Ecological-epidemiological models of feral swamp buffalo control in northern Australia. This research is locally, nationally and internationally significant because it 1) improves the capacity of the Northern Territory and its traditional aboriginal owners to manage together this prevalent species in an effort to minimise disturbance to native flora and fauna and to understand the long-term implications of continued proliferation, 2) provides a nationally relevant system to monitor and project t ....Ecological-epidemiological models of feral swamp buffalo control in northern Australia. This research is locally, nationally and internationally significant because it 1) improves the capacity of the Northern Territory and its traditional aboriginal owners to manage together this prevalent species in an effort to minimise disturbance to native flora and fauna and to understand the long-term implications of continued proliferation, 2) provides a nationally relevant system to monitor and project the spread of disease through feral animal populations in Australia, and 3) combines quantitative data and robust analytical tools that can be used as a template for solving many broad-scale feral animal problems around the world.Read moreRead less
Native fish stocking of rivers: discriminating between hatchery-reared and wild fish. Stocking of fish is widely used in attempts to restore native fish populations. Little is known of the fate of stocked fish or the effects of stocking on resident populations. We will develop and evaluate protocols for chemical marking of otoliths of hatchery-reared fish so that their source can be determined. Experimental stocking of hatchery-reared fish will be undertaken and population structure and sourc ....Native fish stocking of rivers: discriminating between hatchery-reared and wild fish. Stocking of fish is widely used in attempts to restore native fish populations. Little is known of the fate of stocked fish or the effects of stocking on resident populations. We will develop and evaluate protocols for chemical marking of otoliths of hatchery-reared fish so that their source can be determined. Experimental stocking of hatchery-reared fish will be undertaken and population structure and source of stocked versus wild fish determined in stocked and unstocked rivers. Natural chemical signatures will also help determine important recruitment areas. The outcomes will allow fisheries managers to make informed decisions regarding stocking strategies.Read moreRead less
Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminate ....Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminated by accurate estimation of the clamp force signal, through fusion of more readily available measurements. Development of the proposed data fusion techniques influences the design of future EMBs and enhances the functionality of existing brake-by-wire systems.Read moreRead less
Image search for simulator content creation. The World Wide Web contains tens of billions of images, with personal and industrial collections stretching to may times that number. The potential economic value of these image-based resources is enormous, but largely untapped as we have no practical way of recovering the images we need. This project will develop image search technologies which will allow Australian industry to exploit these important resources. Some of the wide variety of possible ....Image search for simulator content creation. The World Wide Web contains tens of billions of images, with personal and industrial collections stretching to may times that number. The potential economic value of these image-based resources is enormous, but largely untapped as we have no practical way of recovering the images we need. This project will develop image search technologies which will allow Australian industry to exploit these important resources. Some of the wide variety of possible applications might include the searching of surveillance video for objects of interest, vision-based guidance of unmanned vehicles, smart-phone and smart-home systems which understand their environments, and stock tracking systems which can detect spoilage.Read moreRead less
Delivering guaranteed quality of service over IP networks. The next revolution in the Internet will be to offer end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, in the form of maximum delay, delay variation and probability of packet loss, or minimum throughput. There are no existing techniques capable of delivering end-to-end QoS guarantees. This project will develop credit-based controls, instead of the usual rate-based controls, that can deliver these required QoS guarantees. These QoS guarante ....Delivering guaranteed quality of service over IP networks. The next revolution in the Internet will be to offer end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, in the form of maximum delay, delay variation and probability of packet loss, or minimum throughput. There are no existing techniques capable of delivering end-to-end QoS guarantees. This project will develop credit-based controls, instead of the usual rate-based controls, that can deliver these required QoS guarantees. These QoS guarantees will enable the development and deployment of entirely new services on the Internet. This project will give Australian industry the opportunity to create the next generation Internet. Therefore this project represents a Frontier Technology.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Release Mechanisms for Phosphorus in Shallow Ponds and Lakes. Phosphorus release from submerged sediments is controlled by the physical and chemical environment. The mechanisms are well understood where thermal stratification is persistent but the behaviour during transient episodes has not been properly addressed. The aim is to study a dynamic chemical and hydraulic environment and develop a model of phosphorus release under these conditions. Algal blooms, which rely on high nutrient co ....Dynamic Release Mechanisms for Phosphorus in Shallow Ponds and Lakes. Phosphorus release from submerged sediments is controlled by the physical and chemical environment. The mechanisms are well understood where thermal stratification is persistent but the behaviour during transient episodes has not been properly addressed. The aim is to study a dynamic chemical and hydraulic environment and develop a model of phosphorus release under these conditions. Algal blooms, which rely on high nutrient concentrations, pose a significant threat to waterways yet a process-based description of phosphorus release is not yet possible. The outcome will be a verified model of phosphorus release mechanisms suitable for a range of water bodies.Read moreRead less
