Potential

Potential PhD Research Projects
2011 2012
Division of
Information Technology,
Engineering and the Environment
Contents
School of Advance Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering ........................ 3
School of Computer and Information Science.................................................... 22
School of Electrical and Information Engineering ............................................. 29
School of Mathematics and Statistics ................................................................. 37
School of Natural and Built Environments ......................................................... 42
Barbara Hardy Institute ....................................................................................... 47
Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR) .......... 49
Defence and Systems Institute ............................................................................ 52
Mawson Institute ................................................................................................. 65
School of Advance Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, agricultural engineering, sustainable
energy, ergonomics, nano-technology, advanced manufacturing technology, supply chain
management, and manufacturing management.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Dr Sang-Heon Lee sang-heon.lee@unisa.edu.au
Supply Chain Management (SCM) system for Re-configurable Manufacturing Operations

Supervisors: Dr Sev Nagalingam
Area: Manufacturing Engineering/ Management
Abstract: The role of manufacturing operations is migrating to a task of final assembly, with
increased reliance on a significant number of supply chain participants who have differing
objectives, perspectives and processes. Effective supply chain collaboration requires the ability to
establish functioning alliances which can be formed and dissolved quickly in order to tackle rapid
changes in demands and emerge new opportunities. The purpose of this project is to improve the
efficiency and performance of collaborative process in manufacturing supply chains, when reconfigurability of operations is paramount. Collaboration is essential for planning, forecasting and
replenishment, and need to be defined within a supply chain management framework which uses a
common set of process building blocks to model the business activities associated with all phases of
satisfying a customers demand. Therefore, disparate firms can be linked to describe the depth
and breath of virtually any supply chain, ranging from very simple to very complex. This research
area will include comparison and contrasting the effectiveness of proven frameworks, like the
Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model and the Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and
Replenishment (CPFR) guidelines, in defining the necessary processes, structures, metrics and
standards that enable successful collaboration among supply chain participants in a distributed
enterprise that is applicable for Reconfigurable Manufacturing operations. Further, this project
involves identifying standards for exchanging enterprise information and information systems for
sharing knowledge, and appropriately utilising implementation technologies such as Multi-Agent
Systems and Web Services.
Related references:
Fox, M. S., Barbyceanu, M. and Teigen, R. (2000), "Agent-Oriented Supply-Chain Management",
The International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Vol 12, pp. 165-188.
Khnoshafian, S. (2002), 'Web Services and Virtual Enterprises', Web Services Architect, Chicago,
USA.
Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I. (1999), Latest developments in CIM, Robotics and
Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Vol 15 Issue 6 (November 1999), pp. 423-430
Development of holistic decision model for Collaborative Manufacturing Network (CMN) in

Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises
Area: Sustainable Manufacturing , Manufacturing Engineering
Abstract: The aim of this project is to research and better understand the complex interactions among
collaborative partners of Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) towards creating a
holistic model. In particular, this research project will explore how do complex interactions
occur in a CMN? And develop appropriate approaches to enable SMMEs participate in a CMN.
Related references:
Nagalingam, S. and De Fretes, O., Integration of small and medium manufacturing enterprises
through collaborative partnerships, 7th ANZAM Operations, Supply Chain and Services
Management Symposium 2009, Adelaide, 8-10 June 2009, pp 312-325
Lin, H-W., Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I., Interactive meta-goal programming: An approach to
support collaborative manufacturing decision-making processes. (Submitted to RCIM June 2007.
Available online 3 December 2007), Vol 25, Issue 1, Feb 2009, pp 135 - 154
Lin, H., Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C. I., A Decision Analysis Approach for Collaborative
Manufacturing, In: Chan, A H S, Ao, S-I, ed Advances in Industrial Engineering and Operations
Research, Springer, 2008; pp 155-172.
Development of a Dynamic Task Scheduling System for Manufacturing based SMMEs

Abstract: Manufacturing task scheduling is an optimisation process that allocates limited
manufacturing resources for parallel and sequential manufacturing activities considering
manufacturing planning and capacity limitations. Finding an optimal scheduling solution for a
typical manufacturing process is one of the most difficult scheduling problems, as finding a solution
for a dynamic situation is impossible without using complex algorithms and high-end processors.
Today, over 95 percent of enterprises in Australia are categorised as Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs). These businesses face the same competitive world pressures as large companies but often
do not have the resources available to remain competitive and grow. In particular, small businesses
tend to focus on the skill bases they know i.e. the physical processes of their niche business.
There is an urgent and genuine need by these niche manufacturing companies to improve the
information layer of their business in order to improve the shop floor agility, which provides another
opportunity to deliver sustainable growth. Nevertheless, off the shelf programs are typically targeted
at large manufacturers and are cost prohibitive for SMEs. Hence this project will be customised to
the need of the industry sector (manufacturing based SMEs) in order to help them become a truly
world competitive organisations. The aim of this project is to develop a Dynamic Task Scheduling
(DTS) System for SMMEs. The DTS should be easily customisable to suite the different
manufacturing based SMEs depending on their processes.
Related references:
Nagalingam, S.V., Lin, G.C. I. and Wang, D., Resource Scheduling for a Virtual CIM System. In:
Shen W, Wang L, ed. Process Planning and Scheduling for Distributed Manufacturing: SpringerVerlag; published May 2007, pp 269-292. ISBN 1-84628-751
Lin, H-W., Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I, Manufacturing Decision-Support using Interactive
Meta-Goal Programming, Engineering Letters, (International Association of Engineers (IAENG)
Journal) ,Volume 15 Issue 2, Pages 331-341, 2007
Wang, D., Nagalingam, S.V., and Lin, G.C.I., Development of an agent-based Virtual CIM
architecture for small and medium manufacturers, Robotics and Computer Integrated Manufacturing,
vol 23m issue 1, 2007, pp.1-16
Sustainability of Nanotechnology
Area: Manufacturing Engineering/ Management
Abstract: When materials and devices are created with nano scale dimensions, their properties may
change enormously, which can dramatically impact either positively or negatively on environment.
Although the promise of nanotechnology is getting wider attention by researchers and governments,
skeptics raise questions on the unforeseen risks this new technology may present for the environment
and living organisms health[1,2] "Many in the scientific enterprise have learned, from examples such
as DDT and genetically modified organisms, that ignoring reasonable fears and concerns about
emerging technologies can halt or even derail technology's progress" [3]. In order to be pro active on
impending changes, organisations need to evaluate the costs of neglecting risks posed by these
chemicals, materials, or devices which are created via nanotechnology. Therefore, the aim of this
research project is to better evaluate and understand the both tangible and intangible impact of
nanotechnology on sustainability, industry and on Supply Chain.
Related references:
Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties,
http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm
Arnall AH: "Future technologies, today's choices," http://www.etcgroup.org
Development of a step-by-step decision support system for CIM investment

Abstract: The economic environment of many countries is under threat from emerging competitors
and todays customers demand high quality products with shorter delivery times and diverse
number of customised products. Enterprises that solely rely on traditional technologies cannot meet
these demands. Hence, proactive enterprises seek the application of intelligent and integrated
manufacturing systems in order to meet the customer demands and be the winners in a competitive
market. Although, with available technologies and systems in computer integrated manufacturing
(CIM) and its related technologies, the application of CIM in manufacturing enterprises is a reality
and can meet the need of enterprises. However, today mangers in many enterprises are confused with
varying technologies and new terminologies that prevail in the public domain. In order to simplify
adaptation and implementation issues a step-by-step implementation methodology is proposed. This
research involves by using previous research outputs (a PhD thesis and a masters by coursework
thesis) developing a realistic and user friendly DSS for step- by-step CIM justification and
investment analysis.
Related references:
Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I., CIM - still the solution for manufacturing industry, Robotics and
Computer Integrated Manufacturing, (Submitted June, 2006, accepted Jan 2007), Volume 24, Issue
3, June 2008, Pages 332-344
Nagalingam, S.V. and Lin, G.C.I., Latest developments in CIM, Robotics and Computer Integrated
Manufacturing, Vol 15 Iss 6 (November 1999) pp 423-430
Nagalingam, S.V, and Lin, G.C.I., Virtual CIM and Digital Manufacturing, First International
Symposium on Digital Manufacture (ISDM'2006), 15-17 October, 2006. - pp 19-25, published in
Journal of Wuhan University of Technology, Vol 28, Suppl 1, Wuhan China.
An innovative decentralised approach to supply chain scheduling optimisation using discreteevent systems
Supervisors: Dr Sang-Heon Lee
Area: Manufacturing management, manufacturing Engineering
Abstract: Supply chain scheduling (SCS) is the process of making a plan such that the products are
produced and distributed to the right location, and at the right time with the minimum cost.
Traditionally centralised SCS models have been developed and used in industry. However, due to
the polynomial computational complexity, it is often not practical to find an optimal solution but to
search a merely feasible solution with some simplification processes. This research proposes an
innovative decentralised SCS approach using supervisory discrete-event system which guarantees
the optimal solution rather than a feasible solution. The optimal solution obtained will provide great
cost/time savings with the simplified scheduling process in various industries.
Related references:
Sang-Heon Lee and Kai C. Wong, "Structural decentralised control of concurrent discrete-event
systems", European Journal of Control, pp. 477-491, Volume 8, Issue 5, 2002
Social and Technical Systems Framework: Delivering Value to Multiple Stakeholders

Supervisors: Prof. Lee Luong, Dr Yousef Amer and Dr Romeo Marian
Area: Cellular and flexible manufacturing systems
Abstract: This research proposes a method for introducing cellular manufacturing in an operating job
shop. By applying cellular manufacturing to produce part families with similar manufacturing
processes and stable demand, plants expect to reduce costs and lead-times and improve quality and
delivery performance. Research will develop a method for assessing, designing, and implementing
cellular manufacturing and undertake case study research.
Impact of Lean and Just in time (JIT) Manufacturing

Area: Lean and JIT manufacturing systems
Abstract: This research investigates the impact of JIT and lean manufacturing and the adjustments
firms may have had to make to these techniques to maintain competitiveness in a global economy.
Design of Products for Automatic Assembly

Supervisors: A. Prof. Kazem Abhary
Area: Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Abstract: Green/Sustainable design of products implies a number of things including design for
Automatic Assembly. Although the knowledge is more than two decades old, still there are
considerable problems to be solved so that industry can enjoy an efficient, comprehensive, optimized
automatic assembly of products. The aim of this project is to research solutions to some of these
problems. Artificial Intelligence has a good capacity of application in this area.
Design of Products for Automatic Disassembly

Abstract: In the era that environmental issues are of prime importance, automatic disassembly plays
an important role in maintaining a sustainable/green environment. Products are to be designed not
just for automatic assembly, but for automatic disassembly too, such that after retirement, they can
be automatically disassembled with the least negative impact on the environment. There are more
unsolved issues here compared to design for assembly, some of them to be addressed via this project.
Again, Artificial Intelligence has a good capacity of application here.
Design of Products for Upgradability

Abstract: Sustainable/Green environment implies many considerations at the design stage of
products, one of which is to design the product such that it can cope with the rapid development of
technology which can force the product to retire well before its useful life is over. This project is to
research methods for designing products such that sections of the product (say modules) can be
replaced by the newly developed technology so that the product can compete with its next generation
and, therefore, its retirement is postponed.
Design of an Intelligent System to Separate Solid Contaminants from Composts Prior to

Packaging
Abstract: Composts are produced by some recycle industries from curbside green waste. A major
problem internationally faced by this industry is the over-sized solid contaminants (rocks, glass,
plastics etc) in the packaged composts. The aim of this project is to design a system (process &
hardware) to remove these contaminants from the product. The outcome of this project will be of
immediate international interest. This is a Green design for manufacture project. Some preliminary
work has already been done in this area in the school.
Intelligent Design of Manufacturing Systems

Abstract: Design of manufacturing systems involves a number of issues, e.g. layout design and
facilities design. The aim of this project is to apply Artificial Intelligence to the design and
optimisation of manufacturing systems.
Design for Reliability and Six Sigma of Mechanical Structures

Abstract: Reliability based design of mechanical components and discrete systems have been
practiced for a considerable time. The aim of this project is the reliability based design of mechanical
structures (as continuous mechanical systems) and to link it with the concept of design for six sigma.
Statistical methods of structural mechanics can be used as the foundation for this reason.
Design of Manufacturing Processes for Six Sigma

Abstract: Design of products for six sigma limits the product defects to maximum 3.4 per million;
this is the latest knowledge development in ensuring product quality. The aim of this project is to
choose some manufacturing processes and design them for six sigma. The significance of such a
development is that when all manufacturing processes involved in the manufacture of a product are
designed for six sigma, they will contribute to the design of the product for six sigma.
Optimising supply chain processes using Design for six sigma and fuzzy logic
Area: Logistics and supply chain management
Abstract: This research aims to optimise the demand management process (or other supply chain
process) within a supply by using an adaption of Design for six sigma and fuzzy logic. The role of
the demand management process is to balance the customers requirements with the capabilities
of the supply chain. In a manufacturing setting this includes forecasting demand and synchronizing it
with production, procurement, and distribution capabilities.
Logistics and distribution networks

Abstract: The movement of products through a distribution network is a complex dynamic process
that depends on understanding the networks fixed topology including how each node stores, handles
and forwards items. Increased environmental awareness is also bringing the reverse logistics
processes into focus. The need to design for this process of product return, re-use and re-cycling
means that businesses need to focus their supply chain systems to accommodate these rising
challenges. Research topics include;
Reverse logistics and close loop supply chains and their optimisation
Use of genetic algorithms (GA), life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and risk assessment to design and
evaluate complex distribution networks
Inventory management of perishable goods
Abstract: Demand management of perishable goods is subject to variability and time constraints.
This research aims to develop a cost effective inventory model to control demand for perishable
goods in a supply demand network which is subject to demand uncertainty and fluctuating seasonal
demand and will incorporate a fuzzy control model. It is anticipated a simulation model with one and
two tier supply demand network will enable testing of the proposed inventory model.
Technological management in the supply chain

Abstract: Emerging technology such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and other wireless
technologies are beginning to have an impact on supply chain management. Some of the areas for
research focus are;
Optimizing supply chain and freight operations by linking RFID to traffic, weather, work region data
Quantitative research into the factors considered for the uptake of RFID
Frameworks for analysing adoption of RFID
Other areas of current research in the technological management of the supply chain processes are
the use of Enterprise Resource Systems (ERP), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Vendor
Management Inventory (VMI) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR)
systems in particular;
Implementation issues in SMEs
Assessing the effectiveness of technological management in supporting logistics and supply chain
decision making
Procurement and purchasing

Abstract: Purchasing and supply management has been extended globally resulting in new
responsibilities for suppliers and supply which involve environmental, social, political and security
issues, analysis of price cost and supply chain power relationships. Additionally, there is an
increasing use of e procurement. Research topics to address the challenges include;
Supplier evaluation and selection
Pricing, negotiation, contracts; outsourcing; multiple sourcing
Just-in-time procurement
Buying decisions and plans
Cost analysis
Purchase agreements
E-procurement, real-time internet-based e-supply chains
Purchasing analysis of capital equipment
The sustainable supply chain

Abstract: The concept of the sustainable supply chain is becoming a pressing topic for supply chain
professionals. However, due to cost constraints the emphasis in firms is largely on waste reduction
and recycling. Research topics in this area includes;
Cost justification of a sustainable supply chain, strategic approaches
Reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption across supply networks
The role product development in developing sustainable supply chains
Managing global supply networks for sustainability
Developing supplier capabilities for environmental and social performance improvement,
particularly with small- and medium-sized enterprises
Development of a Knowledge Management Performance Evaluation systems for Supply

Chains
Abstract: This project proposes to develop a Knowledge Management Performance Evaluation
(KMPE) system to evaluate the knowledge management performance in manufacturing industry; to
provide solutions/suggestions based on the status of the company in an optimised model.
Performance criteria within the manufacturing organisation will be developed. Managers/workers in
manufacturing organisations will be surveyed, and then statistical software packages will be used to
analyses after data collected to test the KMPE system. The purpose of this project is to improve the
efficiency and performance of collaboration process in manufacturing supply chains. Collaborations
essential to planning, forecasting and replenishment can be defined within a supply chain
management framework which uses a common set of process building blocks to model the business
activities associated with all phases of satisfying a customers demand. Therefore, disparate
firms can be linked to describe the depth and breath of virtually any supply chain, ranging from very
simple to very complex. This research area will include comparison and contrasting the effectiveness
of proven frameworks, like the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model and the
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) guidelines, in defining the
necessary processes, structures, metrics and standards that enable successful collaboration among
supply chain participants in a virtual enterprise.
Related references:
Memon, M., Gurd, B, Nagalingam, S.., Performance measurement system, competitive resources:
the impact on firm performance, ANZAM, Gold Coast, Queensland, 8-10 June 2008
Sustainability of Supply Chain

Abstract: The role of manufacturing operations is migrating to a task of final assembly, with increased
reliance on a significant number of supply chain participants who have differing objectives,
perspectives and processes. Effective and sustainable supply chain collaboration requires the ability to
establish functioning alliances, establish performance measures on sustainable aspects throughout the
Supply chain in order to tackle market demands, changes in government regulations and are emerging
new opportunities
Related references:
Dukovska-Popovska, I., Lim, M.K.; Steger-Jensen, K.; Hvolby, H.-H. RFID technology to support
environmentally sustainable supply chain management, Proceedings of 2010 IEEE International
Conference on RFID-Technology and Applications, RFID-TA 2010, p 291-295, 2010, Proceedings of
2010 IEEE International Conference on RFID-Technology and Applications, RFID-TA 2010
Faisal, M.N., Sustainable supply chains: a study of interaction among the enablers, Business Process
Management Journal, v 16, n 3, p 508-29, 2010
Darmanata, J. , Somohano, C.; Saad, S.; Perera, T. A sustainability value system principle for a global
supply chain, 5th International Conference on Responsive Manufacturing - Green Manufacturing
(ICRM 2010), p 329-34, 2010
10
Development of an intelligent control System for Master-Slave Robots Configuration

