Emergence of modular structure in complex systems. Complex systems pervade our world, but are still poorly understood. Self-contained modules provide the most widespread and effective way of reducing and managing complexity, but the way they form in natural systems remains largely a mystery. This study investigates mechanisms that contribute to module formation in complex networks, including adaptation, clustering, enslavement, feedback, phase change and synchronisation. Outcomes will include in ....Emergence of modular structure in complex systems. Complex systems pervade our world, but are still poorly understood. Self-contained modules provide the most widespread and effective way of reducing and managing complexity, but the way they form in natural systems remains largely a mystery. This study investigates mechanisms that contribute to module formation in complex networks, including adaptation, clustering, enslavement, feedback, phase change and synchronisation. Outcomes will include insights into the organisation and functioning of many complex systems, including the Internet, ecological communities and genetic networks. Practical outcomes will include new modelling tools and applications both to evolutionary computation and the design and control of large information networks.Read moreRead less
Resource-aware Signal Processing and Control Algorithms for Networked Sensor Systems. Networked sensing and control is an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring wildlife habitats to safety management of large civil structures. This project will lead to sustainable engineering solutions for these applications and provide key fundamental performance limits. Beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: ....Resource-aware Signal Processing and Control Algorithms for Networked Sensor Systems. Networked sensing and control is an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring wildlife habitats to safety management of large civil structures. This project will lead to sustainable engineering solutions for these applications and provide key fundamental performance limits. Beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: (i) enhancement of Australia's reputation for innovative Engineering research through quality publications and international collaborations; and (ii) improvement of the research and development capability in the ICT sector through rigorous training of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.Read moreRead less
Smart coding for improved performance of complexity constrained devices. The technical innovations of this project have the potential to have an immediate impact on compression technology. The overall expected outcome of the project consists of new compression algorithms for the australian telecommunications industry. The novel outcomes of the project lead to better quality images in video mobile communications applications. As such, the project operates at the forefront of innovative next gener ....Smart coding for improved performance of complexity constrained devices. The technical innovations of this project have the potential to have an immediate impact on compression technology. The overall expected outcome of the project consists of new compression algorithms for the australian telecommunications industry. The novel outcomes of the project lead to better quality images in video mobile communications applications. As such, the project operates at the forefront of innovative next generation mobile video telephony.Read moreRead less
Studying Discretisation Behaviours in Variable Structure Control Systems. Variable structure control is a technology that helps build very simple and effective switching control devices for dealing with environmental uncertainties, which are widely used, for example, in industrial control systems/processes. The outcomes from this research will help the understanding of control performance deterioration due to discretisation and developing effective measures for protection from possible ill beha ....Studying Discretisation Behaviours in Variable Structure Control Systems. Variable structure control is a technology that helps build very simple and effective switching control devices for dealing with environmental uncertainties, which are widely used, for example, in industrial control systems/processes. The outcomes from this research will help the understanding of control performance deterioration due to discretisation and developing effective measures for protection from possible ill behaviours of these control devices. This research will place Australia in the forefront of the development of this new technology, resulting in enhanced reliability of control devices, improved productivity and cost saving for industries, and consequent improvement in quality of life.Read moreRead less
Mathematical Foundations of Distributed Radar. Conventional military threats to Australia are large or fast moving objects such as ships and aircraft and conventional radar systems are designed to handle such threats. Recent global political shifts have changed the threats to include objects that are small and slowly moving, such as people, small vehicles and boats. Advances in radar hardware make feasible small, low-powered, devices with inherently reduced performance in comparison to deployed ....Mathematical Foundations of Distributed Radar. Conventional military threats to Australia are large or fast moving objects such as ships and aircraft and conventional radar systems are designed to handle such threats. Recent global political shifts have changed the threats to include objects that are small and slowly moving, such as people, small vehicles and boats. Advances in radar hardware make feasible small, low-powered, devices with inherently reduced performance in comparison to deployed systems. Methods for information integration over a dispersed system of such small devices, design of suitable waveform suites and clever local signal processing algorithms will be developed to achieve the performance improvements the hardware offers, to handle the new threats.Read moreRead less