Population structure in the giant Australian cuttlefish - implications for management of a unique eco-tourism and fishery resource in regional Australia. A management strategy for the giant Australian cuttlefish in regional South Australia is required urgently because of potential conflict between ecotourism and fishery sectors. At present, development of a management strategy is stymied by lack of information on stock structure and movements. Analyses of variation in gene frequencies, morphom ....Population structure in the giant Australian cuttlefish - implications for management of a unique eco-tourism and fishery resource in regional Australia. A management strategy for the giant Australian cuttlefish in regional South Australia is required urgently because of potential conflict between ecotourism and fishery sectors. At present, development of a management strategy is stymied by lack of information on stock structure and movements. Analyses of variation in gene frequencies, morphometric and chemical trace element profiles in calcified structures among locations and years will enable the geographic extent of populations or stocks to be determined, including whether natal homing occurs. Such information is critical to sustainable management of the species and design of a marine protected area in the upper Spencer Gulf.Read moreRead less
A graphical simulation package for optimal management and risk assessment in urban stormwater harvesting systems. We will develop a Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG) simulation tool for optimal management and risk assessment in urban stormwater harvesting and utilisation schemes. The generic model will be applied to existing and proposed schemes within the City of Salisbury (CoS) and will include a capture dam, one or more storage dams and an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) facility. The discret ....A graphical simulation package for optimal management and risk assessment in urban stormwater harvesting systems. We will develop a Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG) simulation tool for optimal management and risk assessment in urban stormwater harvesting and utilisation schemes. The generic model will be applied to existing and proposed schemes within the City of Salisbury (CoS) and will include a capture dam, one or more storage dams and an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) facility. The discrete state vector will be the content of each storage unit and the daily transition will be driven by a new stochastic rainfall model (SRM). The objective will be to find a practical management policy that minimises Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR).Read moreRead less
Climate change and phenotypic divergence at a landscape scale. Birds provide key ecosystem functions like pollination, insect control, and seed dispersal in Australia. Climate change is well documented and has a pronounced effect on birds, commonly leading to range shifts. This study will quantify patterns of gene flow at a landscape scale in declining and common birds in Australia and abroad. The project builds on strong international links to the Galapagos Islands as well as a regional focus f ....Climate change and phenotypic divergence at a landscape scale. Birds provide key ecosystem functions like pollination, insect control, and seed dispersal in Australia. Climate change is well documented and has a pronounced effect on birds, commonly leading to range shifts. This study will quantify patterns of gene flow at a landscape scale in declining and common birds in Australia and abroad. The project builds on strong international links to the Galapagos Islands as well as a regional focus for South Australia. The linkage organisations are committed to implementing management outcomes for native flora and fauna, which need to be underpinned with quality baseline data. The outcomes will also inform climate modelling for the State and Australia. Read moreRead less
Unlocking the Grid: the future of the electricity distribution network. This project applies to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. A critical challenge for the development of power systems will be to transform them from their current dependence on conventional centralised generation to a situation where more diversified, more volatile and less controllable generation sources contribute a significant percentage of the energy. Coupled with this is a change ....Unlocking the Grid: the future of the electricity distribution network. This project applies to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. A critical challenge for the development of power systems will be to transform them from their current dependence on conventional centralised generation to a situation where more diversified, more volatile and less controllable generation sources contribute a significant percentage of the energy. Coupled with this is a change in demand patterns due to both demographic and socio-economic variables as well as climate change. Careful analysis is required in the design of the future grid architecture to ensure the security of supply.Read moreRead less