Area: Robotics, mechatronics, manufacturing engineering
Abstract: Swarm robots are group of multiple autonomous robots cooperate together to achieve a
common goal more efficiently. Although the field of swarm robots and swarm intelligence has been
highlighted into research, it has still many obstacles before applying in real specific applications. One
of challenges is the lack of reliable and efficient wireless communication system for the use of
communication channel among swarm robots especially in the environment of worst conditions for
wireless communication with complex terrain. In this project we propose a modular design approach
to manufacture a prototype of master and slave swarm robots with many virtues such as flexibility of
configuration, reusability and cost-effectiveness. The main aim of the project is to develop an
intelligent control for swarm robots that is efficient in both performance and power consumption and
reliable enough in harsh environment. An application of this system can be in a security system to
monitor the intruders behaviour in the after hour school activities.
Related references:
Levent BAYINDIR and Erol SAHIN, A Review of Studies in Swarm Robotics,
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/elektrik/issues/elk-07-15-2/elk-15-2-2-0705-13.pdf
Development of a harvesting system for precision agriculture: development of intelligent

machine vision system and multi-arm locomotion system
Abstract: One of the most vital areas of fruit harvesting is identification of position of fruits and
mechanism to harvest it. Even though there were some research results however it is still a wrong way
to go to develop the practical harvesting robot. This project will pursue two directional developments:
one is the development of digital image processing using multi-spectrum analysis and the other is
development of multi-arm locomotive system.
Related references:
Guo Feng; Cao Qixin and Nagata Masateru, Fruit Detachment and Classification: Method for
Strawberry Harvesting Robot, International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, Vol. 5, No. 1
(2008)
11
Color imaging and multispectral analysis for non-destructive evaluation of agro-alimentary

products
Abstract: Many steps of the agro-alimentary chain (cultivation, harvest and post-harvest, packaging
and transportation, ) need the evaluation of the external and internal state of products, which is
often destructive and involves physical and chemical examinations of a few carefully chosen samples.
The impossibility of examining the whole production may have several undesired effects on the
production process. Research is active on techniques for evaluating the external surface of products.
Computer vision techniques may achieve satisfactory results and are widely used in many commercial
plants. Efforts are also being spent on estimating the characteristics of internal quality using multispectral analysis. The way the products interact with electromagnetic radiation (absorbance and
reflectance properties) has proved to be affected by several interesting internal components of agroalimentary products. Few techniques are currently applied in the industry where, due to their
sensitivity to the environment and their lack of robustness, most of them are normally used in wellcontrolled conditions (internal plants). This research aims to exploit the availability of low-cost and
portable devices for both color imaging and multi-spectral analysis. The idea is to study the possibility
of realizing quite cheap and simple instruments for evaluating the quality of agro-alimentary products
in a robust and simple way. One of the intended goals is to reduce the constraints on the acquisition
step to facilitate the use of the resulting instruments directly on the field.
Development of locomotive system for a gastro-shuttle for small intestine bacteria overgrowth
diagnosis
Supervisors: Dr Hung-Yao Hus and Dr Sang-Heon Lee
Abstract: This project aims to develop a capsule type of platform system that will perform different
functions according to the payloads. The original goal is to delivery biomarker for diagnostic purpose.
The ultimate goal will have the system to do diagnosis and then delivery the medicine within the same
visit to our g0astrointestinal tract. New concept for tracking, delivery mechanism, locomotion,
microfluidics channels and lab-on-a-chip are going to be developed in this long term project.
A micro-agitation device for DNA microarray hybridisation application

Supervisors: Dr Hung-Yao Hsu
Abstract: This project will develop a new micro agitation or micro mixer device to facilitate the
hybridisation process of the DNA microarray technology which is currently conducted through the
diffusion process. The aim is to reduce dramatically the hybridisation time.
The development of laser based micro-joining technology for micro-assembly applications

Supervisors: Dr Hung-Yao Hsu
Abstract: This project will focus on the development of a laser micro-joining technology for MEMS.
Parameters involved in the process including material properties, contact geometry, laser beam
properties and quality, optical system, environmental conditions and jig-fixture design. The aim is to
have a system that will optimise the operational parameters to suit the materials and the geometry to
be joined together.
12
Sustainable Manufacturing for Industry-Scale Production of Nanomaterials

Supervisors: Dr Ke Xing and Prof. Peter Majewski
Area: Nano technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering
Abstract: With the significantly increasing use of nanoparticles the fundamental question arises
whether the various production techniques of these nanoparticles are economically and ecologically
sustainable. Or does the requirements of especially the large scale production of nanoparticles on
resources, handling, and disposal of by-products outweigh the benefits of the innovative products
which exciting properties base on nanoparticles? The proposed research project is aimed for studying
this fundamental question, which is crucial for the industrial future of nanotechnology, through Life
Cycle Analysis and Life Cycle Costing analyses. Based on the results of these studies a
comprehensive decision support tool will be developed for the design of optimal production processes
to achieve economic and environmental sustainability in manufacturing of nanomaterials, e.g. carbon
nanotubes or gold nanoparticles.
Related references:
Ok, Z.D., J.C. Benneyan, and J.A. Issacs, Risk Analysis Modelling of Production Costs and
Occupational Health Exposure of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Manufacturing. Journal of Industrial
Ecology, 2008. 12(3): p. 411-434
Naidu, S., R. Sawhney, and X.-P. Li, A Methodology for Evaluation and Selection of Nanoparticle
Manufacturing Processes Based on Sustainability Metrics. Environmental Science and Technology,
2008. 42: p. 6697-6702.
Development of Novel drug delivery platform

Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev, Dr Spomenka Simovic and Dr Dusan Losic
Area: Nano technology, mechanical Engineering
Abstract: Currently, there is enormous need for drug delivery platforms for controlled release of
therapeutic compounds which are difficult to deliver by traditional means. Recently developed nanoporous materials such as titania and alumina produced by electrochemical etching have been
speculated to have the potential to fulfil this need. It has been demonstrated that the nano-porous of
such materials can be filled with therapeutics. However in a biological fluid these therapeutics are
released very quickly in the order of minutes. Thus a technology is needed for efficient control over
the release from the nano-pores. In this project plasma polymerisation will be used for regulating the
diameter of the openings of the nano-pores via deposition a polymer film via plasma deposition on the
surface of material. Plasma polymerisation is uniquely suitable for this purpose because film
deposition is conducted in dry stay. Film deposition by any wet technique would lead to loss and
contamination of the drug loaded in the pores. Plasma polymerisation also allows fine tuning of the
chemical properties of the films to increase the biocompatibility of the material. In this project
therapeutic drugs with different properties will be loaded in to nano-pores of the material. Release
will be examined after plasma deposition of films of different physicochemical properties. In addition
the response of biological cell to these novel materials will be tested.
13
Development of Novel antibacterial surfaces coatings

Abstract: Even in the 21st century infections are tremendous problem in our society. In the case of
medical devices infections due to pathogenic bacteria cause not only death and suffering of the
patients but also bilious on dollars of added hospital charges for the healthcare systems worldwide.
The aim of the project is development of novel antibacterial coatings which release antimicrobial
compounds for medical devices and other applications. The coatings will be based on polymer films
fabricated by plasma deposition. Plasma polymerization is a technique which is well established in
our lab and already applied for silver and drug releases coatings in our research. A serious concern
with current coatings is not only the efficiency over prolonged length of time but also the cytoxicity of
towards mammalian cells. The main goal of this project is to control the amount of loaded
antinicrobal agents in the coatings and the rate of their release. The hypothesis underlying this project
is that by control over the amount of released antimicrobial agents a balance can be found where the
concentration of this agent is lethal for bacteria but tolerable by mammalian cells. The rationale
behind this hypothesis is that bacterial cells a small, with simple cell membrane and do not have a
nucleus. In contrast mammalian cells are much larger, have a complex cell membrane and a nucleus.
Carbon nanotubes for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells

Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev, Dr Agnieszka Mierczynska and Prof. Rob Short
Abstract: Since Iijima discovered carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in 1991, many unique physical and
electrical properties of CNTs have gradually been uncovered. CNTs have exceptionally high
Youngs modulus, stiffness and flexibility, and are electrically conductive with a greater
diamagnetic susceptibility than graphite. Carbon nanotubes are pseudo-one-dimensional carbon
allotropes of high aspect ratio, high surface area, and excellent material properties. These excellent
and unique properties of carbon nanotubes make them attractive to a wide variety of high added value
nanotechnology and biotechnology applications, such as composite materials with exceptional
mechanical electrical and optical properties, sensors, drug carriers, solar cells and many others. There
have been major advances in the availability of carbon nanotubes, both in quality and quantity, which
has in turn stimulated the worldwide pursuit of carbon nanotubes for technological applications.
Nevertheless, carbon nanotubes (especially SWNTs) are still relatively expensive which is an
impediment for developing applications suitable for mass production. One particular issue is that
CNTs are often contaminated with catalysts used in fabrication, which leads to defects in the CNTs
chiral structure responsible for the unique properties of CNTs. The purpose of this project is to build
at UniSA a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) reactor for the fabrication of CNTs. Immediate goal
after construction of the reactor will be optimization of the condition of CNT synthesis, for catalyst
free and defect free single-walled and multiple-walled CNTs. The ultimate goal of the project will be
application of the synthesized CNTs is solar cells for enhancing their efficiency.
14
Surface gradients for controlling the response of biological cells

Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev
Abstract: Recently, there has been a tremendous interest in the scientific community for technologies
suitable for development of surface gradients of various properties. This is because many essential
biological processes are mediated by gradients of biological molecules. For example, chemotaxis
plays a role in diverse physiological processes, such as the recruitment of leukocytes to sites of
infection, trafficking of lymphocytes throughout the human body, and patterning of neuronal cells in
the developing nervous system. Gradients of cytokines play a role in the ability of our body to resist
invading pathogenic microorganisms by providing immune cells with the directional cues they need to
rapidly migrate to the infection site. In embryonic development, gradients induce proliferation,
differentiation, or migration in other cells. In cancer metastasis, migrating tumor cells escape the
original tumour, invade new tissues, and recruit endothelial cells to create blood vessels to feed the
new tumour site. In order to fully understand these processes there is a need for laboratory generated
surface gradient suitable for studding complex physiological phenomena. In this project various
surface gradients will be created via a technique uniquely available at Mawson Institute. The
adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and mobility of various cell types including stem cells will be
studied.
Carbon nanotubes in novel composite biomaterials

Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev and Dr. Agnieszka Mierczynska
Abstract: Since Iijima discovered carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in 1991, many unique physical and
electrical properties of CNTs have gradually been uncovered. CNTs have exceptionally high Youngs
modulus, stiffness and flexibility, and are electrically conductive with a greater diamagnetic
susceptibility than graphite. Carbon nanotubes are pseudo-one-dimensional carbon allotropes of high
aspect ratio, high surface area, and excellent material properties. These excellent and unique
properties of carbon nanotubes make them attractive to a wide variety of high added value
nanotechnology and biotechnology applications, such as composite materials with exceptional
mechanical electrical and optical properties, sensors, drug carriers, solar cells and many others.
Recently we built the first CVD reactor for synthesis of CNTs in South Australia. The goal of this
project will be to utilize CNTs in novel composite biomaterials for applications in medical implants.
CNTs will be used as filler in order to achieve novel lighter and stronger materials. The ultimate goal
is to use CNTs loaded with therapeutic agents which are to be released upon implantation.
Novel antibacterial surfaces coatings

Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev, Prof Hans Griesser and Prof Rob Short
Abstract: Even in the 21st century infections are tremendous problem in our society. In the case of
medical devices infections due to pathogenic bacteria cause not only death and suffering of the
patients but also bilious on dollars of added hospital charges for the healthcare systems worldwide.
The aim of the project is development of novel antibacterial coatings which release antimicrobial
compounds for medical devices and other applications. The coatings will be based on polymer films
fabricated by plasma deposition. Plasma polymerization is a technique which is well established in
our lab and already applied for silver and drug releases coatings in our research. A serious concern
with current coatings is not only the efficiency over prolonged length of time but also the cytoxicity of
towards mammalian cells. The main goal of this project is to control the amount of loaded
antinicrobal agents in the coatings and the rate of their release. The hypothesis underlying this project
is that by control over the amount of released antimicrobial agents a balance can be found where the
concentration of this agent is lethal for bacteria but tolerable by mammalian cells. The rationale
behind this hypothesis is that bacterial cells a small, with simple cell membrane and do not have a
nucleus. In contrast mammalian cells are much larger, have a complex cell membrane and a nucleus
15
Novel drug delivery platform

Abstract: Currently, there is enormous need for drug delivery platforms for controlled release of
therapeutic compounds which are difficult to deliver by traditional means. Recently developed nanoporous materials such as titania and alumina produced by electrochemical etching have been
speculated to have the potential to fulfil this need. It has been demonstrated that the nano-porous of
such materials can be filled with therapeutics. However in a biological fluid these therapeutics are
released very quickly in the order of minutes. Thus a technology is needed for efficient control over
the release from the nano-pores. In this project plasma polymerisation will be used for regulating the
diameter of the openings of the nano-pores via deposition a polymer film via plasma deposition on the
surface of material. Plasma polymerisation is uniquely suitable for this purpose because film
deposition is conducted in dry stay. Film deposition by any wet technique would lead to loss and
contamination of the drug loaded in the pores. Plasma polymerisation also allows fine tuning of the
chemical properties of the films to increase the biocompatibility of the material. In this project
therapeutic drugs with different properties will be loaded in to nano-pores of the material. Release
will be examined after plasma deposition of films of different physicochemical properties. In addition
the response of biological cell to these novel materials will be tested.
Development of a phase change thermal storage system for medium temperature applications
Supervisors: Dr Frank Bruno and Dr Martin Belusko
Area: Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Energy
Abstract: Thermal energy can be stored as sensible heat whereby the temperature of the storage
material varies with the amount of energy stored. Alternatively, thermal energy can be stored as latent
heat which makes use of the energy stored when a substance changes from one phase to another by
either melting or freezing. In the latter, the storage media is known as a phase change material (PCM).
Ice is an example of a 0oC PCM. A number of PCMs have been developed however as yet there are
only a limited number of applications. The reason for this is that PCMs are expensive and so their use
has only been practical in a small number of applications. There are a number of industrial
applications where PCMs could be cost effective. For these applications, thermal energy needs to be
stored around 90 to 130oC. The objective of this project is to develop a medium temperature (90 to
130oC) thermal storage system that use phase change material as the energy storage medium. The
thermal storage system is to be used to store heat collected from a solar system.
Related references:
Bruno F., Using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for Space Heating and Cooling in Buildings.
EcoLibrium, Journal of Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating, Vol. 4,
No. 2, pp 26-31, March 2005.
Saman W., Bruno F. & Halawa E., Thermal Performance of PCM Thermal Storage Unit for a Roof
Integrated Solar Heating System. Solar Energy, Volume 78, Issue 2, Pages 341-349, 2005.
16
Integrated solar heating and PV cooling system

Abstract: The efficiency of electric generation from photo-voltaic (PV) modules reduces as the
temperature of the panel increases. The objective of this project is to investigate a cost-effective
cooling technology for the PV module. The possibility of using the heat collected during the cooling
process will be investigated. The work will involve the following: Extensive literature review of PV
cooling systems, Development of design concepts for a PV cooling system, Mathematical / computer
modelling of a PV cooling system, Construction of a prototype, Testing of prototype and validation of
the model.
Related references:
Martin, S O, Seitz, C, Ryan, T and Saman, W Y, Techniques for Reducing the Operating Temperature
of Solar Cell Modules, Paper P4-1, Proc. ISES 2003 Goteborg, Sweden, (2003).
Development of an evaporative cooling system with thermal storage

Abstract: Evaporative air conditioners are used in large numbers in many parts of Australia and
throughout the world as energy efficient cooling systems. The use of direct evaporative coolers is
restricted, however, to regions of low humidity due to the limitation that the wet bulb temperature is
the minimum temperature attainable, and the reduced comfort associated with the rise in relative
humidity. Indirect evaporative coolers have been developed where humidified air is passed through
one side of an air-air heat exchanger, and outside air is passed through the other side so that it is
cooled sensibly only. These systems expand the climatic zones where evaporative cooling can be used
to achieve thermal comfort. However, the energy efficiency of these indirect coolers is reduced due to
the high pressure losses associated with the heat exchanger. This project involves the development of
a conventional evaporative cooling system operating in conjunction with a thermal storage system.
Phase change material (PCM) is the storage medium proposed to store the cooling. PCMs are
materials which store heat by changing from a liquid to a solid at a desired temperature.
Related references:
Bruno F., Using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for Space Heating and Cooling in Buildings.
EcoLibrium, Journal of Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating, Vol. 4,
No. 2, pp 26-31, March 2005.
Development of a Novel Propulsion System for Long-Range UAV Platforms

