic Networks. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and have led to many large uncertain and dynamic network models. This includes terrorist networks, marketing networks, facebook networks, various biological networks, and software engineering structures. Human understanding of such networks is difficult. This project aims to provide new methods for visual analysis of large uncertain dynamic networks such as these. The algorithms developed in the project will help security analysts to monitor illegal behaviour such as money laundering and terrorist activities, help biologists understand key biological systems, and help engineers to understand large software systems.Read moreRead less
Surfacing urban wetlands in two urban renewal sites in Sydney. Urban wetlands in Australia provide benefits for climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, habitat provision and socioecological connection. However, in large cities like Sydney, urban wetlands are unseen because undergrounded, and, therefore not adequately understood. This illegibility, and loss of understanding by residents, planners and policy makers impedes wetlands' good management. This project surfaces wetlands through v ....Surfacing urban wetlands in two urban renewal sites in Sydney. Urban wetlands in Australia provide benefits for climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, habitat provision and socioecological connection. However, in large cities like Sydney, urban wetlands are unseen because undergrounded, and, therefore not adequately understood. This illegibility, and loss of understanding by residents, planners and policy makers impedes wetlands' good management. This project surfaces wetlands through visualisation in a multimodal knowledge platform focusing on two urban renewal sites, Green Square and Marrickville South. We leverage design ethnography to develop resources for strengthening multiple stakeholders’ socioecological engagement through methods empowering just, creative and open participation.Read moreRead less
A Design History of Australian HIV/AIDS Public Health Campaigns 1983-2004. This project investigates the differing roles of governments and community organisations as influential factors in the formulation of graphic representations which characterise the prevention campaigns used in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Australia 1983-2004. It explains how graphic representations, functioning as an index of official and public responses to the epidemic, impact on the aesthetic and professional autonomy of t ....A Design History of Australian HIV/AIDS Public Health Campaigns 1983-2004. This project investigates the differing roles of governments and community organisations as influential factors in the formulation of graphic representations which characterise the prevention campaigns used in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Australia 1983-2004. It explains how graphic representations, functioning as an index of official and public responses to the epidemic, impact on the aesthetic and professional autonomy of the designer. Complimenting existing quantitative assessments this study uses a textual-visual analysis and triangulation method to demonstrate the agency of these institutional constraints placed within the broader range of material forms relating to the campaigns including brochures, posters, and videos.Read moreRead less
Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis o ....Avatars and Identities. The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis of the role of the avatar, in consultation with industry, this project offers a unique opportunity to develop a wider perspective that will contribute to an understanding of the uses and policies for the digital economy.Read moreRead less