Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all c ....Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all citizens and so positive outcomes from the research can be expected to translate into increased quality of life for the whole country.Read moreRead less
Automated Diagnosis of Faults in Rotating Machinery using Adaptive Network Based Fuzzy Inference. The long-term integrity of engineering assets depends on the quality of their maintenance which runs into billions of dollars per year in Australia. This project aims to develop a new fundamental automated technique for the detection and diagnosis of machinery faults. The innovation lies in the ability of this technique to not depend on knowledge of fault components in the discrete wavelet packet ....Automated Diagnosis of Faults in Rotating Machinery using Adaptive Network Based Fuzzy Inference. The long-term integrity of engineering assets depends on the quality of their maintenance which runs into billions of dollars per year in Australia. This project aims to develop a new fundamental automated technique for the detection and diagnosis of machinery faults. The innovation lies in the ability of this technique to not depend on knowledge of fault components in the discrete wavelet packet analysis. All other work conducted to date depends on knowledge of these components and their location. The results of this work will vastly improve the costly manually based diagnostics procedures in the maintenance of plant and industrial assets.Read moreRead less
Detection and Quantification of General Fetal Movements from Accelerometer Measurements using Nonstationary Signal Processing Techniques. There are approximately 1,750 fetal deaths per year in Australian with about one-third occurring late in gestation and without an apparent cause. The development of an automated system capable of long-term monitoring of fetal health will result in accurate diagnoses and prediction of future outcome. This will, in turn, allow early intervention by the clinicia ....Detection and Quantification of General Fetal Movements from Accelerometer Measurements using Nonstationary Signal Processing Techniques. There are approximately 1,750 fetal deaths per year in Australian with about one-third occurring late in gestation and without an apparent cause. The development of an automated system capable of long-term monitoring of fetal health will result in accurate diagnoses and prediction of future outcome. This will, in turn, allow early intervention by the clinician to reduce fetal deaths and enhance the chances of good outcomes with resultant savings in social and financial costs to the community. The development of such equipment would spawn future research into intervention treatments and contribute to Australia's position as a world leader in computerised health monitoring systems.Read moreRead less
Multi-Channel Time-Frequency Analysis for EEG Neonatal Seizure Characterization. This project researches new signal processing methodologies for a multi-channel characterization of seizures for use in diagnosing newborn brain dysfunctions. The outcomes will result in important immediate clinical benefits for sick newborn babies and will fundamentally facilitate research progress in the development of neuroprotectants and anticonvulsants. The success of this project will contribute in minimizing ....Multi-Channel Time-Frequency Analysis for EEG Neonatal Seizure Characterization. This project researches new signal processing methodologies for a multi-channel characterization of seizures for use in diagnosing newborn brain dysfunctions. The outcomes will result in important immediate clinical benefits for sick newborn babies and will fundamentally facilitate research progress in the development of neuroprotectants and anticonvulsants. The success of this project will contribute in minimizing the social financial costs by diagnosing brain disorders in the initial stage of life and preventing further damage. This has the potential to result in a standard diagnostic equipment in neonatal intensive care units and medical research centres.Read moreRead less
Design of Neonatal Seizure Diagnosis Methods Using Time-Frequency Signal Processing Techniques. Seizures occur in approximately 0.5% of all newborns. They are often the only indicator of an early dysfunction in central nervous system (CNS). Their occurrence raises concerns about the underlying cause, its effect on the brain, and the appropriate treatment. Newborn seizures are mostly sub-clinical and only detected through the Electroencephalogram. For an efficient diagnosis, seizure classificatio ....Design of Neonatal Seizure Diagnosis Methods Using Time-Frequency Signal Processing Techniques. Seizures occur in approximately 0.5% of all newborns. They are often the only indicator of an early dysfunction in central nervous system (CNS). Their occurrence raises concerns about the underlying cause, its effect on the brain, and the appropriate treatment. Newborn seizures are mostly sub-clinical and only detected through the Electroencephalogram. For an efficient diagnosis, seizure classification systems were proposed based on visual observations. This project proposes developing a novel approach to automate the classification process using time-frequency (TF) signal processing techniques based on the multi-channel characteristics of the seizure; namely: A) TF signature B) origin, and C) propagation behaviour.Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this te ....ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this team with the foremost international authorities and leading industry players in the area of sensor networks. This research network will guide collaborative research that will ensure Australia to play a world leading role in sensor network development and implementation.
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Making demonstrably reliable forensic voice comparison a practical everyday reality in Australia. To assist Australian law-enforcement agencies and courts in the process of the conviction of the guilty and the exoneration of the innocent, this project will develop and test a practical and demonstrably reliable forensic voice comparison system for use with Australian voices. This will allow forensic scientists to produce reliable strength of evidence statements for presentation in court using the ....Making demonstrably reliable forensic voice comparison a practical everyday reality in Australia. To assist Australian law-enforcement agencies and courts in the process of the conviction of the guilty and the exoneration of the innocent, this project will develop and test a practical and demonstrably reliable forensic voice comparison system for use with Australian voices. This will allow forensic scientists to produce reliable strength of evidence statements for presentation in court using the same evaluative framework as used with DNA. In addition, application of the system during criminal investigations may lead to the refocussing of investigations on other suspects, or may help leverage guilty pleas, thus saving substantial time and money.Read moreRead less
Tooth-mic Devices for Monitoring the Efficacy of Home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Technology. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA patients use twice the health resources compared to healthy people. They are 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents; in NSW up to 43000 accidents/year are due to OSA. OSA is treatable & consequences such as strokes, diabetes & heart attacks are preventable. The standard OSA treatment is home-based Contin ....Tooth-mic Devices for Monitoring the Efficacy of Home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Technology. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA patients use twice the health resources compared to healthy people. They are 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents; in NSW up to 43000 accidents/year are due to OSA. OSA is treatable & consequences such as strokes, diabetes & heart attacks are preventable. The standard OSA treatment is home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy. Unfortunately, no effective technique exists to measure the efficacy of the treatment. We propose enabling solutions to this problem via developing technology centered on breathing sound analysis. The project proposes joint work with a US-company facilitating access to advanced technology highly beneficial to Australia.Read moreRead less
Non-contact Instrumentation for the Home Monitoring of Upper Airway Obstructions in Sleep. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea costing billions of dollars annually to the nation. Obstructive sleep apnoea patients use twice the health resources compared to a normal person, and 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents. In NSW alone up to 43000 accidents per year are due to obstructive sleep apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea is treatable and thus consequences such as ....Non-contact Instrumentation for the Home Monitoring of Upper Airway Obstructions in Sleep. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea costing billions of dollars annually to the nation. Obstructive sleep apnoea patients use twice the health resources compared to a normal person, and 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents. In NSW alone up to 43000 accidents per year are due to obstructive sleep apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea is treatable and thus consequences such as stroke and heart attacks are preventable. At present over 90% patients remain undiagnosed. Current diagnosis is expensive and requires hospitalization; no acceptable mass screening device exists. This project proposes an enabling technology for the population screening of obstructive sleep apnoea based on analysing snoring sounds. Outcomes of the project have the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea.Read moreRead less
Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equ ....Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equivalent levels of service to remote communities over vast distances (or border protection of vast regions). The population base of Australia requires that cost-effective solutions are sought to meet this end. Read moreRead less