Supervisors: Associate Professor Farid Christo
Area: Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, Propulsion and Combustion Sciences
Abstract: This project proposes the development of an innovative Thrust Augmentation System (TAS)
that can be incorporated, with minimal modifications, to existing propulsion systems of air vehicles.
The primary focus is on the development of an integrated propulsion system capable of providing the
required additional thrust at take-off without incurring a major increase in mass or drag of the vehicle.
The project aims also to demonstrate the potential benefits and viability of using the thrust
augmentation device for transforming an existing UAV platform into a long-range vehicle. The
proposed research requires undertaking experimental and numerical investigations in several science
and engineering fields. This includes developing experimental apparatus for static-testing of a
propulsion system, performing extensive CFD modelling of flow and combustion fields for complex
engine geometry configurations.
17
An integrated thermal system for the provision of hot water, space heating and cooling
Supervisors: Prof. Wasim Saman
Abstract: The energy demand for air conditioning of both commercial and residential buildings has
been escalating throughout the last decades. In Australia, space heating and cooling represents about
40% and domestic water heating about 30% of the energy demand of residential buildings. Solar
water heating is a well-established technology. In Australia more market penetration of this
technology is expected due to improved public environmental awareness and governments
financial inducements. Solar space heating systems, on the other hand, have not gained market
acceptance due mainly to high initial cost. In addition, only a small amount of total annual heat
collected by the system is eventually utilised due to the short heating season in most Australian
population concentrations. Due to the absence of more viable systems in the market, consumers resort
to reverse cycle air conditioning systems which provide both cooling and heating. With low initial
costs, these systems are dominating the air conditioning markets, particularly in new housing. This,
however, has resulted in dramatic increases in energy use and summer peak power demand with
associated electricity generation and distribution requirements. Thermally driven cooling systems
utilising solar energy is a promising option. Seasonal match between solar radiation availability and
the building cooling load supports this argument. Solar liquid desiccant air conditioning which
provides both cooling and dehumidification has been found to be technically viable. Numerical
studies on the existing solar hot water systems revealed that despite the all year round demand for hot
water, the oversizing of solar hot water system seems inevitable due to the need to adequately
cover the winter peak hot water demand. This research will investigate the integration of the provision
of heating, hot water, cooling and dehumidification for residential buildings. The purpose of the
research will be to assess the technical viability of this integrated system through computer modelling
and simulation combined with experimental validation.
Intelligent Optimisation of Mechanical Structure

Area: Mechanical and manufacturing Engineering
Abstract: Artificial Intelligence has had wide applications in discrete systems but narrowly used in
continuous systems such as structures. The aim of this project is to model mechanical structures into
apparently discrete elements via well known finite element methods and then apply Artificial
Intelligence to optimize the structure. Some preliminary work has already been done in this area in the
school.
Vibration Analysis of Mechanical Structures via Substructuring Technique

Area: Mechanical and manufacturing Engineering
Abstract: Substructuring techniques to analyse complex structures has been around for a long time.
However the aim of this project is rather different: to use finite element methods to analyse each
substructure then develop some mathematical methods to convert each substructure into a single
element with limited number of nodes at its borders to couple with the adjacent substructures to
achieve dynamic parameters of the whole structure. Thus the whole structure will be modeled with a
limited number of large elements.
18
Stabilised Cool Flame Reactor for Scramjet Engines

Supervisors: Associate Professor Farid Christo
Area: Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, Propulsion and Combustion Sciences
Abstract: This project has risen due to the continuous and evolving interest in the development of
hypersonic vehicles based on supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engines. To date, gaseous
hydrogen fuel is been used in Scramjets because it has a short ignition-delay time and high energy
content. Ultimately however industry is seeking scramjet engines that are fuelled by liquid aviation
fuels (LAF's), such as JP-7, JP-8, JP-10, Jet-A, and alike. This requirement arises because logistically
(availability, storage, transportation, systems integration etc.) and technically LAFs are easier to
handle, safer, and have higher energy-density than gaseous hydrogen. However using conventional
aviation fuels in scramjet engines remains unattainable due to the relatively long ignition-delay time
and difficulties in flame stabilisation in supersonic streams. A successful development of a LAFbased scramjet combustor would therefore contribute significantly to the advancement of scramjet
technology, which is the focus of this proposed study. It is proposed to explore alternative concepts
for vaporising and cracking the LAFs prior entering the combustion chamber. One these concepts
is based on a combined thermal partial oxidation (TPOX) integrated with porous media reactor
(PMR). Christo (2010) modelled TPOX, of ethylene and JP-10 fuels under ultra-rich fuel conditions
using an inert PMR to generate Hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Another concept to be investigated is
using a Stabilised Cool Flame (SCF) in conjunction with POX process, such as that used by Kolaitis
et al. [9] for the reforming process of n-heptane. The proposed work would consist of a combination
of significant numerical modelling including chemical kinetics simulations, CFD of multiphase flows,
and experimental studies.
Related references:
Rao, P.N., and Kunzru, D., "Thermal cracking of JP-10: Kinetics and product distribution", J. Anal.
Appl. Pyrolysis 76 (2006) 154-160.
Christo, F. C., "JP10-to-Hydrogen Conversion Using a Porous Media Reactor ", Proc. of the 3rd
Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development International Conference (TISD2010),
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, 4-6 March 2010, pp 703- 707.
19
Continuous Synthesis of Nanoparticles

Name of Supervisors: Peter Majewski
Prerequisites: Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Details of research: The synthesis of nanoparticles is mainly performed in batches. However, for the
development of a large scale commercial manufacturing of nanoparticles the development of
techniques and devices is necessary that allow the continuous preparation of nanoparticles.
Microfluidic devices appear to be a technical solution for this problem as they allow a constant
production of nanoparticles in suspensions. The aim of the project is the development of microfluidic
devices for the synthesis of functionalised magnetite nanoparticles which have significant
technological potential in medicine, environmental remediation, manufacturing, and electronic media
storage.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfluidics
http://www.micronit.com/en/webshop.php?gclid=COaS_92lzKQCFQUdbgod0harDQ
http://www.dolomite-microfluidics.com/webshop/microfluidic-chips-c5?gclid=CKCt3OylzKQCFQm7bwodZn0eXw
Lung-Hsin Hung Abraham Phillip Lee Microfluidic Devices for the Synthesis of Nanoparticles and
Biomaterials Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering, 27(1): 1-6
Micron Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Prerequisites: Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering
Details of research: Micron Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are considered to be the next generation
of mobile power sources capable to replace batteries in small electric and electronic devices such as
laptops, GPS systems, etc. One of the crucial aspects of SOFC during application is the thermomechanical stress within the cell due to the mismatch of thermal extension coefficients of the involved
materials. Corrugation of the electrolyte membrane may provide a solution of this problem. The
project aims at developing SOFC with corrugated membrane structures for increasing the thermomechanical stability. The project their fabrication in collaboration with the Australian Nanofabrication
Facility South Australia Node, and testing of their mechanical strength and energy density.
References:
Anna Evans, Anja Bieberle-Htter, Jennifer L.M. Rupp, Ludwig J. Gauckler, Review on
microfabricated micro-solid oxide fuel cell membranes, Journal of Power Sources 194 (2009) 119
129
Anja Bieberle-Hutter et al., A micro-solid oxide fuel cell system as battery replacement, Journal of
Power Sources 177 (2008) 123130
Pei-Chen Su et al., Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Corrugated, Thin Film Electrolyte, Nano Lett., Vol. 8,
No. 8, 2008
20
Multilayers Functional Polymers

Prerequisites: Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Details of research:In the frame of this fundamental materials science & engineering project novel
multilayer coatings of 3-dimensionl structured alternating functional polymers will be prepared by
means of polymer plasma deposition on solid substrates and there characterised with respect to their
chemistry and microstructure as well as their conducting and optical properties.
References:
Inagaki, N., Plasma surface modification and plasma polymerization1996, Lancaster, Pa: Technomic
Pub. Co.
Lichtenberg, A.J. and M.A. Lieberman, Principles of plasma discharges and materials
processing1994, New York: Wiley.
Favia, P. and R. d'Agostino, Plasma treatments and plasma deposition of polymers for biomedical
applications. Surface and Coatings Technology, 1998. 98(1-3): p. 1102-1106.
Biederman, H., Deposition of polymer films in low pressure reactive plasmas. Thin Solid Films, 1981.
86(2-3): p. 125-136.
Jama, C. and R. Delobel, Cold Plasma Technologies for Surface Modification and Thin Film
Deposition, in Multifunctional Barriers for Flexible Structure, S. Duquesne and C. Magniez, Editors.
2007, Springer Berlin Heidelberg: Berlin, Heidelberg. p. 109-124.
21
School of Computer and Information Science

computer science, information technology, forensic computing, and information management.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Dr Jiuyong Li Jiuyong.li@unisa.edu.au
Security analysis of Voice over IP systems with formal methods
Abstract: Most Voice over IP (VoIP) protocols has been designed without serious security concerns in
mind, so with the widespread deployment of VoIP systems, security flaws have emerged. Great effort
has been made in investigating the issues and proposing countermeasures. However the majority of
the work is experiment-based, thus limited to specific scenarios, as it is infeasible to test all
possibilities. Formal methods, such as Petri nets, enable rigorous and complete analysis of network
protocols. So far however little work has been done on using formal methods to analyse security
vulnerabilities of VoIP protocols. Additionally it is difficult to follow existing protocol verification
methodologies straightaway to analyse security aspects of VoIP protocols, due to the distinct
behaviour of security attacks and VoIP protocols. This project aims to develop a Petri net based
approach to identify security vulnerabilities in Voice over IP (VoIP) systems. We will firstly identify
and formally characterise VoIP attackers. Then we will develop Petri net modelling techniques to
capture VoIP protocol behaviour with presence of the attackers, and develop analysis methods for the
models for identifying security vulnerabilities. The formal models and analysis techniques will also
become a platform for verifying new security countermeasures for VoIP protocols.
Supervisors/Contact information:
Dr Lin Liu
School of Computer Information Science
University of South Australia
Mawson Lakes, SA 5095
Australia
Phone: +61 8 8302 3311
Email: lin.liu@unisa.edu.au
URL: http://people.unisa.edu.au/Lin.Liu
Relevant references:
D. Sisalem et al. Sip Security. John Wiley. 2009
D. Geneiatakis et al. Survey of security vulnerabilities in session initiation protocol, IEEE
Communications Surveys & Tutorials 8(3), 6881 (2006)
K. Jensen, L.M. Kristensen and L. Wells, Coloured Petri nets and CPN tools for modelling and
validation of concurrent systems, International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer 9
(34) (2007), pp. 213254.
A. Keromytis. A Comprehensive Survey of Voice over IP Security Research, IEEE Communications
Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 99, pp.1-24, April 2011.
22
Computational methods for identifying, simulating and verifying gene regulatory networks
Abstract: MicroRNA-mediated gene regulation plays vital roles in cellular systems. Understanding
the regulatory relationships is a key to understanding cellular systems and the causes of microRNArelated human diseases. Biologists are confronting the challenges of obtaining a complete view of the
regulatory relationships, due to the high dimension and complexity of the relationships.
This project aims at developing new data mining and formal verification techniques to establish a
computational framework for discovering, simulating, and verifying microRNA-mediated gene
regulation. The project will create and utilise the synergy of data mining and formal methods to build
computational solutions to biological problems. The outcome of the project will help biologists
greatly to reduce search spaces and provide guidance to prioritise their searches. The proposed tasks
of the project include: 1) to develop data mining techniques to discover group regulatory interactions
among groups of different types of cellular components, namely microRNAs, transcription factors and
potential target genes; 2) to develop formal modelling and verification techniques for simulating and
analysing discovered group regulatory interactions, to gain insight into the regulatory interactions and
to select the interactions that are of high significance/interest for further biological experiment
validation.
Dr Lin Liu & A/Prof Jiuyong Li
School of Computer Information Science
University of South Australia
Mawson Lakes, SA 5095
Australia
Phone: +61 8 8302 3311, +61 8 8302 3898
Email: lin.liu@unisa.edu.au, jiuyong.li@unisa.edu.au
URL: http://people.unisa.edu.au/Lin.Liu, http://people.unisa.edu.au/Jiuyong.Li
D. P. Bartel. MicroRNAs: Target Recognition and Regulatory Functions. Cell, vol. 136, issue 2, pp.
215-233, 2009.
Y. Dai and X. Zhou. Computational methods for the identification of microRNA targets. Open Access
Bioinformatics, vol. 2, issue 1, pp. 29-39, 2010
N. J. Martinez and A. J. Walhout. The interplay between transcription factors and microRNAs in
genome-scale regulatory networks. Bioessays, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 435-445, 2009.
C. Chaouiya. Petri net modelling of biological networks. Briefings in Bioinformatics, vol. 8, no. 4, pp.
210-219, 2007.
23
Analysing the trends in Web search

Abstract:
What are the main trends in Web search? We have been collecting search result data for over one year
now to give us insights into the major influences in search.
We are looking at some of the following questions:
What types of queries have the most changeable top 10 or top 50? (Commercial, navigational,
informational, transactional) (popular versus non-popular)
Does geographical location significantly influence results?
How different are search results for the different interfaces (desktop, mobile)?
Is one search engine really copying the results on another search engine?
How long does the average URL stay in the top ten or top 50?
How many URLs remain in the top 10 or top 50 after three months/6 months/one year?
For any given query, will every URL in the top 10 or top 50 eventually be replaced? If so, how long
will that take? If not, what class of query is it?
What is the 'half-life' of the average URL in the top 10 or top 50?
What we hope to do is discover what are the main influences for different types of query in different
contexts, and to hence be able to predict the trajectory of some types of websites. We are not looking
at how to influence the trajectory of websites in search results - that belongs to search engine
optimisation companies.
Prof. Helen Ashman, helen.ashman@unisa.edu.au Dr Mark Truran, m.a.truran@tees.ac.uk
http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/SearchScraper.html
M.Truran, J.-F. Schmakeit and H. Ashman, The Effect of User Intent on the Stability of Search
Engine Results, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,
(ERA=A*). See http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/publications/index.html for a preprint of this paper.
Mining implicit relevance feedback from mass user interaction with search engines
Abstract:
When a user makes a selection from a set of search results, they are making an implicit relevance
feedback between the search term and the chosen webpage. This is especially so for image searches
where we have found that the relevance feedback is much more accurate.
We have been taking this a step further - when a user makes more than one selection from the search
results, which we call a coselection, then we have found that there is also an implicit mutual relevance
between the two selected websites.
There are a number of things we think coselections can be used for. We aggregate (or cluster)
webpages using coselections as the similarity function, and this creates clusters of webpages which
are non-ambiguous - there is no other algorithm that can do this without referring to an external
dictionary. With these non-ambiguous clusters, we are working on the following:
separating out multiple senses of the same word or phrase
detecting ambiguous terms
finding synonyms
finding translations
all of these completely automatically and without using any external resources.
A. Prof. Helen Ashman, helen.ashman@unisa.edu.au
Dr Mark Truran, m.a.truran@tees.ac.uk http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/ Coselections.html
H. Ashman, M. Antunovic, S. Chaprasit, G. Smith and M.Truran, Implicit association via crowdsourced coselection, Proceedings of ACM Hypertext 2011, June 2011 (ERA=A).
See http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/publications/index.html for a preprint of this paper.
24
User modelling for behavioural intrusion detection

Abstract: This project combines user modelling with intrusion detection. If we capture the typical
behaviour of an individual as they interact with the computer, network etc., we can use this 'normal'
behaviour model to continually reauthenticate the user as they work. This gives a tool for discovering
intruders who are masquerading as a real user.
We have looked at a number of different characteristics so far and have classed them into two major
types:
behavioural biometric - becoming common in the literature and easy to measure
keystrokes
mouse use
psychometric - the user's decisions, choices, habits. Not common in the literature
formal language use - commands used in command line
informal language use - prose style
preferred tools (webpages, editors)
We found that combining characteristics gives more effective detection. We are currently working on
a comparison between formal and informal language use to see whether either are effective for
intrusion detection and which is best.
Prof. Helen Ashman, helen.ashman@unisa.edu.au
http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/ BID.html
G. Pannell and H. Ashman, Anomaly detection over user profiles for intrusion detection, Proceedings
of 8th Australian Information Security Management Conference 2010, Perth 2011. Preprint.
G. Pannell and H. Ashman, User modelling for exclusion and anomaly detection: a behavioural
intrusion detection system, Proceedings of User Modelling, Adaptation and Personalisation (UMAP
2010), Springer, LNCS 6075, pp 207-218, 2010.
See http://sl.cis.unisa.edu.au/sl/publications/index.html for preprints of these papers.
Multi-view and Free-Viewpoint Video Streaming

Abstract: This project's objective is to develop an adaptive multimedia communication system which
addresses the nature of heterogeneous network and devices, to facilitate stereoscopic and freeviewpoint video streaming applications such as 3D TV to fixed and mobile devices, over wired and
wireless Internet.
Ivan Lee Ivan.Lee@unisa.edu.au
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiview_Video_Coding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_viewpoint_television
25
Real-time 3D Object Registration on Tablet Devices

Abstract: This project aims to develop a real-time 3D object registration onto physical scene, such as
synthesising ancient buildings on a historic site. The system will utilize cloud computing
infrastructure, using Android-based tablet as the end-user device.
Supervisors/Contact information: Ivan Lee Ivan.Lee@unisa.edu.au
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29
Smart Homecare using Depth Map Video, Wearable Sensors, and Ambient Intelligence
Abstract: This research project aims to develop smart home applications for ambient assistive living.
The project will investigate different data fusion techniques for combining sensory information
captured from standard and depth map video using Microsoft Kinect, wearable sensors, sound and
vibration sensors, together with advanced computer vision techniques, for abnormal activity detection
to facilitate elderly independent living.
Ivan Lee Ivan.Lee@unisa.edu.au
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_intelligence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect
Visuo-Haptic Augmented Reality

Supervisor: Dr. Christian Sandor
Abstract: Human perception is multi-modal: the senses of touch and vision do not operate in isolation,
but rather closely coupled. This observation has inspired systems that allow users to see and touch
virtual objects at the same location in space. This research project explores potential applications of
this technology in areas such as medical training, education, industrial design and entertainment.
To gain insight into the proposed topic quickly, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to visit
http://magicvisionlab.com/projects/vhar/ for an introduction based on movies.
References:
Sandor, C., Uchiyama, S., and Yamamoto, H. Visuo-Haptic Systems: Half-Mirrors Considered
Harmful WHC '07: Proceedings of the Second Joint EuroHaptics Conference and Symposium on
Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. pages 292--297, Tsukuba,
Japan, 2007.
Sandor, C., Kuroki, T., Uchiyama, S., and Yamamoto, H. Exploring Visuo-Haptic Mixed Reality
Technical Report PRMU2006-199 IEICE, Tokyo, Japan, 2007.
26
Mobile Augmented Reality