Distributed Estimation and Control under Communication Constraints. Sensor networks will be an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring water quality to controlling complex defence systems. This project will lead to a better understanding of the fundamental limits of wireless sensor networks. Above and beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: (i) enhancement of Australia's reputation for innovative ....Distributed Estimation and Control under Communication Constraints. Sensor networks will be an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring water quality to controlling complex defence systems. This project will lead to a better understanding of the fundamental limits of wireless sensor networks. Above and beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: (i) enhancement of Australia's reputation for innovative Engineering research through quality publications and international collaborations; and (ii) improvement of the research and development capability in the information and communications technology sector through high level training of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows in this important technology.Read moreRead less
Non-local equations at work. This project aims to study non-local fractional equations. These problems arise naturally in many fields of pure and applied mathematics. This project will consider symmetry and rigidity results; problems from atom dislocation theory; nonlocal minimal surfaces; symbolic dynamics for nonlocal equations; and free boundary problems. This project aims to obtain substantial progress in this field, both from the point of view of the mathematical theory and in view of concr ....Non-local equations at work. This project aims to study non-local fractional equations. These problems arise naturally in many fields of pure and applied mathematics. This project will consider symmetry and rigidity results; problems from atom dislocation theory; nonlocal minimal surfaces; symbolic dynamics for nonlocal equations; and free boundary problems. This project aims to obtain substantial progress in this field, both from the point of view of the mathematical theory and in view of concrete applications. This project should contribute to the development of the mathematical theory and give insight for concrete applications in physics and biology.Read moreRead less
Interrogation and estimation of differential equation networks. Complex networks occur in many physical processes, in bridges and buildings and in small nanoscale systems like carbon nanotubes. Similar systems arise in electronics, photonics, and social networks. This project aims to determine optimal measurement regimes to estimate their dynamical states, and to find the limits of that estimation process.
A Methodology for Designing Information Systems based on Situational Theories of Agency. Information systems (IS) are part of work systems that are goal-directed. Existing methodologies for designing IS implicitly assume that goal-directed behaviour is enabled by deliberation upon abstract models (the 'thinker' metaphor). Recent work in robotics and artificial intelligence has tested an alternative theory of goal-directed behaviour that emphasises reactive responses to situations (the 'routine' ....A Methodology for Designing Information Systems based on Situational Theories of Agency. Information systems (IS) are part of work systems that are goal-directed. Existing methodologies for designing IS implicitly assume that goal-directed behaviour is enabled by deliberation upon abstract models (the 'thinker' metaphor). Recent work in robotics and artificial intelligence has tested an alternative theory of goal-directed behaviour that emphasises reactive responses to situations (the 'routine' metaphor). We will refine and test a new IS design methodology based on this situational theory and show that it can produce effective IS designs, applicable to time-constrained routine operational domains, which are radically different from those produced using existing methodologies.Read moreRead less
Predictive models to study neuromuscular control of walking in older people. This project aims to address a major challenge in human motion simulation: to deliver computationally-efficient predictive simulations of movement biomechanics. It plans to bring together the latest developments in computational modelling, medical imaging and nonlinear optimal control theory to advance current understanding of how individual lower-limb muscles stabilise and control body movement during locomotion in hea ....Predictive models to study neuromuscular control of walking in older people. This project aims to address a major challenge in human motion simulation: to deliver computationally-efficient predictive simulations of movement biomechanics. It plans to bring together the latest developments in computational modelling, medical imaging and nonlinear optimal control theory to advance current understanding of how individual lower-limb muscles stabilise and control body movement during locomotion in healthy young and older adults. New knowledge of how age-related changes in muscle mechanical properties affect the neuromuscular control of walking may assist in the design of more targeted exercise-based therapies aimed at maintaining independent function and improving the quality of life for older adults.Read moreRead less