Research at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering
The School of Electrical and Information Engineering undertakes cutting-edge research across a wide range of engineering and information technology sub-disciplines.
The Fibre-optics and Photonics Laboratory (FPL) The Fibre-optics and Photonics Laboratory (FPL) specialises in research into advanced optical techniques for information systems. This focuses on fundamental research in areas including photonic signal processing, optical communications, microwave photonics, nonlinear fibre optics, optical network security and encryption, optically-controlled phased arrays, and terahertz/gigahertz photonics in communication and radar systems.
FPL has been successful in winning major research funding from nationally competitive research grant sources including the Australian Research Council, from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and from industry.
The research of the Fibre-optics and Photonics Laboratory is internationally renown, and links with an extensive network of photonics research institutions around the world.
The Telecommunication Laboratory specializes in a broad area of wireless communication systems, including transmission, adaptive signal processing, protocols, routing, network architectures, network security, location estimation and network traffic modelling. The research outcomes have wide applications in satellite, cellular, sensor and intelligent power networks. The laboratory is engaged in both fundamental and applied research. The activities are focused on providing research support to the telecommunications industry. A wide range of research projects have been undertaken in cooperation with local and international industry.
The Centre of Excellence in Power Engineering performs research work towards finding:
- innovative and economical means to operate electricity infrastructure;
- advanced electronic control of electricity grids using utility power electronics;
- electrical energy storage and generation with sustainable energy sources;
- direct current microgrids and high-voltage direct-current power transmissions topologies and control;
- increased efficiency of delivery and quality of electrical power and new technologies to deliver the intelligent grid of the future.
Computer and Software Engineering research has long been a leader in its field. There are four sub-strands in the field upon which the School has its focus – computing and audio research, image processing, software engineering and web engineering. Within these groupings exciting research is being undertaken in the areas of integrated circuit design, low power VLSI, neuro-morphic engineering, modelling of biological visual and auditory pathways in software and silicon, smart sensors, audio research, augmented and virtual reality (3D) audio, human sound localisation, acoustics of listening spaces, multi-channel (64) loudspeaker playback, video and audio communication over wired and wireless/mobile network, software architecture, distributed components and middleware, real-time systems and performance engineering diverse applications in signals and systems with particular emphasis on image processing, and web engineering.
The innovative, collaborative, cross disciplinary research detailed above is a hallmark of the School’s research, which integrates a diverse array of approaches, supported by excellent infrastructure and builds strong links with industry. This is evidence by the research productivity of the School is outstanding by any international comparison, with many DEST publications, the majority of which were in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals. Research productivity and citations are increasing, indicating a vibrant, growing academic community. Success in competitive grant funding is high and continues to rise. In the recent funding round the School was awarded six ARC grants totalling $1795 K and achieved a success rate of 42%, well above the national average.
Senior academic leadership is provided by two Personal Chairs (Minasian, Vucetic) and the Energy Australia-funded Chair of Power Engineering (Agelidis), all of whom are internationally recognised as leaders in their fields. In addition the School has 3 QEII Research Fellows and a wide range of honorary and emeritus appointments with strong industry links to ensure research, teaching and curriculum development remain relevant to real world demands.
The School of Electrical and Information Engineering has a tradition of Excellence and is home to a number of active research groups. All these groups attract external funding from government and industry and collaborate internationally.