Supervisors: Dr. Christian Sandor
Prerequisites: Computer Science
Abstract: Most of today's mobile internet devices contain facilities to search the user's immediate
environment. The search results are then displayed on a map. Several research projects have aimed to
provide more intuitive displays by using augmented reality to overlay points of interest on a video
image of the real world. To gain insight into the proposed topic quickly, potential applicants are
strongly encouraged to visit http://magicvisionlab.com/projects/mars/ for an introduction based on
movies.
References:
Dey, A., Cunningham, A., and Sandor, C. Evaluating Depth Perception of Photorealistic Mixed
Reality Visualizations for Occluded Objects in Outdoor Environments In Proceedings of ACM
Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, pages 211--218, Hong Kong, China,
November, 2010.
Sandor, C., Cunningham, A., Dey, A., and Mattila, V. An Augmented Reality X-Ray System Based
on Visual Saliency In Proceedings of IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented
Reality, pages 27--36, Seoul, Korea, October, 2010.
Sandor, C., Cunningham, A., Eck, U., Urquhart, D., Jarvis, G., Dey, A., Barbier, S., Marner, M., and
Rhee, S. Egocentric Space-Distorting Visualizations for Rapid Environment Exploration in Mobile
Mixed Reality Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality, 47--50, Waltham, MA, USA.
Securing the cyber space from strategic, policy and technical perspectives
Abstract: This interdisciplinary PhD research project aims to undertake a scoping study of the current
and emerging cyber threats and identify the needs of the Australian government and law enforcement
agencies and the private sector, from strategic, policy and technical perspectives.
(Potential project 1)
The research project aims to address two key areas identified in the 2010 report of the Australian
Government House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications' Inquiry into Cyber
Crime.
The need to conduct a stock take of current sources of data and research on cyber crime (a
comprehensive literature review); and
The need to develop clear national definitions and procedures for the collection of data on cyber
crime.
Key methodologies include undertaking a national online security survey of Australian home users
and businesses. The latter will be used as a basis for building a one-stop cyber crime reporting
mechanism where data collected will be compiled and analysed in real-time, which can be used to
provide trend analysis/quarterly report over time.
(Potential project 2)
This research research project aims to develop information security and cryptographic tools and
techniques to protect the finance system and critical cyber and process control systems such as those
which regulate energy and water supplies and will also anticipate the security needs of emerging
technologies such as cloud computing and the smart grid.
(Overall)
Findings will improve knowledge of the nature and dimensions to the problem, and of suitable risk
management strategies, thereby enabling government agencies and the private sector to set priorities
and better target scarce resources in fighting cyber crime. This will help inform policy makers in
developing appropriate legislative and policy responses required to address the problems identified,
which will result in enhanced capabilities for the Australian Government.
Supervisors/Contact information Prof Jill Slay Jill.Slay@unisa.edu.au
Dr Raymond Choo Raymond.choo@unisa.edu.au
27
Formal specification and analysis of Voice over IP systems

Abstract: This PhD research project aims to develop a Petri net-based approach to identify security
vulnerabilities in voice over IP (VoIP) systems. We will firstly identify and formally characterise
VoIP attackers. Then we will develop Petri net modelling techniques to capture VoIP protocol
behaviour in the presence of attackers, and develop analysis methods for the models to identify
security vulnerabilities. The formal models and analysis techniques will also become a platform for
verifying new security countermeasures for VoIP protocols.
Supervisors/Contact information
Dr Lin Liu lin.liu@unisa.edu.au
Digital forensic tools and framework

Abstract: This interdisciplinary PhD research project aims to examine:
The emerging forensic challenges involved in identifying and prosecuting cybercrime (e.g., the
implication of a cloud computing environment such as cloud-based gaming consoles).
The legislative reforms are needed to respond to emerging forensic challenges, particularly in high
(data) volume criminal cases.
This research will also define Australian best practice in digital evidence collection which takes into
account the (inter)national legal context in which investigation is carried out, solve the technical and
legal difficulties coming from the very nature of cyberspace, including the growing use of cloud
computing, develop tools to support the defined best practices and testing methods for their evaluation
with the aim to preserve under all circumstances the chain of custody of evidence to the final trial.
Prof Jill Slay Jill.Slay@unisa.edu.au
28
School of Electrical and Information Engineering

Electrical and mechatronic engineering, electronics and communications, physics, networking and
communications, and optical and electronics.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: A/Prof Kutluyil Dogancay

kutluyil.dogancay@unisa.edu.au
Investigation of Coordinate Shift Effects on TLS-Based Geolocation and Tracking

Supervisors: Kutluyil Dogancay, Sanjeev Arulampalam
Prerequisites: Signal processing
Abstract: The estimation performance of total least squares (TLS) bearings-only localization
algorithms has recently been studied. An interesting and somewhat surprising feature of the TLS
estimators is that their localization performance exhibits dependence on the local coordinate shifts.
The objective of this research project is to investigate this dependence analytically and to explore its
extension to other related localization and tracking scenarios involving hybrid sensors.
References:
K. Dogancay, Relationship Between Geometric Translations and TLS Estimation Bias in BearingsOnly Target Localization, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 1005-1017,
March 2008
S. C. Nardone , A. G. Lindgren and K. F. Gong "Fundamental properties and performance of
conventional bearings-only target motion analysis", IEEE Trans. Autom. Control, vol. 29, pp.775
1984
M. Gavish and A. J. Weiss "Performance analysis of bearing-only target location algorithms", IEEE
Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., vol. 28, pp.817 1992
K. Dogancay, "On the bias of linear least squares algorithms for passive target localization", Signal
Process., vol. 84, pp.475 2004
K. Dogancay "Bias compensation for the bearings-only pseudolinear target track estimator", IEEE
Trans. Signal Process., vol. 54, pp.59 2006
29
Adaptive Nonlinear Compensation Techniques Utilizing Out-of-Band Energy Minimization

Supervisor: Kutluyil Dogancay
Prerequisites : Signal processing
Abstract: In wireless communication systems nonlinear distortion arises from high-power RF
amplifiers at the final stage of a digital transmitter. This project aims to investigate the nonlinear
models for RF amplifiers and the application of blind out-of-band energy minimization techniques
to pre- or post-distortion of nonlinearities possibly with memory.
References:
K. Dogancay, Blind compensation of nonlinear distortion for bandlimited signals, IEEE
Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, vol. 52, no. 9, Sept 2005
J. Tsimbinos and K. V. Lever, "Nonlinear system compensation based on orthogonal polynomial
inverses", IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. II, Analog Digit. Signal Process., vol. 48, no. 4, pp.406 -417
2001
E. Masry and S. Cambanis, "Signal identification after noisy nonlinear transformations", IEEE
Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. IT-26, no. 1, pp.50 -58 1980
L. Ljung, System Identification: Theory for the User, 1999 :Prentice-Hall
M. Schetzen, The Volterra and Wiener Theories of Nonlinear Systems, 1980 :Wiley
Cyclostationary Signal Processing for MIMO Radar

Supervisor: Kutluyil Dogancay
Prerequisites: Signal processing
Abstract: Most man-made telecommunications and radar signals possess a cyclic statistical property
referred to as cyclostationarity. Exploitation of this property can provide significant improvement in
signal detection and parameter estimation in the presence of strong interference. This project aims to
study the development of cyclostationary signal processing techniques for MIMO radar and
multistatic radar. One of the key objectives is to analyse the relationship between transmitted
waveforms and resulting detection and estimation performance in a target tracking application.
References:
J. Li and P. Stoica, MIMO Radar Signal Processing, Wiley, 2009.
W.A. Gardner and C.-K. Chen, "Signal-selective time-difference-of- arrival estimation for passive
location of man-made signal sources in highly corruptive environments. i. Theory and method," IEEE
Trans. on Signal Proc., vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 1168-1184, May 1992.
Huang, Z.-T.; Zhou, Y.-Y.; Jiang, W.-L.; Lu, Q.-Z.; , "Joint estimation of Doppler and timedifference-of-arrival exploiting cyclostationary property," Radar, Sonar and Navigation, IEE
Proceedings - , vol.149, no.4, pp. 161- 165, August 2002
Napolitano, A.; , "Sampling of Spectrally Correlated Processes," Signal Processing, IEEE
Transactions on , vol.59, no.2, pp.525-539, Feb. 2011
30
Title of Potential PhD Project: Navigation Control of Unmanned Ground and Arial Vehicles
Utilising Bio-inspired Visual Processing
Supervisors: Dr Russell SA Brinkworth

Prerequisites: Degree in Mechatronic Engineering or equivalent with an emphasis on control systems
and computer programming.
Abstract: This project aims to design the next generation navigation systems, inspired by recent
scientific discoveries on how the biological vision system works, to control autonomous vehicles. The
project will utilize a unique custom bio-inspired vision sensor still under development. This
processing is so efficient it can be performed on-board the robotic platforms without the need for
external control and processing. The PhD candidate will be responsible for combining the information
from the visual sensor with more traditional sensors (e.g. wheel encoders, ultrasonic rangefinders and
inertial sensors) to get robots to move from one location to another avoiding obstacles as well as
performing tunnel centring and maze navigation. This is the chance to combine biology with
technology and achieve outcome that are beyond those currently within reach by other systems around
the world.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Brinkworth, RSA, Mah, EL, Gray, JP & O'Carroll, DC (2008). Journal of Vision 8(11:8): 1-17.
Brinkworth, RSA & O'Carroll, DC (2009). PLoS Comp. Biol. 5(11): e1000555.
Conroy, J, Gremillion, G, Ranganathan, B & Humbert, JS (2009). Autonomous Robots 27: 189-198.
Nordstrm, K, Barnett, PD, Moyer de Miguel, I, Brinkworth, RSA & OCarroll, DC (2008). Curr. Biol. 18:
661-667.
Srinivasan, MV, Zhang, SW, Altwein, M & Tautz, J (2000). Science 287(5454): 851-853.
van Hateren, JH & Snippe, HP (2001). Vision Res. 41: 1851-1865.
Wiederman, S, Brinkworth, RSA & O'Carroll, DC (2008). SPIE: Biosensing. San Diego, CA, USA, SPIE.
7035: 70350Z.
Wiederman, SD, Shoemaker, PA & O'Carroll, DC (2008). PLoS ONE 3(7): e2784.
31
Name of School/Institute: Electrical and Information Engineering

Real-time Detection and Identification of Multiple Targets in Cluttered Wide Area Surveillance
Supervisor: Dr Russell SA Brinkworth
Prerequisites: Electrical / Electronic Engineering OR Computer Science degree or equivalent
Abstract: This project aims to design the next generation of long-range optical surveillance systems,
inspired by recent scientific discoveries on how the biological vision system works. Traditionally to
optically survey large expanses of space requires multiple high-resolution cameras. This is expensive
both economically and computationally. A more efficient way (based on the way the human eye
works) is to use a low-resolution wide-angle camera to detect possible objects of interest and then
automatically position a high-resolution low field of view camera to take a more detailed look at a
small section of visual space. Successful completion of this project will result in the production of a
proof-of-concept system that can detect and classify a number of physically different moving objects
against a cluttered background. This is the chance to combine biology with technology and achieve
outcome that are beyond those currently within reach by other systems around the world.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Brinkworth, RSA, Mah, EL, Gray, JP & O'Carroll, DC (2008). Journal of Vision 8(11:8): 1-17.
Brinkworth, RSA & O'Carroll, DC (2009). PLoS Comp. Biol. 5(11): e1000555.
van Hateren, JH & Snippe, HP (2001). Vision Res. 41: 1851-1865.
Wiederman, S, Brinkworth, RSA & O'Carroll, DC (2008). SPIE: Biosensing. San Diego, CA, USA, SPIE.
7035: 70350Z.
Wiederman, SD, Shoemaker, PA & O'Carroll, DC (2008). PLoS ONE 3(7): e2784.
32
Architectures and algorithms for error correction in Wireless Sensor Networks

Name of Supervisors: Mahfuz Aziz
Prerequisites:Electrical & Electronic; Communications; Computer Engineering
Details of research: Many algorithms have been devised for correction of errors introduced by noisy
channels in traditional wired and wireless communications [1]. For faster processing, these algorithms
are often implemented as hardware decoders on Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) or
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). Fully parallel implantations of the hardware decoders [2],
[3] require huge amount of logic and memory resources. Partially parallel implementations [4] can
potentially save some hardware resources, however they suffer from reduced error correction
performance, complex memory controlling schemes and reduced throughput [2]. With the rapid
proliferation of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in numerous applications including environmental,
transportation, health care, security and surveillance [5], research on the development of efficient
error correction algorithms and hardware architectures for WSN is very important. Unlike traditional
communication, the challenge in WSN however is the severe resource constraints [6], [7]. This project
will investigate the issues and challenges in WSN error corrections and explore suitable algorithms
and hardware architectures to achieve the desired levels of performance as dictated by relevant
applications.
References:
[1]
1981.
G. C. Clark and J. B. Cain, Error-correction coding for digital communications: Springer US,
[2]
V. A. Chandrasetty and S. M. Aziz, "FPGA Implementation of a LDPC Decoder using a
Reduced Complexity Message Passing Algorithm, Journal of Networks, Vol. 6, No. 1, Oulu,
Finland: Academy Publisher, pp. 36-45, Jan 2011.
[3] V. A. Chandrasetty and S. M. Aziz, Analysis of Performance and Implementation Complexity
of Simplified Algorithms for Decoding Low-Density Parity-Check codes Proc. IEEE Globecom
2010 Workshop on Complex and Communication Networks (CCNet 2010), Miami, Florida, 6-10
Dec. 2010, pp. 445-450.
[4]
V. A. Chandrasetty and S. M. Aziz, A Multi-Level Hierarchical Quasi-Cyclic Matrix for
Implementation of Flexible Partially-Parallel LDPC Decoders, Proc. IEEE International Conference
on Multimedia & Expo (ICME 2011), Barcelona, Spain, 11-15 July 2011.
[5]
I. F. Akyildiz, et al., "A survey on sensor networks," Communications Magazine, IEEE, vol.
40, pp. 102-114, 2002.
[6]
S. L. Howard, et al., "Error control coding in low-power wireless sensor networks: When is
ECC energy-efficient?," EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, vol. 2006,
pp. 29-29, 2006.
[7]
S. Mukhopadhyay, et al., "Data aware, low cost error correction for wireless sensor
networks," 2004, pp. 2492-2497, Vol. 4.
33
Real-time object identification and tracking using Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
(WMSN)
Prerequisites: Electrical & Electronic, Communications, Computer Engineering
Details of research:
The increasing availability of smaller but smarter electronic hardware and sensors are continually
extending the boundary for new applications of wireless sensor networks [1]. Real-time object
identification, localisation and tracking is such a rapidly growing area of interest among scientists and
engineers. Ranging from identifying and localising the manifestation of bacteria or fungi in dispersed
agricultural lands to identifying and tracking suspicious objects or intruders in a high security area,
the potential for this area of research is enormous [2]. The recent generation of wireless sensor
hardware is promising to provide real-time image transaction capability over multimedia sensor
networks. Not a huge body of work has been done in this area yet [3]. So, there is tremendous
potential for development in the areas of network architectures, application layer protocols and
efficient low power hardware processors [4, 5]. This research can take one of multiple potential
directions, which are listed below, with each providing enough challenge to be pursued as a PhD
project in its own right:
Design of low-power multimedia processing architectures for WMSN
Real-time object segmentation and feature extraction techniques for WMSN
Energy modelling in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
Efficient image transmission strategies for WMSN (bandwidth and energy)
References:
[1]
C. Buratti, et al., "An Overview on Wireless Sensor Networks Technology and Evolution,"
Sensors, vol. 9, p. 6869, 2009.
[2]
I. Akyildiz, et al., "A survey on wireless multimedia sensor networks," Computer Networks,
vol. 51, pp. 921-960, 2007.
[3]
S. Stanislava and H. Wendi, "A Survey of Visual Sensor Networks," Advances in Multimedia,
vol. 2009, 2009.
[4]
P. S. Boluk, et al., "Robust Image Transmission Over Wireless Sensor Networks," Mobile
Networks and Applications, vol. 16, pp. 149-170, 2011.
[5]
M. Wu and C. Chen, "Collaborative image coding and transmission over wireless sensor
networks," EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing, vol. 2007, p. 223, 2007.
34
Reprogrammable and reconfigurable parity check decoder architectures

