Hollow-core microstructured polymer fibres for optical sensing applications. A range of remarkable new optical fibres will be fabricated utilising the capabilities of a unique polymer fibre fabrication facility and focussing on the highly demanding class of microstructured fibres in which guidance in a hollow core is achieved through photonic band gap or Bragg guidance. Long lengths of low-loss fibres of this type will be developed, and applications in optical gas sensing, spectroscopy, voltage ....Hollow-core microstructured polymer fibres for optical sensing applications. A range of remarkable new optical fibres will be fabricated utilising the capabilities of a unique polymer fibre fabrication facility and focussing on the highly demanding class of microstructured fibres in which guidance in a hollow core is achieved through photonic band gap or Bragg guidance. Long lengths of low-loss fibres of this type will be developed, and applications in optical gas sensing, spectroscopy, voltage sensing and telecommunications will be explored.Read moreRead less
Developing a Scalable Infrastructure for Embedded E-Security Incorporating Cryptography and Biometric Authentication. A fundamental flaw in existing embedded e-security technologies is their cryptography-plus-PIN-number infrastructure. This has generated security concerns that have proved a major obstacle to the growth of e-commerce, presently a relatively poor 2% of market share. We aim to design a new infrastructure that can solve this security problem by incorporating cryptography and biomet ....Developing a Scalable Infrastructure for Embedded E-Security Incorporating Cryptography and Biometric Authentication. A fundamental flaw in existing embedded e-security technologies is their cryptography-plus-PIN-number infrastructure. This has generated security concerns that have proved a major obstacle to the growth of e-commerce, presently a relatively poor 2% of market share. We aim to design a new infrastructure that can solve this security problem by incorporating cryptography and biometric authentication into a computing resource limited embedded e-security system. The outcomes of this project will be a set of new cryptosystems, new biometrics processing schemes and new onboard resource allocation schemes that will form the basis for the next generation of embedded systems.Read moreRead less
Next Generation Planar Tellurite Waveguides. The project provides the basis for the production of new high technology photonic products in Australia, the availability of at least one new unique facility for future scientific endeavour, and the generation of skillsets new to Australia. New IP will also be developed during the project. A successful outcome could also ultimately result in new products offering, for example, enhanced National Security through the Defence applications, better measure ....Next Generation Planar Tellurite Waveguides. The project provides the basis for the production of new high technology photonic products in Australia, the availability of at least one new unique facility for future scientific endeavour, and the generation of skillsets new to Australia. New IP will also be developed during the project. A successful outcome could also ultimately result in new products offering, for example, enhanced National Security through the Defence applications, better measurements of atmospheric contaminants through the sensing route, and more advanced telecommunications services at lower cost for citizens and businesses, and for lower operating costs for service providers.
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Semiconductor Photonic Crystal Devices. Photonic crystals will be a key element of future all-optical ultra-highspeed photonic integrated circuits for telecommunications and signal processing. This project will pioneer new structures capable of manipulating light on integrated photonic chips, based on nano-scale features in semiconductors. This will have a significant impact on Australia's photonics industry.
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
Molecular Fingerprinting: Forensic Spectroscopy of Trace Gases. Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime and invasive diseases is essential to securing our national infrastructure. This project will develop national capabilities in anticipating and responding to critical threats to society. The scientific instrumentation developed from this effort will enhance Australia's potential aid for early detection of explosive and chemical weaponry and also in the analysis of crime scenes. This rese ....Molecular Fingerprinting: Forensic Spectroscopy of Trace Gases. Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime and invasive diseases is essential to securing our national infrastructure. This project will develop national capabilities in anticipating and responding to critical threats to society. The scientific instrumentation developed from this effort will enhance Australia's potential aid for early detection of explosive and chemical weaponry and also in the analysis of crime scenes. This research will significantly improve our abilities to maintain the operational advantage of Australia's security agencies through superior capabilities in threat detection.Read moreRead less
Data Fusion for Self-Localisation and Team Situational Awareness in Unknown Structured Environments. This research is directed towards improving the operational effectiveness of our defence and civilian first-response-groups, which include the Special Forces, law-enforcement, fire fighting and special emergency services. These groups are highly specialised and have very focused operations which require innovative responses and adaptability. The technologies developed in the course of this projec ....Data Fusion for Self-Localisation and Team Situational Awareness in Unknown Structured Environments. This research is directed towards improving the operational effectiveness of our defence and civilian first-response-groups, which include the Special Forces, law-enforcement, fire fighting and special emergency services. These groups are highly specialised and have very focused operations which require innovative responses and adaptability. The technologies developed in the course of this project will transform the way these agencies conduct their operations and will have a beneficial impact on our quality of life and social order.
The research will also advance the knowledge base in the practical implementation of human localisation systems and provide the enabling mechanism for its adoption into industry.
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Formally-Based Security Evaluation Procedures. Guaranteeing information security is of critical national importance, especially in the current political climate. Devices intended to safeguard Australia's electronic communications must be proven secure using leading-edge techniques. Currently, evaluation of such devices relies on informal procedures and the experience of individuals. This project will introduce more rigour into security evaluations by adapting techniques from the fields of saf ....Formally-Based Security Evaluation Procedures. Guaranteeing information security is of critical national importance, especially in the current political climate. Devices intended to safeguard Australia's electronic communications must be proven secure using leading-edge techniques. Currently, evaluation of such devices relies on informal procedures and the experience of individuals. This project will introduce more rigour into security evaluations by adapting techniques from the fields of safety analysis and formal methods. In particular, mathematical concepts will be introduced using notations suitable for use by security personnel with no prior formal methods experience. The outcomes of this project will enable more efficient and effective information security evaluations.Read moreRead less
Effect of modification of structural and cellular properties of the arterial wall on functional stiffness of large arteries. The Australian population is ageing, becoming more obese and showing earlier onset of age-related conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure and inflammatory disorders. All these conditions are associated with possible increase arterial stiffness. Inflammatory disorders in Australia affect one in six people, increasing to one in five in the next decade. An equa ....Effect of modification of structural and cellular properties of the arterial wall on functional stiffness of large arteries. The Australian population is ageing, becoming more obese and showing earlier onset of age-related conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure and inflammatory disorders. All these conditions are associated with possible increase arterial stiffness. Inflammatory disorders in Australia affect one in six people, increasing to one in five in the next decade. An equal proportion is affected by cardiovascular disease. This combined effect poses a massive burden on the national health budget. This project aims to investigate basic mechanism leading to degeneration of function of larger arteries and therapies to reverse the process and reduce cardiovascular risk in the community.Read moreRead less
Situated Design Computing: A New Paradigm to Support Design Using Situated Reasoning. A country like Australia with its twin disadvantages of distance from its large markets and small population as its own market has to found its goals in its wealth production on its ability to compete at the high value-adding loci of the economy. Design is a precursor to superior products and is one of the nation's high value-adding wealth generating activities. This project aims to lay the foundations for a ....Situated Design Computing: A New Paradigm to Support Design Using Situated Reasoning. A country like Australia with its twin disadvantages of distance from its large markets and small population as its own market has to found its goals in its wealth production on its ability to compete at the high value-adding loci of the economy. Design is a precursor to superior products and is one of the nation's high value-adding wealth generating activities. This project aims to lay the foundations for a new class of design support tools that have the capacity to be used at a variety of stages in the design process including those stages where major decisions are being taken. This will have the potential to improve the efficacy and the efficiency of Australian design and hence make it more globally competitive.Read moreRead less