Prerequisites Electrical & Electronic, Communications, Computer Engineering
It is of paramount importance for communication systems to have adequate means for the detection
and correction of errors in the information received over noisy communication channels. Error
correcting codes are extensively used to detect and correct errors in communication. One of the most
popular error correcting codes is the Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) Codes [1] because of its
excellent error correction performance [2] and coding gains approaching Shannons limit [3] as well
as high degree of parallelizable structure [4]. The code is therefore suitable for implementation in high
data rate applications such as WLAN, WiMax, DVB-S2 and optical communication [5] and has
consequently been adopted in several standards. Despite these excellent features designing LDPC
decoders remain a challenge, because fully-parallel architectures of LDPC decoders require all the
decoding nodes and their inter-connections to be realized in hardware. For large code lengths, fullyparallel architecture requires massive hardware resources and has highly complex inter-connects
leading to hardware routing congestions [6]. Once a decoder chip is designed and implemented it can
only decode LDPC codes of specific size, rate and structure [7]. It is a designers nightmare to crate
LDPC decoder designs for all possible code lengths, code rates and structures. This PhD project will
aim to address this challenge by attempting to create reprogrammable LDPC decoders that will be
capable of decoding a range of LDPC codes. Another related project will be to investigate the incircuit reconfigurability of LDPC decoders to suit applications where a number of decoder
configurations may need to be used to achieve the desired level of error correction performance and/or
speed performance depending on prevailing channel conditions or the data (application) type.
References:
[1]
R. G. Gallager, Low-Density Parity-Check Codes. Cambridge, Mass: Monogram, 1963.
[2]
D.J.C. MacKay, "Good error-correcting codes based on very sparse matrices", IEEE
Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 399-431, 1999.
[3] D.J.C. MacKay and R.M. Neal, "Near Shannon limit performance of low density parity check
codes", Electronics Letters, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 457-458, 1997.
[4]
G.L.L. Nicolas Fau, LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) - A Better Coding Scheme for
Wireless PHY Layers Design and Reuse Industry Article, 2008.
[5]
Tetsuo Nozawa, LDPC Adopted for Use in Comms, Broadcasting, HDDs, Nikkei Electronics
Asia, 2005.
[6]
V. A. Chandrasetty and S. M. Aziz, Analysis of Performance and Implementation
Complexity of Simplified Algorithms for Decoding Low-Density Parity-Check codes Proc. of the
IEEE Globecom 2010 Workshop on Complex and Communication Networks (CCNet 2010), Miami,
Florida, 6-10 Dec. 2010, pp. 445-450.
[7] C. M. Beuschel, Fully programmable LDPC decoder hardware architectures,, PhD thesis,
ULM University, 2010.
35
Efficient smart grids using Wireless Sensor Networks via Power Line Communication
Prerequisites: Electrical & Electronic, Communications, Computer Engineering
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) integrated into structures, machinery, and the environment,
coupled with the efficient delivery of sensed information through Power Line Communication (PLC)
can provide tremendous benefits to society. WSNs enable low cost and low power wireless
communication for electric system automation applications. WSNs can be used in wireless automatic
meter reading (WAMR) systems [1], smart energy control systems [2, 3] and in larger scale, can
provide a means for the control and optimization of the total power usage and consequently carbon
footprint [4, 5].
PLC technology is capable of transmitting data via the electrical supply network. The principle of
PLC consists in superimposing a high frequency signal at low energy levels over the 50 Hz electrical
power signal [6]. The high frequency signal is transmitted via the power infrastructure and can be
received and decoded remotely. The remote locations, i.e. the end user premises can have a network
of wireless sensors, which communicate with PLC receivers, exchanging vital information to provide
a means to monitor and optimise power usage throughout the smart grid [7, 8]. There are many
interesting challenges yet to be addressed including the following. Some of these issues can be
considered simultaneously as individual PhD projects:
Sensor network topology and addressing schemes for efficient network management
Security
Real-time requirements
Scalability
References:
I.H. Cavdar, A Solution to Remote Detection of Illegal Electricity Usage via Power Line
Communications, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 19, pp. 1663-1667, October 2004.
G.N. Ericsson, Classication of Power Systems Communications Needs and requirements:
Experiences from Case Studies at Swedish National Grid, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery,
vol. 17, pp. 345-347, April 2002.
N. Tsiftes, J. Eriksson, and A. Dunkels. Low-power wireless ipv6 routing with contikirpl. In
Proceedings of the 9th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor
Networks (IPSN 2010) poster session, Stockholm, Sweden, April 2010.
Climate Group, The and GeSI (2008), SMART 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the
Information Age, www.theclimategroup.org/assets/resources/publications/Smart2020Report.pdf
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 2008), The Green Grid - Energy Savings and Carbon
Emissions Reductions Enabled by a Smart Grid, Technical Update, Palo Alto, CA.
K. Dostert, Powerline communications, Prentice Hall PTR, 2001.
J.P. Vasseur and A. Dunkels. Interconnecting Smart Objects with IP: The Next Internet. Morgan
Kaufmann, 2010.
Adam, R. and W. Wintersteller (2008), From Distribution to Contribution. Commercialising the Smart
Grid, Booz & Company, Munich.
36
School of Mathematics and Statistics

Analysis, applied mathematics, mathematical modelling, optimisation and operations
research, statistics, biometrics, bioinformatics, biological image analysis, computational
biology and mathematical biology.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: A/Prof Regina Burachik regina.burachik@unisa.edu.au
New approaches of Lagrangian duality for nonconvex optimization
Abstract: Recently, augmented Lagrangian duality has provided strong duality properties for
nonconvex problems. Because many choices of augmented Lagrangians provide strong duality results,
it is not clear how to choose a Lagrangian function for a given problem. This project aims to
determine the behaviour of specific Lagrangians for a given family of non-convex problems, and
determine a relationship between the structure of the problem and the efficiency of the augmented
Lagrangians . This research has both theoretical and computational aspects, and the supercomputer
facilities at the School will be essential for performing the numerical aspects of this study.
Regina Burachik regina.burachik@unisa.edu.au
Yalcin Kaya Yalcin.kaya@unisa.edu.au
References:
Burachik, R. S., Kaya, C. Y.
A Deflected Subgradient Algorithm Using a General Augmented Lagrangian Duality
With Implications on Penalty Methods in "Variational Analysis and Generalized
Differentiation in Optimization and Control", in honour of Boris Mordukhovich,
Springer Optimization and Its Applications, vol 47, pp 109-132, 2010.
Burachik, R. S., Kaya, C. Y.
An augmented penalty function method with penalty parameter updates
for nonconvex optimization. Nonlinear Analysis Series A: Theory,
Methods & Applications, (to appear, accepted in March 2011).
37
Mathematical models for microfluidic electrokinetic particle separation devices

Abstract: Microfluidic free-flow electrophoresis separation devices are extremely useful for
manipulating and examining suspensions of charged particles. In these devices, an electrolytic carrier
fluid, together with the sample mixture, is driven down a narrow channel and an electric field is
applied in a direction orthogonal to the channel walls. The charged particles, cells or molecules
separate according to their mobility, or the ease with which they move through the fluid in response to
the applied field. The diverging lanes can then be collected downstream or separated for further
analysis or manipulation.
As is the case with many experimental processes, in order to maximise the efficiency of these types of
devices and optimise their design, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the physical
processes involved. An accurate theoretical description is paramount to achieving this.
Currently there exists no comprehensive mathematical model that describes the behaviour of charged
particles in a confined pressure-driven flow where an electric field is applied in a direction orthogonal
to the flow. This project will contribute to the development of such a model.
Bronwyn Hajek Bronwyn.Hajek@unisa.edu.au
Lee White Lee.White@unisa.edu.au
References:
Shugai AA, Carnie SL (1999) J Colloid Interface Sci, 213:298-315.
Bradshaw-Hajek BH, Miklavcic SJ, White LR (2008) Langmuir, 24(9):4512-4522.
Kohlheyer D, Eikel JCT, van den Berg A, Schasfoort RBM (2008) Electrophoresis, 29:977-993
38
ARC Linkage Project: Paving the Way. Mathematical modelling and analysis of bio-filtration
beds and swales
Abstract: We propose an experimental basis to improve mathematical modelling and design of
permeable pavements to mitigate urban flooding, reduce pollution and enable harvesting, treatment
and reuse of urban stormwater. We will
use the experimental results in collaboration with White, Howlett, Stokes to devise appropriate
models (with a suitable level of complexity or simplicity) to effectively represent the key flow and
transport processes.
assist in the adoption of suitable stochastic methods in the mathematical models to reflect natural
spatial variability in concrete mixtures and spatiotemporal variability in particle size distributions of
suspended solids in stormwater.
John Boland T: 8302 3449 E: John.Boland@unisa.edu.au
Lee White T: 8302 5277 E: Lee.White@unisa.edu.au
Julia Piantadosi T: 8302 3193 E: Julia.Piantadosi@unisa.edu.au
References:
Bedrikovetsky, P. (2008) Upscaling of Stochastic Micro Model for Suspension Transport in Porous
Media, Transport in Porous Media, 75(3), 335-369.
Broadbridge, P., J. Hill and J.M. Goard, (2000), Symmetry reductions of equations for solute transport
in soil, Nonlinear Dynamics, 22(1), 15-27.
Broadbridge, P. and I. White, (1988), Constant rate rainfall infiltration: A versatile nonlinear model, 1
analytical solution, Water Resour. Res., 24(1), 145-154.
Garboczi, E.J., Bentz, D.P., Martys, N.S. (1999) Digital Images and Computer Modelling,
Experimental Methods for Porous Media, edited by PZ Wong, Academic Press.
Gilding, B.H. and L.A. Peletier, (1977), On a class of similarity solutions of the porous media
equation II, J. Math. Anal. Appl., 57, 381-402.
Shapiro, A.A., Bedrikovetsky, P.G., Santos, A., Medvedev, O.O. (2007) A stochastic model for
filtration of particulate suspensions with incomplete pore plugging. J. Transp. Porous Med. 67(1),
135164. (2007)
Vzquez, J.L. (2007), The porous medium equation: Mathematical theory, Oxford Mathematical
Monographs, Oxford Science Publications.
Ye, G and Breugel, K. (2003). Three-dimensional microstructure simulation model of cement based
materials, HERON, Vol. 48, No. 4, 251-275.
39
Goyder Climate Change Project: Proactive responses to climate change in water resource
planning and management
Abstract: Climate change will bring about significant changes to the capacity of, and the demand on,
SAs water resources. As the future changes to these water resources cannot be measured in the
present, hydrological models are critical in the planning required to adapt our water resource
management strategies to future climate conditions. We will
identify quantitatively the correlation among point rainfall variability, ENSO variability and other
hydro-meteorological parameters.
Study the characteristics and variability of point rainfall at different temporal scales.
Investigate the dependence structure between climatic drivers based on deseasonalized time series.
We will adapt new work on volatility used in the modelling of financial markets and in power
generation forecasting to decide whether conditional volatility is a significant factor in rainfall
modelling and to decide whether volatility modelling can be used to better understand potential
changes in rainfall patterns triggered by climate change.
John Boland T: 8302 3449 E: John.Boland@unisa.edu.au
Julia Piantadosi T: 8302 3193 E: Julia.Piantadosi@unisa.edu.au
References:
Boland, J. (2010), Generation of synthetic sequences of electricity demand with applications,
Handbook on Uncertainty and Environmental Decision Making, in Springers International Series
in Operations Research and Management Science, F. S. Hillier (ed.), pp275-314.
Beecham, S. and Chowdhury, R. (2009), Temporal Characteristics and Variability of Point Rainfall:
A Statistical and Wavelet Analysis, International Journal of Climatology, Royal Meteorological
Society, 30(3), pp458-473.
Piantadosi, J., Boland, J., Howlett, P. (2009), Simulation of rainfall totals on various time scales
Daily, Monthly and Yearly, Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 14(4), pp431-438.
Boland J. (2008), Time series and statistical modelling of solar radiation, Recent Advances in Solar
Radiation Modelling, Viorel Badescu (Ed.), Springer-Verlag, pp283-312.
40
Prevalence conjecture for bridge non-Hamiltonian cubic graphs

Abstract: The Hamiltonian cycle problem (HCP) is an important graph theory problem that features
prominently in complexity theory because it is NP-complete ([1]). It is well known (see [2]) that
almost all regular graphs are Hamiltonian. It was conjectured in [3] that as the size N of the graph
tends to infinity the ratio between the number of bridge graphs (those that are 1- edge connected) of
size N compared to the entire set of cubic non-Hamiltonian graphs of size N tends to 1. Proof of this
conjecture will make an excellent PhD thesis in the area of Random Graphs.
Vladimir Ejov vladimir.ejov@unisa.edu.au
Ph. +61(0)883023035
Fax: +61(0)883025785
M. Garey, D. Johnson, and R. Tarjan, The planar Hamiltonian circuit problem is NP-complete, SIAM
Journal of Computing, 5 :4, (1976), pp. 704-714
R. Robinson, N. Wormald, Almost all regular graphs are Hamiltonian., Random Structures and
Algorithms, 5:2, (1994), pp. 363-374
J. Filar, M. Haythorpe, and G. Nguyen, A conjecture on the prevalence of cubic bridge graphs,
Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory, 30:1, (2010), pp. 175-179
New examples of homogeneous tube domains in Cn

Abstract: The study of holomorphically homogeneous domains in complex space goes back to E.
Cartan [1] who determined all bounded symmetric domains in complex space Cn as well as all
bounded homogeneous domains in C2. Though, relatively complete classification of homogeneous
domains in Cn is out of reach, new examples of homogeneous domains broaden our understanding of
this difficult classical problem. Recently ([2]), it became possible to classify homogeneous tube
domains in C4 with affinely homogeneous base whose boundary contains a non-degenerate affinely
homogeneous hypersurface. It follows that these domains are holomorphically homogeneous and
amongst them there are four new examples of unbounded homogeneous domains (that do not have
bounded realisations). A generalisation of these examples to arbitrary dimension n > 4 and description
of entire holomorphic automorphism group for these domains will form a highly non-trivial PhD
project in the area of Complex Differential Geometry.
Vladimir Ejov vladimir.ejov@unisa.edu.au
Ph. +61(0)883023035
Fax: +61(0)883025785
E. Cartan, Sur les domaines bornes homogenes de l'espace de n variables complexes, Abh. Math.
Sem. Univ. Hamburg, v. 11 (1935) pp. 116--162.
M. Eastwood V. Ejov, and A. Isaev Towards a classification of homogeneous tube domains in C4, J.
Diff. Geom., 68:3, (2004), pp. 553569.
41
School of Natural and Built Environments

Biodiversity, environmental and park management, ecology, conservation, environmental,
geotechnical, structural and other civil engineering specialisations, water and wastewater
engineering, geomatics, geospatial Information science, including remote sensing, land
surveying, biodiversity, soil science, and plant physiology.
Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Sustainable Environments
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Dr Don Cameron donald.cameron@unisa.edu.au
Building, Construction Management, Geoinformatics, Transport Engineering and Planning
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Dr Nicholas Chileshe Nicholas.chileshe@unisa.edu.au
An experimental approach to the mathematical modelling and design of permeable pavements

Supervisor: Prof Simon Beecham
Prerequisites: Civil/Environmental Engineering
Details of research: We will develop new models for flow of stormwater through permeable
pavements by adapting and extending models for deep bed filtration. We will use mono-dispersed
suspensions to identify and measure key engineering parameters for fine sediment capture and
transmission in porous concrete to define expected pavement lifetimes and provide a physical basis
for the mathematical model. We will study clogging and the impact of various cleaning techniques
and find optimal configurations for different materials and microstructures that enable more efficient
design.
References:
Pezzaniti, D., Beecham, S. and Kandasamy, J. (2009), Influence of Clogging on the Effective Life of
Permeable Pavements, Journal of Water Management, Institution of Civil Engineers UK, 162(3),
pp211-220
Lucke, T. and Beecham, S. (in press), Field Investigation of Clogging in a Permeable Pavement
System, Journal of Building Research and Information, Routledge, Accepted for publication: June
2011 - paper BR7429
Myers, B., Beecham, S., van Leeuwen, J. and Keegan, A. (2009), Depletion of E. coli in Permeable
Pavement Mineral Aggregate Storage and Reuse Systems, Journal of Water Science and Technology,
IWA, 60(12), pp3091-3099
Myers, B., Beecham, S. and van Leeuwen, J. (2011), Water Quality with Storage in Permeable
Pavement Basecourse, Journal of Water Management, Institution of Civil Engineers UK, 167(7),
pp361-372
Beecham, S., Pezzaniti, D. and Kandasamy, J. (in press), Stormwater Treatment Using Permeable
Pavements, Journal of Water Management, Institution of Civil Engineers UK, Accepted for
publication: March 2011 - paper WATER-D-10-00097R1
42
An investigation into the water demand of trees and the impacts of vegetation on infrastructure
Brief description: An Adelaide subdivision has been set up as a potential experimental site for
monitoring tree growth and changes in water demand with weather patterns and the changing
suburban landscape. Over the years the researchers have acquired equipment suitable for evaluating
water demand of the ten year old trees. Cased boreholes have been installed along with deep
benchmarks, to enable deep monitoring of soil moisture and to ensure reliable level surveys can be
made. The ground contains reactive soils and so shrinks and swells as moisture levels change.
Collection and analysis of the data are needed to successfully conclude this field trial. A study of tree
root development will be required through partial excavation and ground-penetrating radar surveys.
The information that will be obtained is vital to local government, designers of infrastructure and to
the environment as a whole.
Dr Don Cameron Donald.comeron@unisa.edu.au
Ion selective Functionalization of carbon nanomaterials for water purification and desalinaiton
Name of Supervisors: Professor Linda Zou & Professor Namita Choudhury
Prerequisites: Materials Science, Organic chemistry
Details of research : The project aims to determine the optimum levels of the grafted ion selective
functional groups on the surface of the carbon nanomateirals. The functionalization will be conducted
using species with different molecular weight in order to impart ionic characteristics and enable it to
retain original physical and chemical property of the substrates. The application in water purification
and desalination of the functionalized materials will be investigated.
References:
Li, H., Zou, L., Pan, L. and Sun, Z. (2010). Novel graphene-like electrodes for capacitive
deionization. Environmental Science & Technology, 44, 86929687.
Li, H., Zhang, W., Zou, L., Pan, L. and Sun, Z. (2011). An environmentally friendly approach to
synthesis TiO2-graphene composites via visible light photocatalytic reduction of graphene oxide.
Journal of Materials Research, vol 26, pp970-973.
Subianto, S., Choudhury, N.R. and Dutta, D.K. (2008). Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer
Chemistry, 46, 5431
Subianto, S., Mistry, M., Choudhury, N.R., Dutta, N.K. and Knott, R. (2009). ACS Applied Materials
& Interfaces, 1(6), 1173.
43
Risk Assessment and Management Practices within the Australian Small and Medium Sized
Construction Organisations
Supervisor: Dr Nicholas Chileshe
Prerequisites: Project Management, Risk Management, Sustainable construction
Details of research: Risk factors associated with construction projects have a major impact on issues
related to cost, time, quality and sustainability of project delivery. Unexpected events result in either
positive or negative outcomes often causing deviations from project plans and making construction
projects particularly prone to risk. Despite the extensive research on risk management in the
construction industry, there is limited literature dealing specifically with project risk in Small and
Medium sized construction organisations. The use of such tools within a risk assessment and
management framework will be an essential requirement to avoid cost and time overruns, and support
future project delivery.
The research is focused on the development of explanatory models and new approaches for the
effective delivery of construction projects through the integration of project risk management and
sustainability principles. The aims of the research are to investigate the implementation of risk
assessment and management practices in small and medium sized enterprises within the Australian
Construction Industry, and to develop a framework that would facilitate effective risk assessment and
management practices.
References:
Agyakwa-Baah, A. and Chileshe, N. (2010) Construction Professions Perceptions of Risk Assessment
and Management Practices (RAMP): Does Length of Service in Construction Industry Matter? In:
Egbu, C. (Ed) Proceedings of the 26th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6 - 8 September 2010, Leeds, UK,
Association of Researchers in Construction Management, Vol. 2, pp. 1219-1228.
Agyakwa-Baah, A., Chileshe, N., and Stephenson, P. (2010), A Risk Assessment and Management
Framework to Support Project Delivery, In Pantovakis, J-P (Ed), Proceedings of the Fifth Scientific
Conference on Project Management (PM-05), Advancing Project Management for the 21st Century
Concepts, Tools & Techniques for Managing Successful Projects, 29th-31st May, Heraklion, Crete,
Greece, pp. 52-59.
Kerzner, H. (2006), Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and
Controlling, (5th edition), Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Mills, A. (2001), A Systematic Approach to Risk Management for Construction, Structural Survey,
19(5), 245-252.
Tah, J. et al (2008), Conceptual Information Modelling for Risk Analysis and Management in an nD
Modelling Environment, The Built and Human Environment Review, Vol. 1, 1-5.
44
An investigation into factors affecting the stakeholders risk attitudes in delivering sustainable
construction projects.
Prerequisites: Project Management, Construction Management, Supply chain management
Studies have shown that risk-based decision making as critical in successful construction project
management. Within the context of delivering sustainable construction projects, it could also be
argued that decisions are often made in isolation of systemic influences in the operational
environment. These have the ability of undermining the sustainability and credibility of initiatives.
While previous studies have focussed on the identification of risk factors affecting the delivery of
construction projects at either the macro, micro and meso levels, and various categorisation of sources
of risk has been established, little attention is given to the exploration of the risk factors underpinning
the three areas of sustainability, such as environmental, economic and social. Furthermore, there are
limited studies which have attempted specifically various metrics and models for assessing
sustainability have been proposed, the exploration of the likelihood of occurrence and degree of
impact of the variables contained within the social, economic and environmental factors have not been
explored in depth. This research project is aimed at bridging that knowledge gap. The specific
research objectives for this proposed investigation are as follows: (1) To identify and evaluate the
risk factors that might affect the implementation of the sustainability initiatives; (2) To explore the
relationships between construction logistics and the attainment of sustainability; (3) To develop,
validate and refine a measurement framework that is capable of delivering sustainability initiatives
while taking into account the risk factors and construction logistics principles.
References:
Abidin, N.Z. and Pasquire, C.L. (2005). Delivering sustainability through value management,
concept and performance overview. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.
12(2), 168-180.
Ahmed, A., Kayis, B. and Amornsawadwatana, S. (2007), A review of techniques for risk
management in project, Benchmarking: An International Journal, 14 (1), 22-36.
Sev, A. (2009). How can the Construction Industry Contribute to Sustainable Development? A
Conceptual Framework. Sustainable Development. John Wiley & Sons. 17: 161-173.
Shakantu, W.M.W., Tookey, J.E. and Chileshe, N. (2007). Optimization of Construction Logistics: A
Core Competency for a Future Construction Industry. Journal of Construction. 1(1), 12-19.
Project Management Institute, PMI (2008) A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge:
PMBOK Guide. 4th ed. Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute, Inc.
45
Measurement of Sustainability within Small and Medium Sized Construction Related

Organisations using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Approach
Prerequisites: Sustainable construction, Structural equation modelling
Despite the extensive research on sustainability, there is a paucity of studies that examine the Critical
Success Factors (CSF) for the deployment of sustainability within Small and Medium sized
construction related organisations. Furthermore, while attempts have been made at measuring
sustainability, the key drivers (CSF) of sustainability and their impact on the organisational
performance of SME are less understood. Given the importance of the construction industry to the
national economy and the fact that the majority of the firms within the industry are SMEs, the need
for identifying the key drivers of sustainability and associated measurement instruments becomes
more significant. In addition, the process of implementing sustainability initiatives could be closely
aligned to the identification of critical success factors.
It could thus be argued that for SMEs to effectively pursue the sustainability agenda there is a need
for detailed understanding the direct and indirect complex effects and the individual contributory
effects of these CSF to the overall sustainability implementation process. The aim of this research
project is to utilise Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach to identify the contributory effect
of the critical success factors of sustainability towards effective project delivery thereby achieving
overall organizational performance. The overarching purpose of the research is to develop a generic
measurement model focused on the assessment and monitoring aspects of sustainability initiatives
within the construction related SMEs. It is proposed that the application of structural equation
modelling will be in the form of first order sustainability encompassing the individual strands (i.e.
economical, social and environmental), second order (i.e. economical and social, economical and
environmental or social and environmental), and finally the third order which would be the holistic
approach to integrated sustainability design encompassing the three individual strands.
References:
Cheng, E.W.L. (2001) SEM being more effective than multiple regressions in parsimonious model
testing for management development research, Journal of Management Development, 20(7), 650-667.
Chileshe, N. (2005) Validation of the EFQM Excellence Model in Construction Organisations: A
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Approach, In: Sidwell, A.C. (ed.) CD-ROM Conference
Proceedings, Queensland University of Technology, COBRA Research Week, International:
Responding to Change, 4-8 July 2005, Brisbane, Australia: QUT, [ISBN 1741071003] pp. 427 - 441.
Chileshe, N. and Haupt, T.C. (2005) Modelling Critical Success Factors of Construction Project
Management (CPM), Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 3(2), December 2005, pp 140154.
Edum-Fotwe, F. and Price, A.D.F. 2009. A social ontology for appraising sustainability of
construction projects and developments. International Journal of Project Management. 27: 313-322.
Kline, R.B. (1985) Structural Equation Modelling, The Guildford Press: New York, London.
Sev, A. (2009). How can the Construction Industry Contribute to Sustainable Development? A
Conceptual Framework. Sustainable Development. John Wiley & Sons. 17: 161-173.
46
Barbara Hardy Institute

Complex human and technological issues, integrated and practical environmentally
sustainable solutions, sustainable development in the natural and built environments
Institute Manager, Susan Corbisiero susan.corbisiero@unisa.edu.au
Evaluation of the impact of heat waves on Australian housing

Details: The research aims to evaluate the likely impact of heat waves on households and on the
electricity infrastructure in various Australian climatic regions as well developing a framework for an
integrated national response for adaptation to these events.
An enhanced heat transfer system for ground heat exchange in unsaturated soils
Details: Low energy heating and cooling systems have looked at using ground coupled heating and
cooling. An innovative system for a horizontal ground heat exchange system is being evaluated in
Adelaides climate and ground conditions.
Design and performance of zero/low carbon housing

Details: The research involves investigating the feasibility of using smart technologies, energy
efficient design features and appliances and local energy generation in achieving the zero/low energy
outcome. Both energy modelling and analysis of real data will be employed.
Utilisation of solar and wind energy for large scale water pumping and pumped storage
Details: More grid capacity and energy storage are necessary to facilitate better utilization of future
wind-generated electricity capacity. In Australia, we also have considerable water storage capacities
and use considerable electrical energy for pumping water to regional cities and mining operation sites.
The project will investigate case studies for utilising the excess renewable generation in water
pumping and pumped storage.
Repeated load testing for primary evaluation of recycled concrete aggregate in pavements
Details: Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste can be re-directed from landfill for useful
purposes including road construction. This project aims to provide engineering evaluation of the
performance of crushed concrete to provide designers with the confidence to specify its use more
frequently.
Recycled clay masonry as a pavement construction material

Fired clay bricks make up a significant proportion of the C&D waste stream. When crushed,
aggregate products are produced, which are generally inferior to crushed concrete aggregate. However
when blended with crushed concrete, and possibly cement, suitable road making materials may result.
47
Trees, stormwater, soil and civil infrastructure: synergies towards sustainable urban design for
a changing climate
Trees are vital to communities for numerous reasons, and are commonly provided by local
government. However trees require water which can result in shrinkage settlement of soils and
damage to roads and kerbs. As well, shallow water-seeking roots may directly cause trip hazards in
paths and damage roads. The research is investigating alternative construction of paths, including
permeable pavements which may lead to avoidance of shallow tree root systems.
Conservation ecology in cities

The project will take a multidisciplinary approach evaluating how invertebrate species
conservation is affected by urban habitats and how new technologies and designs can be utilised
to diversify the habitat structure, thereby potentially conserving more biodiversity.
Culture and waste management in the construction industry

An in-depth investigation of the impacts of culture on the performance of waste management
and project outcomes. This would include an examination of the more common aspects of
culture (including behaviours and attitudes) which help to minimise waste generation in
construction projects, and how these could contribute to a cultural shift towards sustainability
in the construction industry.
Sustainability, resource efficiency and waste elimination in the construction industry

A research project focussed on sustainability issues associated with resource efficiency, waste
elimination and environmental aspects of construction projects in the urban environment.
A regulatory framework for zero waste in the construction industry

An in-depth examination of the regulatory framework for building design and its capacity to
address zero waste in the South Australian construction industry, with a particular focus on
recommendations for improvement.
48
Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR)

Human and ecological risk assessment and remediation of contaminated environments.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Prof Megh Mallavarapu

Megharaj.mallavarapu@unisa.edu.au
Bioavailability and remediation of metal contaminated soils

Name of Supervisors: Professor Nanthi Bolan
Prerequisites: Soil Science/Environmental Chemistry
Details of research: With greater public awareness of the implications of contaminated soils on human
and animal health there has been increasing interest amongst the scientific community in the
examination of the transformation and the fate of metals in soils, and the development of technologies
to remediate contaminated sites. Unlike organic contaminants, most metals do not undergo microbial
or chemical degradation and the total concentration of these metals in soils persists for a long time
after their introduction. The mobilization of metals in soils for plant uptake and leaching to
groundwater can, however, be minimized by reducing the bioavailability of metals through
chemical and biological immobilization. Recently there has been increasing interest in the
immobilization of metals using a range of inorganic compounds, such as lime, phosphate (P)
compounds and alkaline waste materials, and organic compounds, such as exceptional quality
biosolids. The study will examine the value of soil amendments on the remediation of metal
contaminated soils.
References :
Bolan, N.S., Ko, B.J., Anderson, C.W.N., Vogeler, I., Mahimairaja, S. and Naidu, R.
(2008).Manipulating bioavailability to manage remediation of metal contaminated soils. In: Chemical
Bioavailability in Terrestrial Environment. (Eds. Naidu et al). Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
ISBN 978-0-444-52. pp 657-678
Bolan, N.S. and Duraisamy, D. (2003) Role of soil amendments on the immobilization and
bioavailability of metals in soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 533-555
Bolan, N.S., Jin Hee Park, Brett Robinson, Ravi Naidu and Keun Young Huh. (2011).
Phytostabilization: a green approach to contaminant containment. Adv Agron. 112, 145-204.
Jin-Hee Park, Panneer Panneerselvam, Dane Lamb, Girish Choppala, Nanthi Bolan, 2010, Role of
organic amendments on enhanced bioremediation of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils, Journal of
Hazardous Materials, doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.09.082.
Robinson, B. H., Banuelos, G., Conesa, H. M., Evangelou, M. W. H., and Schulin, R. (2009). The
phytomanagement of trace elements in soil. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 28, 240-266
49
Nitrous oxide emission from cultivated soils

Name of Supervisors: Prof Nanthi Bolan
Prerequisites: Soil Science/Environmental Science
Details of research : Loss of N, occurring mainly through ammonia (NH3) volatilization, biological
denitrification and nitrate (NO3-) leaching, has both economical and environmental implications.
Nitrogen is an important plant nutrient and its loss affects both the quality and quantity of feed, thereby
leading to poor animal production. An increase in NO3- concentration in groundwater resulting from
leaching has been linked to increasing incidences of NO3- toxicity in human and livestock (i.e.
methaemoglobinaemia). Similarly, cultivated soils are identified as an important source of NH3 and
nitrous oxide (N2O), which are implicated in acid rain, ozone depletion and global warming (i.e.,
greenhouse gas). Various approaches have been attempted to mitigate the economic and
environmental impacts of N losses. One such approach is the use of urease and nitrification
inhibitors. Recently, there have been increasing interests in the use of inhibitors in mitigating
environmental impacts of N losses through leaching and gaseous emissions from animal excreta, and
fertilizer and effluent application in grazed pastures. Inhibitors used in controlling N dynamics in
soils and thereby reducing N losses can be grouped into two categories: (i) urease inhibitors (UI) and
(ii) nitrification inhibitors (NI). The UIs are used to control urea hydrolysis and the subsequent
ammonification process through their effect on urease enzyme. The NIs are used to control the
oxidation of ammonium ions to nitrite ions (i.e. nitrification). The objective of this project is to
examine the value of inhibitors in mitigating nitrous oxide emission in cultivated soils.
References:
Bolan, N.S. Saggar, S., Luo, J., Bhandral, R., and Singh, J. (2004) Gaseous emissions of nitrogen
from grazed pastures: processes, measurements and modelling, environmental implications, and
mitigation. Advances in Agronomy 84: 37-120
Singh, J., Bolan, N.S., Saggar, S. and Zaman, M. (2008) The role of inhibitors in controlling the
bioavailability and losses of nitrogen. In: Chemical Bioavailability in Terrestrial Environment. (Eds.
Naidu et al). Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ISBN 978-0-444-52169-9. pp 329-362
Singh, J., S. Saggar, D. L. Gilt rap and Nanthi S. Bolan (2008). Decomposition of dicyandiamide
(DCD) in three contrasting soils and its effect on nitrous oxide emission, soil respiratory activity, and
microbial biomassan incubation study. Australian journal of Soil Research 46, 517-525
50
Carbon sequestration through wastewater irrigation

Name of Supervisors: Prof Nanthi Bolan
Prerequisites: Soil Science/Environmental Science
Details of research: There are a number of ways by which the pressure on fresh water resources for
irrigation use can be mitigated. One possible approach is the recycling of wastewaters and drainage
water that can be used in place of other fresh water sources for irrigation. The specific objective of
this project is to examine the assimilation and transformation of various carbon pools in wastewater
during land application. Soils samples from field sites irrigated with wastewater under different land
use systems (vineyard, vegetable cultivation, grazed pastures and golf greens) will be collected. The
soil samples from unirrigated areas will be used as control samples. The wastewater samples used for
irrigation in these sites (recycled water, piggery effluent, winery effluent, storm water and dairy shed
effluent) will be also collected to examine the effect of wastewater irrigation on carbon dynamics in
soils. Both the soil and wastewater will be analysed for various properties including pH, electrical
conductivity, organic matter and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The retention of dissolved carbon
will be examined using batch sorption experiments. The effect of wastewater irrigation on microbial
activity, as measured by basal respiration and substrate (glucose) induced respiration, will be
examined using respiration flasks. The microbial biomass carbon as affected by wastewater irrigation
will be measured using fumigation-extraction technique.
References:
Bolan, N.S., Adriano, D., Senesi, N., Kunhikrishnan, A., James, T. and McDowell, R. (2010).
Dissolved organic carbon: biogeochemistry, dynamics and agro-environmental significance in soils.
Advances in Agronomy 110, 1-67.
Bolan, N.S., Saggar, S., McAuliffe, K., Hannon, B. (2008). Characterization of thatch accumulation
in golf greens. NZ Turf Management Journal, 23, 33-35
Huh Keun Young, Markus Deurer, Siva Sivakumaran, Keith McAuliffe and Nanthi S. Bolan (2008).
Carbon sequestration in urban landscapes: the example of a turfgrass system in New Zealand.
Australian journal of Soil Research 46, 610-616
51
Defence and Systems Institute

Systems engineering, engineering management, socio-technical systems, and complex
systems.
Research Education Portfolio Leader: A/Prof Neil Davidson neil.davidson@unisa.edu.au
Decision tool modelling to address Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) syndrome

Name of Supervisors: Stephen Russell
Prerequisites: Engineering
Details of research: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of beehives is a new syndrome that first arose
in the United States. In the US crops are grown in very large mono-culture fields where the crops tend
to bloom within a few days of each other. In order to pollinate many of these vast fields of crops, it is
necessary to have a suitably large number of bees on hand at the right moment. Farmers in the US
have taken to trucking in beehives from elsewhere for their moment of need. This process has spread
to other countries around the world, including Australia. Unfortunately it has a disastrous effect on the
beehives. Foraging bees get lost the moment their hives are moved and are never seen again. So new
foragers must be garnered from the ranks of the young females tending the brood. This puts additional
stress on the foragers and they tend to die sooner than otherwise. This is combined with many other
effects that stress the beehives, not the least of which is the short monoculture blooming period. The
project will develop an effective dynamic modelling tool to assist in making optimum decisions to
avoid CCD, while still achieving the desired goals of pollination of desired crops and the output of
honey. The outcomes of the project will be holistic analysis of the causes of CCD as well as an
understanding of the needs of the bee keeping industry, and related crop production industry; the
development of multi-viewpoint models, ranging from using simple dynamic modelling tools such as
STELLA, and multi-agent modelling tools such as REPAST; validation of models using field
experiments; and an evidence based series of recommendations to farmers and responsible
government agencies for more effective cropping and beehive keeping.
References:
Khoury, D, Myerscough1, M & Barron, A 2011, A Quantitative Model of Honey Bee Colony
Population Dynamics, PLoS ONE 6(4): e18491. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018491
Repast, < http://repast.sourceforge.net/ >
Stella Dynamic Modeling, <http://www.likbez.com/AV/jrs/pmf_stella.html >
VanEngelsdorp D, Evans JD, Saegerman C, Mullin C, Haubruge E, et al. 2009, Colony Collapse
Disorder: A Descriptive Study. PLoS ONE 4.
VanEngelsdorp D, Hayes Jr. J, Underwood RM, Pettis JS 2010, A survey of honey bee colony losses
in the United States, fall 2008 to spring 2009. Journal of Apicultural Research 49: 714.
52
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Resilience Program

Prerequisites: any of social studies, psychological studies, anthropology, engineering
Details of research:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have suffered for many years
from poorly managed and ineffective programs to improve their standards of living. So much so, that
the relevant communities have become so disenchanted by government sponsored interventions that
they voice a preference to be left alone. A recent report has shown that, governments of all political
persuasions failed to improve basic standards in Indigenous education, health and housing.
One of the major problems with interventions until now has been the poor community involvement in
the setting up of programs which are supposed to benefit the communities. This project will assess the
resilience Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, assess the hazards and risks to the
livelihoods of the communities, and develop consensual means for addressing the major risks. The
program aims to empower the communities to take control of their resilience to natural disasters under
increasing levels of climate change, and facilitate them to achieve higher standards of living. The
framework model for investigation will be based on soft systems thinking of Checkland & Scholes
(1990). The outcomes of the project will be an assessment of the impact of climate change on specific
Australian indigenous communities; a determination of the implications for the future livelihoods of
the communities; and a determination of the potential adaptation strategies that can be followed by the
communities. The work will feed into the governmental decision making process for programs to
assist similar communities throughout Australia.
References:
Barnett, J. 2001, Adapting To Climate Change In Pacific Island Countries: The Problem
OfUncertainty, World Development, 29(6): 977-993
Carney, D. (1998) Sustainable Rural Livelihoods. What contribution can we make? Papers presented
at the Department for International Developments Natural Resources Advisers Conference, DFID.
July
Checkland, P & Scholes P 1990, Soft Systems Methodology in Action, John Wiley & Sons,
Chichester, UK.
Russell, S. 2007, A Systems Approach for Dealing with Natural Disasters in Pacific Island Nations,
Systems Evaluation and Test and Evaluation Conference, Australia, 25-26 September 2007.
Tickner, R 2009, Tackling Disadvantage and Building Community Resilience,
<http://www.redcross.org.au/46F85B4BCDC44616B17B4E59F6C2D082.htm>
United Nations 2005a, World Conference on Disaster Reduction. 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan. Hyogo Declaration. Geneva : UNISDR. Viewed 19 April 2011 <
http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/intergover/official-doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-actionenglish.pdf>.
53
Auto CAR Detector (A-CARD)

Prerequisites: Engineering
Details of research: Many technologies have been developed in the past to assist blind people to
navigate through their environment with increased levels of safety. Despite the efforts directed at the
problem, there has been little progress beyond the development of the wooden stick. Some of the
reasons for this include: the cost benefit of the technology, the difficulty in using the technology, and
the interference of the technologies with their prime navigation sense hearing. This project will
adopt a whole of system approach to reassess the possibilities for improving navigational safety of
blind people, through wide community consultation with blind people and the community at large.
The outcomes of the project will be: an assessment of current technologies against the needs of the
blind community; the generation of implied needs for the blind community; and the synthesis of a
preferred concept, or several concepts, that will satisfy the major needs of the blind community. The
project will use standard systems engineering product development processes, but will include a soft
systems approach to determine the wider implications of the needs and consequences of the study.
The end result may not be a piece of technology, rather it may suggest that a new systemic shift is
required by the Government and the society at large.
References:
Blasch, B., Long, R. G., Griffin-Shirley, N., 1989, "National Evaluation of Electronic Travel Aids for
the Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals: Implications and Design," RESNA 12th Annual
conference, pp. 133-134, New Orleans, Louisiana, June.
Chichester, UK.
Jacquet, C, Bellik, Y and Bourda, Y 2006, Electronic Locomotion Aids for the Blind: Towards More
Assistive Systems, http://www.limsi.fr/Individu/bellik/francais/book09.pdf
Shoval S, Borenstein J, and Koren Y 1998, AUDITORY GUIDANCE WITH THE NAVBELT - A
COMPUTERIZED TRAVEL AID FOR THE BLIND, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and
Cybernetics, August 1998, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 459 467.
Smithson, G 2008, Ultra-wideband radar and location technology, <
http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/downloads/Library_presentations/ultra-wideband.pdf >.
Tachi, S., Mann, R. W., Rowel, D., 1983, "Quantitative Comparison of Alternative Sensory Displays
for Mobility Aids for the Blind", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol. BME-30, No.
9, pp. 571-577, September.
The Miniguide ultrasonic mobility aid <http://www.gdp-research.com.au/minig_1.htm > - see list of
previous aids.
54
Pacific Island Community Resilience Program (PICORP)

Prerequisites: any of social studies, psychological studies, anthropology, engineering
Details of research:Pacific Island nations are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters due to their
close proximity to the land-ocean interface. The risks of disasters are likely to grow with global
warming, while the abilities of communities to cope with disasters are diminishing due to factors such
as their limited resources, small populations, and increasing dependence on global markets. Research
on population vulnerabilities is heavily weighted on large populations with centralised
administrations, which are quite different from the situations of countries in the Pacific. The challenge
for Pacific Island countries is to empower the communities to take responsibility of their own
resilience to climate hazards. Work in this area has typically focussed on large scale population
statistics indicators, with just a few ad hoc small scale community based studies. This project will
assess the resilience of communities in a range of Pacific Island countries in an attempt to tie together
previous small scale community based studies into a larger framework that will provide a basis for
future action to adapt to climate change throughout the Pacific. The framework model will be based
on soft systems thinking models of Checkland & Scholes (1990).
References:
Barnett, J. 2001, Adapting To Climate Change In Pacific Island Countries: The Problem Of
Uncertainty, World Development, 29(6): 977-993
Campbell J. 2006, Traditional disaster reduction in Pacific Island communities GNS Science Report
2006/38.
Campbell, J 2010, "An overview of natural hazard planning in the Pacific Islands region", The
Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, pp.1 - 10.
Carney, D. (1998) Sustainable Rural Livelihoods. What contribution can we make? Papers presented
at the Department for International Developments Natural Resources Advisers Conference, DFID.
July
Chichester, UK.
Russell, S. 2007, A Systems Approach for Dealing with Natural Disasters in Pacific Island Nations,
Systems Evaluation and Test and Evaluation Conference, Australia, 25-26 September 2007.
United Nations 2005a, World Conference on Disaster Reduction. 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan. Hyogo Declaration. Geneva : UNISDR. Viewed 19 April 2011 <
http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/intergover/official-doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-actionenglish.pdf>.
United Nations 2005b, International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of
Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. Mauritius Declaration.
New York : United Nations. Viewed 19 April 2011 <http://www.un.org/specialrep/ohrlls/sid/MIM/A-conf.207-L.6-Mauritius%20Declaration.pdf>.
55
Development of the Metamodel for the Application of MBSE to Design and Contract
Management of Major Infrastructure Projects
Name of Supervisors: Prof Anthony Finn, Assoc Supervisor: Prof Peter Campbell
Prerequisites: Basic Systems Engineering, UML or SysML desired
Details of research: Metamodel development and testing. Research and develop sufficient
understanding of the stakeholders in typical large infrastructure projects and their roles in design,
contact negotiations and contract management to construct a UPDM metamodel representing this
complex set of activities. Test and refine the metamodel against selected acquirer and contractor
organisations. Instantiate the metamodel for several different contract types.
References :
Loyd Baker, Paul Clemente, Bob Cohen, Larry Permenter, Byron Purves, and Pete Salmon,
Foundational Concepts for Model Driven Design, INCOSE Model Driven System Design Interest
Group, 2000
W. Banzhaf and N. Pillay, Why Complex Systems Engineering needs Biological Development,
Complexity 13:1221, 2007
Sheffran, J. and Hannan, B. From Complex Conflicts to Stable Cooperation, Complexity 13: 7891,
2007
Estefan, J. Survey of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) Methodologies, INCOSE MBSE
Focus Group, 2007
Davis, P. and Henninger, A. Analysis, Analysis Practices, and Implications for Modeling and
Simulation, Rand NDRI, 2007
Ring, J. et al. MBSE and System of Systems for the Intelligent Enterprise:
Application to Supply and Value Chain Management, Conference on Systems Engineering Research,
2008
UPDM: OMG Document Number: formal/2009-09-01, http://www.omg.org/spec/UPDM/1.0
56
Driving Standards for Autonomous Vehicles

Name of Supervisors: Professor Anthony Finn
Prerequisites: Engineering, Statistics
Details of research: State-of-the-art motor vehicles contain a range of driver-assist technologies such
as automatic parallel parking, blind-spot vehicle detection, adaptive cruise control, and emergency
braking for collision avoidance. Recent innovations now offer the prospect of autonomy and
functionality which for the first time approximate the capabilities of humans driving in traffic. As
these vehicles will need to work in environments shared by people, property and other vehicles, we
need to consider how they might fit into existing driving frameworks and what standards they might
need to meet. For example, what failure rate, what type of failures, what level and frequency of
human intervention are we willing to accept; and how should we trade the necessary safety
requirements against criteria such as cost and performance? This research program will use a
combination of systems engineering methodologies, current road statistics, required driving test
criteria, current motor vehicle legislation and statistically significant cost-capability criteria (e.g. the
life expectancy of a human shall not be altered by using such a system or the system pose no greater
risk to persons or property than that currently presented by a manned road vehicle) to determine
acceptably safe certification procedures for integration of these vehicles into existing road
infrastructure at an level commensurate with human performance.
References:
Nevada State Legislature, Assembly Bill Number 511 Committee on Transportation
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/76th2011/Bills/AB/AB511_R3.pdf
Reddy, R. (2006) Robotics and Intelligent Systems in Support of Society, IEEE Intelligent Systems
Magazine, May/June 2006
Thorpe, C. et al. (2002) Safe Robot Driving, Proc. Intl Conf. Machine Automation ICMA 02,
www.ri.cmu.edu/pub_files/pub3/thorpe_charles_2002_2/thorpe_charles_2002 _2.pdf
Glassman, J. (2005) Presentation at the Intelligent Transportation Systems, World Congress,
www.its.dot.gov/press/pdf/ITSspeech2005.pdf
Bailey, L., 2004, U-M Physicist: Smart Cruise Control Eliminates Traffic Jams, University of
Michigan, 12 July 2004, www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2004/ Jul04/r071204
Calo, R. (2011), On the Legality of Driverless Vehicles: A Response to Tyler Cowen,
http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/node/6683
Breeden et al, (2011) Senate Bill 140, http://leg.state.nv.us/Session/76th2011/Bills
/SB/SB140_EN.pdf
Cowen, T. (2011), What do Laws against Driverless Cars Look Like? http://marginalrevolution.com/
marginalrevolution/2011/06/what-do-the-laws-against-driverless-cars-look-like.html
Moore, M. & B. Lu (2011), Autonomous Vehicle for Personal Transport, Technical Report, Caltech,
http://ssm.com/abstract=1865047
Reporting System (FARS), http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
57
Map Evaluation for Multi-Robot Systems

Prerequisites: Mechantronics, Computing
Details of research: All mobile robots need to generate maps of their environment to execute their
mission goals. For such algorithms to be of any practical use, however, they need not only deliver a
map but also the reliability of the answer under various conditions. Most existing mapping research
focuses on solution development and the convergence and consistency of these solutions, with limited
effort applied to systematically characterising the reliability and accuracy of the consolidated
solutions derived from multiple robots under different conditions. It is particularly important to
identify conditions where the algorithms performance can be optimised and conditions where they
fail. There are two approaches to such performance evaluation: analytical characterisation (which is
often studied) and empirical performance evaluation (which is not). This research would focus on the
development of a statistical and mathematical framework and standards for automating the
quantitative measurement of the performance of robotic mapping systems against user-defined
requirements and known ground truth. It would include: sensitivity analyses, error propagation, failure
mode identification, and identification of degenerate conditions; determination of evaluation
procedures that need to be followed to deduce the performance of such systems; what methodologies
can reliably be used to qualitative analyse the specific errors to which the observing systems may be
prone; and which similarity metrics can be used to measure the quality of any spatial consistency
between the observed and true maps (i.e. which give an indication of the distortion of the map with
respect to ground truth).
References:
Finn & S. Scheding, Challenges for Autonomous & Unmanned Systems, Springer 2010
Scrapper et al, (Chapter 10), Quantitative Assessment of Robot Generated Maps, in Performance
Evaluation of Intelligent Robotic Systems, (ed. R. Madhavan et al) Springer 2009
H. Durrant-Whyte & T. Bailey, Simultaneous Location & Mapping Tutorial (Part I & Part II), IEEE
Robotics & Automation Magazine, June 2006
M. Csorba, Simultaneous Localisation and Map Building, Ph.D. Dissertation, Oxford, 1997
Jacoff, A., Messina, E., Evans, J., Performance Evaluation of Autonomous Mobile Robots, Industrial
Robot: An International Journal, Volume 29, Number 3, 2002
ODay, S. et al, Metrics for Intelligent Autonomy, Proc. Performance Metrics for Intelligent Systems
(PerMIS), 2004
58
V&V Strategies for Autonomous Systems

Prerequisites : Engineering or Computing Science
Details of research : Most of the physical functions of autonomous systems have now been
successfully automated and deployed in an array of scenarios. Due to their complex interactions,
however, significant Systems Engineering is still required to bring the relevant elements together such
that the end result is a robust system that can operate autonomously in a complex environment for an
extended period. For autonomous systems to be extended beyond the current state-of-the-art, we need
to develop robust and verifiable integration schemes. This research program will therefore develop
and tailor value models and model-based systems engineering strategies to optimise the design and
synthesis of such systems; and then use robust VV&A techniques to integrate the functional
components with a view to permitting rapid prototyping, testing and evaluation. A strategy will be
explored that allows the autonomous system to be divided into its constituent functions in order that
each of these components or functions is verifiable. Using a methodology that models the
heterogeneous mix of real time components of the system as the superposition of three layers a
behavioural layer (specified as a set of transitions), interactions between the behaviours, and priorities
(used to choose between the possible interactions) a complex system of autonomous systems will
be built through the assembly of relevant components. The components will then be integrated in a
way that ensures their correct interaction using principles that are consistent, complete and practical,
and with mechanisms that demonstrate the composition, integration and software coding of these
principles have integrity. This research will also provide a framework for the study of propertypreserving transformations or transformations between sub-classes of systems or principles, which in
turn allows such component interactions to be verified.
References:
Basu, A., M. Bozga & J. Sifakis, Modeling Heterogeneous Real-time Components in BIP,
Proceedings of the Fourth IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering and Formal
Methods (SEFM'06), 2006
Parasuraman, R. & V. Riley, Humans & Automation: Use, Misuse, Disuse, Abuse Journal of Human
Factors, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp230-253, 1997
Lindsey, A. & Pecheur, C. Simulation-Based Verification of Livingstone Applications, Proc
Workshop on Model-Checking for Dependable Software-Intensive Systems, San Francisco, June,
2003
Menzies, T. & C. Pecheur, Verification and Validation and Artificial Intelligence In: Advances in
Computers, vol. 65, Elsevier, 2005
Pecheur, C., R. Simmons & P Engrand, Formal Verification of Autonomy Models: From Livingstone
to SMV, In: Agent Technology from a Formal Perspective - NASA Monographs in Systems &
Software Eng., (Ed C. Rouff et al), Springer Verlag, 2006
Pecheur, C., Verification of Intelligent Control Software, Proceedings ASTRA'06, Noordwijk,
Netherlands, November, 2006
59
Determining the Value Proposition of Robotics

Prerequisites: Economics or Engineering
Details of research: Given the likely commercial imperatives, the primary goal of robotics and
autonomous systems is unlikely to be to build the most interesting, realistic human imitation possible.
Indeed, what we ultimately achieve is likely to be a combination of what is technologically achievable
and economically desirable. Consequently, corporations will design systems tailored to the tasks
currently undertaken by humans; where each design is assessed against rubrics such as how it alters
the cost-benefit equation relative to any alternatives, or to what extent it permits new tasks to be
accomplished. In this regard, there is considerable scepticism as to whether the more sophisticated
autonomous systems are sufficiently robust to withstand the rigours of modern, complex
environments. This scepticism is compounded as the benefits of these systems are often stated in
terms of replacing people, rather than aiding them to perform their tasks. Technologies with higher
levels of autonomy will start to be accepted when their basic utility, affordability, robustness,
survivability, value, and impact are demonstrated and more properly understood. The aim of this
research program is therefore to determine the value proposition of sophisticated autonomous systems
within the context of their usage and organisational structures. In order to understand the value of
these systems the project will develop a layered and observable framework that allows assessment of
the value and impact of robotics and autonomous systems in quantifiable terms against endorsed
customer and projected requirements. A formal systems engineering approach will be employed to
allow an understanding of future potential to be established against projected opportunities within
realistic organisational structures and operational concepts. The major challenge will be to capture
and model the next-generation capabilities, test the viability of these new technologies and allow
evolution of the new operational and deployment concepts and cost-capability trade-offs that emerge
due to the availability of the new options and technology mixes. The key stressor will be the
functional and systems technologies (and hence the opportunities) that are emerging and evolving at a
rate about an order of magnitude faster than the defence acquisition cycles can handle.
References:
Finn & S. Scheding, (2010) Challenges for Autonomous & Unmanned Systems, Springer
Henderson, J. & J. Overholt, (2009) Robotics Strategy White Paper, Army Capabilities Integration
Centre & Tank-Automotive Research & Development Engineering Centre,
Rose, M.F. (chair), Technology Development for Army Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Committee on
Army Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology, Board on Army Science & Technology, National
Research Council, 2002
Hanson, R., (2000), Economic Growth Given Machine Intelligence, J. Artificial Intelligence,
http://hanson.gmu.edu/aigrow.pdf
Kaas, S. (2010), Economic Implications of Software Minds, http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/
~salamon/SoftwareMinds.pdf
Storrs-Hall, J., (2008) Engineering Utopia, Artificial General Intelligence, IOS Press (ed. P Wang)
Hanson, R., Economics of the Singularity, (2008) IEEE Spectrum Magazine,
http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/robotics-software/economics-of-the-singularity
60
Architectures for Lethal Autonomous Systems

Prerequisites: Computer Science, Law, or Engineering
Details of research: The following represents several PhD project opportunities. Autonomous and
robotic systems are permitted to exercise their own decision-making in regard to navigation. These
technologies, however, allow the same systems to make the final determination regarding what
constitutes a target and whether or not to engage it potentially with lethal force but without
operator intervention. If permitted, this would mark a sea-change in the role of technology in society
as the human could be removed from the ultimate decision-making loop. Such systems will inevitably
need to work within existing legal frameworks and we will need to understand the legal consequences
of surrendering human oversight of these weapons. We will also need to know when an autonomous
system is good enough to take on these discretionary roles, whether we need to apply higher standards
than those currently expected of humans, who would be responsible for any certification of such
systems, the means by which the vector of causality is established, what criteria we use to assign
responsibility (or degree of responsibility) for the failure of such systems and the harm they cause in
terms of the Laws of Armed Conflict, and how/whether existing domestic and international legal
frameworks can accommodate them.
Additionally, because we fall short of the sophisticated technology required to both positively
discriminate between objects of interest and reliably resolve the ethical deliberations required by the
LOAC, we will need to use a combination of systems engineering principles, model-based
engineering strategies and affective computing (i.e. the ability to model, synthesise and measure
emotions such as guilt, remorse, grief, etc) to generate a practical framework for providing advice to
users of these systems on their ethical responsibilities. This will require: transformation of the LOAC
into computer-usable representations; real-time reasoning capabilities and mechanisms for ensuring
that autonomous responses are within ethical boundaries defined by the LOAC; development of
algorithms capable of superior (positive) target discrimination; practical, constraint-based
optimisation and planning mechanisms for ethical agents; creation of learning and adaptation
techniques that are based on embedded ethical constraint sets and a robots underlying behavioural
control parameters; a means of making responsibility assignment clear and explicit for all parties; the
establishment of metrics, benchmarks and evaluation techniques that allow the comparison of
artificial moral agents to each other and to the performance of humans in similar situations; the design
of systems architectures and human machine interfaces that incorporate ethical reasoning and
behaviour as a core principle (as opposed to as an afterthought); and real time situated ethical operator
advisory systems embedded with users to remind them of the consequences of their actions when
appropriate.
References:
Allen, C., W. Wallach & I. Smit, (2006) Why Machine Ethics, IEEE Journal of Intelligent Systems,
pp 12-17, Vol 21, Issue 4, July/August 2006
Arkin, R (2009) Governing Lethal Behaviour in Autonomous Robots, Chapman Hall
Asaro, P., (2007) How Just Could a Robot War Be? Ume University, Sweden, 2007
Wiegel, V., (2006) Building Blocks for Artificial Moral Agents, Proc. Tenth International Conference
on Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems, Bloomington, IN, 2006
61
Development of MBSE (SysML) Artefacts suitable for the Application of MBSE to Design and
Contract Management of Major Infrastructure Projects
Name of Supervisors: Prof Anthony Finn, Assoc Supervisor: Prof Peter Campbell
Prerequisites: Basic Systems Engineering, UML or SysML desired
Details of research: Using a Metamodel of the design and contracting activities associated with large
infrastructure projects, research the applicability of existing MBSE artefacts for the necessary model
representations, identify gaps in capability and develop additional artefacts as needed. Test the
resulting products by demonstrating their use on a suitable project.
References:
Loyd Baker, Paul Clemente, Bob Cohen, Larry Permenter, Byron Purves, and Pete Salmon,
Foundational Concepts for Model Driven Design, INCOSE Model Driven System Design Interest
Group, 2000
W. Banzhaf and N. Pillay, Why Complex Systems Engineering needs Biological Development,
Complexity 13:1221, 2007
Sheffran, J. and Hannan, B. From Complex Conflicts to Stable Cooperation, Complexity 13: 7891,
2007
Estefan, J. Survey of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) Methodologies, INCOSE MBSE
Focus Group, 2007
Davis, P. and Henninger, A. Analysis, Analysis Practices, and Implications for Modeling and
Simulation, Rand NDRI, 2007
Ring, J. et al. MBSE and System of Systems for the Intelligent Enterprise:
Application to Supply and Value Chain Management, Conference on Systems Engineering Research,
2008 UPDM: OMG Document Number: formal/2009-09-01http://www.omg.org/spec/UPDM/1.0
62
Enhancing Organisational Innovation

Name of Supervisors: David Cropley
Details of research: Organizational ingenuity involves reconciling freedom and necessity; freedom is a
prerequisite for generation of novelty, but necessity demands that the novelty meets the requirements of
groups such as customers. Reconciling the two involves many contradictions: For instance, early stages of
innovation require mainly divergent thinking (generating novelty), whereas later stages require convergent
thinking (getting the novelty into a useable form and convincing customers). The psychological concepts of
the six Ps and the seven phases of creativity offer a framework for making sense of the contradictions. A 6 X
7 matrix of 'nodes' of creativity such as the node of thinking processes in the phase of generation of novelty or
the node of motivation in the phase of verification of novelty makes it apparent that the importance of
freedom or necessity varies from node to node. Ingenious organizations succeed in providing what is needed
for each node. We have developed a scale for rating organizations on each node. Although still under
development, it is highly reliable and has substantial construct validity. This research will further develop a
new instrument the Innovation Phase Assessment Instrument (IPAI) as a tool for assessing organisational
innovation.
References:
Christensen, C. M. (1997). The innovator's dilemma. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Press.
Cropley, A. J., & Cropley, D. H. (2009). Fostering creativity: A diagnostic approach for
education and organizations. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Cropley, D. H., & Cropley, A. J. (2005). Engineering creativity: A systems concept of
functional creativity. In J. C. Kaufman & J. Baer (Eds.), Faces of the muse: How
people think, work and act creatively in diverse domains (pp. 169-185). Hillsdale, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
Cropley, D. H., & Cropley, A. J. (2011). Understanding value innovation in organizations: A
psychological framework. International Journal of creativity and problem solving, 21, 17-36.
Dillon, T. A., Lee, R. K., & Matheson, D. (2005). Value innovation: Passport to
wealth creation. Research-Technology Management, 50, 22-36.
Mumford, M. D., & Moertl, P. (2003). Cases of social innovation: Lessons from two
innovations in the 20th Century. Creativity Research Journal, 13, 261-266.
Rietzschel, E. F., Nijstad, B. A., & Stroebe, W. (2010). The selection of creative ideas after
individual idea generation: Choosing between creativity and impact. British Journal of
Psychology, 101, 47-68.
63
Assessing and enhancing product creativity for competitive advantage.

Name of Supervisors: David Cropley
Details of research: An important, on-going debate in creativity research revolves around the definition and
measurement of creativity. Amabile (1996), for example, highlights the level of "disagreement and
dissatisfaction among psychologists, creating a criterion problem that researchers have tried to solve in a
variety of ways". In short, creativity researchers have variously tried to define and measure creativity in one
of three ways: as a feature of products, as a characteristic of people, or as a feature of thought processes. In
engineering, by contrast, it is axiomatic that the product plays a central role in the definition of creativity.
Cropley and Cropley (2005) focused attention on the role of the product in discussions of creativity and
engineering, and discussed the indicators of creativity associated with products that exist in the literature. The
fact remains, however, that attempts to define and measure creativity in relation to products have received far
less attention than efforts directed at the person and the thought processes associated with creativity. As
Amabile (1996) again states "a second approach to creativity assessment, used only infrequently, is the
objective analysis of products". Early efforts in this area include Ghiselin (1963), however Amabile (1996)
reminds us that "few researchers have even attempted a clear-cut quantification of creativity" in the context of
the product. The Propulsion Model (e.g. Sternberg, 1999) is a more recent approach to categorizing different
creative products, however, as Kaufman (2009) reminds the reader, "More difficult, however, is figuring out
how to measure them [products]". While a de facto standard has emerged in the form of the Consensual
Assessment Technique (Amabile, 1996), there is ample scope for, and value in, defining an objective, valid
and reliable product scale. Stage 1 of this project, in 2010, yielded data that showed the Creative Solution
Diagnosis Scale (CSDS) is reliable. Stage 1 also resulted in a more focused, revised form of the instrument
(the rCSDS). The value of the present research is as follows: if the rCSDS can be shown to have a high
validity and reliability, then we will have made an important contribution, not only to creativity research in
general - lacking as it does definitions and measures based around products - but also to the understanding of
creativity (and innovation) in a technological, engineering context, where the ability to generate genuinely
creative artefacts serves as an important driver of economic development and growth.
References:
Cropley, D. H. and Cropley, A. J. (2005). Engineering creativity: A systems concept of functional creativity,
in Creativity Across Domains: Faces of the Muse, J. Kaufman and J. Baer (Eds.), Chapter 10, pp 169-185,
New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.,
Cropley, D. H. and Kaufman, J. C. (2011 in press), Measuring Functional Creativity: Empirical Validation of
the Creative Solution Diagnosis Scale (CSDS), Journal of Creative Behavior.
Ghiselin, B. (1963). Ultimate criteria for two levels of creativity. In C. Taylor and F. Barron (Eds.), Scientific
creativity: Its recognition and development. New York, Wiley.
Horn, D. and Salvendy, G. (2006). Consumer-based assessment of product creativity: A review and
reappraisal. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, 16: 155175.
Horn, D. and Salvendy, G. (2009). Measuring consumer perception of product creativity: Impact on
satisfaction and purchasability. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries,
19, 223240.
Kaufman, J. C. (2009). Creativity 101, New York, Springer Publishing Company.
Sternberg, R. J. (1999). A propulsion model of types of creative contributions. Journal of General
Psychology, 3(2), 83-100.
64
Mawson Institute
Material sciences, molecular and quantum chemical modelling, and energy production and
optimization processes
Research Education Portfolio Leader: Dr Gunther Paul gunther.paul@unisa.edu.au
Flexible Electrochromic Devices For Military Camouflage Applications

Associate Professor Peter Murphy and Dr Rick Fabretto DSTO : Dr Andrew Amiet
Prerequisites: Chemistry/Physics, Nanotechnology or Materials Science
Details of research: There is a world-wide trend towards the development of active camouflage systems and
techniques to defeat the specific problems posed by changing battle environments. Active camouflage, or
adaptive camouflage, is able to change its appearance or is able to be changed to best suit the environment in
which it is deployed. It includes technologies which allow an object to blend into its surroundings by use of
panels, appliqus or coatings capable of altering their appearance, color, luminance or reflective properties.
Electrochromic Devices (ECDs) are able to change their optical properties under an applied voltage. The
variable applied voltage is used to alter the reflectance or absorbance/transmittance of the ECD material.
ECDs have been developed for mirrors, optical displays, solar control of glazings for smart building
windows and for camouflage. While oxides of many transition metals have been shown to possess strong
electrochromic properties, conducting or conjugated polymers have been found to be more promising as
electrochromic materials because of their better stability, faster switching speeds, easier processing and the
ability to produce multiple colours for the same material while switching between different redox states.
References:
Adaptive Camouflage Techniques for a Light Armoured Vehicle Land Warfare Conference, Brisbane 2010
Authors : Vivienne Wheaton, Isabelle Vincent & Jean Dumas
High conductivity PEDOT resulting from glycol/oxidant complex and glycol/polymer intercalation during
vacuum vapour phase polymerisation Polymer,Volume 52, Issue 8, Pages 1725-1730 Published 2011
Authors: Manrico Fabretto, Carlos Jariego-Moncunill, Jussi-Petteri Autere, Andrew Michelmore, Robert D
Short, Peter Murphy
Vacuum vapour phase polymerised poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin-films for use in largescale electrochromic devices Thin Solid Films, Volume 519 , Pages 2544-2549 Published 2010
Authors: Manrico Fabretto, Jussi Petteri, Doris Hoglinger, Simon Field, Peter Murphy
Influence of PEG-ran-PPG Surfactant on Vapour Phase Polymerised PEDOT Thin Films
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Volume: 30 Issue: 21 Pages: 1846-1851 Published: 2009
Authors: Fabretto, M; Muller, M; Zuber, K, and Murphy P.
The role of water in the synthesis and performance of vapour phase polymerised PEDOT electrochromic
devices Journal of Materials Chemistry Volume: 19 Issue: 42 Pages: 7871-7878 Published: 2009
Authors: Fabretto, M; Zuber, K; Hall, C, et al.
65
Understanding of Scale Formation and Inhibition in the Bayer Process

Name of Supervisors: Prof. Andrea Gerson and Dr. Jun Li
Prerequisites: An Honours degree or Bachelors degree in physics, chemistry, physical chemistry,
chemical engineering, and materials science is essential.
Details of research: Scaling, which reduces flow and heating efficiency, is a serioius problem in
single stream alumina Bayer plants. The mechanisms of crystallisation of sodium aluminosilicate and
titanate phases are not fully understood. This PhD project aims to improve understanding of the
mechanisms and kinetics of sodium aluminosilicate and titanate scale/particle growth; to aid in the
development of a strategy by which to slow the unwanted growth of these scale phases within Bayer
liquors.
References:
Meikle R.A (1973). The effect of silica reactions in the Bayer process. Journal of the Geological
Society of Jamaica, (Special Issue), 30.
Gerson, A.R. and Zheng, K.(1997). Bayer process plant scale: Transformation of sodalite to
cancrinite. Journal of Crystal Growth, 171, 209.
Roach, G.I.D. and Cornell, J.B. (1985). Scaling in Bayer plants. Chemeca 85, paper-B7A, 217.
Dudek K., Jones F., Radomirovic T. and Smith P. (2009). The effect of anatase, rutile and sodium
titanate on the dissolution of boehmite and gibbsite at 90oC. International Journal of Mineral
Processing, 93, 135-140.
Chester R., Jones F., Loan M., Oliveira A. and Richmond W.R. (2009) The dissolution behaviour of
titanium oxide phases in synthetic Bayer liquors at 90oC. Hydrometallurgy, 96, 215-222.
Taylor M., Chen H., Spitzer D., Heitner H. (2006) Method of preventing or reducing aluminosilicate
scale in high level nuclear wastes. U.S. patent application 2006/0124553A1.
Oji L.N., Fellinger T.L., Hobbs D.T., Badheka N.P., Wilmarth W.R. (2008) Studies of potential
inhibitors of sodium aluminosilicate scales in high-level waste evaporation, in Proceedings of
WM2008 Conference, 24-28th February 2008, Phoenix, AZ. Paper No. 8433.
Li J., Cookson D.J. and Gerson, A.R. (2008) Crystal growth through progressive densification
identified by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. Crystal Growth and Design 8, 170-1733
66
ITEE Research Office

Mawson Lakes Campus
Tel: +61 8 83025 5729
All information is correct at time of print August 2011.
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Potential PhD Research Projects

School of Advance Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

Supply Chain Management (SCM) system for Re-configurable Manufacturing Operations

Development of holistic decision model for Collaborative Manufacturing Network (CMN) in

Development of a Dynamic Task Scheduling System for Manufacturing based SMMEs

Development of a step-by-step decision support system for CIM investment

Social and Technical Systems Framework: Delivering Value to Multiple Stakeholders

Impact of Lean and Just in time (JIT) Manufacturing

Design of Products for Automatic Assembly

Design of Products for Automatic Disassembly

Design of Products for Upgradability

Design of an Intelligent System to Separate Solid Contaminants from Composts Prior to

Intelligent Design of Manufacturing Systems

Design for Reliability and Six Sigma of Mechanical Structures

Design of Manufacturing Processes for Six Sigma

Logistics and distribution networks

Technological management in the supply chain

Procurement and purchasing

The sustainable supply chain

Development of a Knowledge Management Performance Evaluation systems for Supply

Sustainability of Supply Chain

Development of an intelligent control System for Master-Slave Robots Configuration

Development of a harvesting system for precision agriculture: development of intelligent

Color imaging and multispectral analysis for non-destructive evaluation of agro-alimentary

A micro-agitation device for DNA microarray hybridisation application

The development of laser based micro-joining technology for micro-assembly applications

Sustainable Manufacturing for Industry-Scale Production of Nanomaterials

Development of Novel drug delivery platform

Development of Novel antibacterial surfaces coatings

Carbon nanotubes for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells

Surface gradients for controlling the response of biological cells

Carbon nanotubes in novel composite biomaterials

Novel antibacterial surfaces coatings

Novel drug delivery platform

Integrated solar heating and PV cooling system

Development of an evaporative cooling system with thermal storage

Development of a Novel Propulsion System for Long-Range UAV Platforms

Intelligent Optimisation of Mechanical Structure

Vibration Analysis of Mechanical Structures via Substructuring Technique

Stabilised Cool Flame Reactor for Scramjet Engines

Continuous Synthesis of Nanoparticles

Micron Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Multilayers Functional Polymers

School of Computer and Information Science

Analysing the trends in Web search

User modelling for behavioural intrusion detection

Multi-view and Free-Viewpoint Video Streaming

Real-time 3D Object Registration on Tablet Devices

Visuo-Haptic Augmented Reality

Mobile Augmented Reality

Formal specification and analysis of Voice over IP systems

Digital forensic tools and framework

School of Electrical and Information Engineering

Research Education Portfolio Leader: A/Prof Kutluyil Dogancay

Investigation of Coordinate Shift Effects on TLS-Based Geolocation and Tracking

Adaptive Nonlinear Compensation Techniques Utilizing Out-of-Band Energy Minimization

Cyclostationary Signal Processing for MIMO Radar

Supervisors: Dr Russell SA Brinkworth

Name of School/Institute: Electrical and Information Engineering

Architectures and algorithms for error correction in Wireless Sensor Networks

Reprogrammable and reconfigurable parity check decoder architectures

R. G. Gallager, Low-Density Parity-Check Codes. Cambridge, Mass: Monogram, 1963.

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Mathematical models for microfluidic electrokinetic particle separation devices