An open invitation to partner with the University of Adelaide

28 Pages·2017·0.89 MB·English

DEFENCE
An open invitation to partner with
the University of Adelaide
adelaide.edu.au
STRO NGER
“Australia will have
tremendous opportunities
for greater prosperity
TOGE THER
and development over the
coming decades, but at
the same time will face
complex security challenges
and greater uncertainty in
our strategic environment…
The Indo-Pacific is in a
period of unprecedented
transformation as the
distribution of economic
and political power shifts
to our region.”
2016 Defence White Paper
02 World-leading defence research
04 Sensing
06 Systems
08 Technology
10 Cyber
12 Platforms
14 Human Performance
16 Space
18 Law and Policy
20 Facilities
22 Education and Future Workforce
24 Engagement
25 Lets Collaborate
STRO NGER
TOGE THER
At the University of Adelaide, we have a Australia and the Indo-Pacific are
long and proud history of partnering with experiencing a period of significant economic
Australia’s defence sector. Our involvement transformation, with almost half the world’s
has ranged from co-developing Australia’s economic output expected to come from the
first satellite and rocket-launch capability region by 2050. This growing prosperity, of
with Defence in the 1960s, to working with course, relies on the maintenance of peace
Defence and industry on game-changing and stability, as does the rules-based global
autonomous systems research and radar- order on which Australia depends for open
enhancing technology today. access to trading partners.
The University contributes to defence, On both counts, the Australian Government
cyber and space enterprise in many different recognises that our entire Defence
capacities. We conduct world-leading ecosystem—including government, industry
research across multiple disciplines; work as and academia—has a critical role to play. It
a trusted advisor on key capability programs; has taken important steps to underpin this
and produce highly skilled, industry-ready national imperative, including developing
graduates, keenly sought by employers and a new approach to innovation in Defence;
frequently found at the sector’s highest levels. equally importantly, these steps have been
resourced. Cyber and space capabilities
Importantly, we understand Defence’s
are also particularly critical to safeguarding
unique sensitivities. Many Adelaide staff
Australia’s way of life.
are cleared for national security work,
and our institution is part of the Defence The University of Adelaide is committed to
Industry Security Program. We also routinely using its extensive research and educational
collaborate with Defence Science and capacity, in partnership with Defence and
Technology Group researchers to deliver industry, to meet these national challenges.
vital Defence outcomes.
Whatever national security challenges PROFESSOR MICHAEL WEBB
should arise in future, the University of Director – Defence, Cyber and Space
Adelaide is well prepared, and determined,
to meet them.
We invite you to join us.
PROFESSOR MIKE BROOKS
Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
The University of Adelaide 1
WORLD-L EADING
DEFENCE RESEARCH
The University of Adelaide is a destination
of choice for world-leading defence-focused
researchers, high-achieving students, and
government and industry partners.
Broad interdisciplinary capabilities
Many academic staff across all University of
Adelaide faculties are actively involved in defence-
related education and research. This vast pool of
expertise includes:
• scientists working on advanced sensing technology,
including radar, photonic sensors and ultra-high-
precision cryogenic sapphire clocks
• mathematicians and computer scientists analysing
large data sets through machine learning and
advanced statistics, and developing optimisation
techniques for defence and space applications
• engineers focusing on communication networks,
autonomous systems, robots, noise cancellation
and advanced materials
• lawyers and policy researchers looking at
contemporary challenges in global security,
and military and space law
• psychologists and health scientists working on
human factors and veterans’ post-traumatic stress
• researchers in arts and social sciences looking
at regional defence and security policy.
2 World-Leading Defence Research
WORLD-L EADING
DEFENCE RESEARCH KEY R&D EXPERTISE
Sensing Space
Systems Law
Technologies Policy
Cyber Facilities
Platforms Engagement
Human performance Education and
Future Workforce
The University of Adelaide 3
SENSING Radar for surveillance and monitoring
The Adelaide Radar Research Centre
collaborates internally with the School of
Electrical and Electronic Engineering and
the Discipline of Physics, and externally with
the DST Group, Bureau of Meteorology and
Australian Antarctic Division to investigate
problems in:
• maritime synthetic-aperture radar
and small-target detection
Advanced sensing and
• automatic target recognition from
measurement technologies
inverse synthetic-aperture radar
The University’s Institute for Photonics and • high-resolution imaging
Advanced Sensing (IPAS) brings together
• sensor-array signal processing
physicists, chemists, material scientists,
• locating interference and spoofers to
biologists, theoretical scientists and medical
global navigation satellite systems.
researchers to develop cutting-edge
technologies such as:
Laser diagnostics and
• high-precision clocks for enhanced combustion engineering
radar capability
The School of Chemical Engineering has a
• soft glasses enabling infrared laser power
well-equipped laser diagnostics laboratory
delivery through fibre optics
for specialist research, diagnostics and
• next-generation radiation, biological measurements. The facilities feature
and chemical sensing devices and enable:
• fibre-based quantum memory for
• multiple lasers and time-gated cameras 
secure communications.
• non-intrusive, precise probing
• high temporal and spatial resolution.
4 Sensing
Robotic vision technologies
The University of Adelaide is a key partner
in the world-renowned Australian Centre THE SAPPHIRE CLOCK
for Robotic Vision (ACRV). The ACRV’s
technologies span a wide range of topics,
Twenty years of research and
with those of particular application to
engineering in the University’s Institute
defence including:
for Photonics and Advanced Sensing
• algorithms to visually control active (IPAS) has produced a cryogenic
head/eye robotic platforms for surveillance sapphire oscillator capable of providing
and navigation a step-change in a vital Australian
• visual geometry and camera self-calibration defence asset’s performance.
for measurement, augmented reality (AR) ‘The Sapphire Clock’ offers a 1000-
and virtual reality (VR) fold improvement in timing precision,
• visual simultaneous localisation and potentially improving Australian
mapping (SLAM) defence’s ability to identify threats
• human motion capture using the Jindalee Over-The-Horizon
Radar Network. The clock is so good
• activity analysis
its performance is the equivalent of
• novel view synthesis. only losing or gaining one second every
Robotic vision expands robots’ capabilities, 40 million years. Its IPAS developers
allowing them to see and understand the were recognised for their remarkable
world in which they work. These technologies innovation in 2018, receiving the
can be applied in several defence arenas, Defence Science and Technology Eureka
including tracking, monitoring, and enabling Prize for Outstanding Science in
protection in natural and built environments. Safeguarding Australia.
Sensing and biomarkering technology
The University partners the Australian
Research Council (ARC) Centre of
Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics,
which produces technologies capable of:
• safeguarding deployed personnel
• rapid detecting and identifying threats
• monitoring physical and mental
performance
• enabling practice refinement during
planning and training stages
• providing individuals’ field status.
The University of Adelaide 5
SYSTEMS
Machine learning Autonomous systems
The University’s Australian Institute for The University of Adelaide is able to offer
Machine Learning (AIML) has over 100 expertise in autonomous systems formation
high-quality research staff working on control, supporting wireless sensor network
cutting-edge approaches to problem-solving security and control theory. Examples of
using artificial intelligence (AI). This world- defence-related capabilities include:
leading team conducts pure and applied
• systems and control—networked control
research under four key themes: Machine
systems, neural network control and
Learning Theory; Trusted Autonomous
fuzzy control systems
Systems; Robotic Vision; and Visual
Question and Answering. • autonomous systems—swarm intelligence,
multi-agent formation, and application
AIML is among the global elite in the of genetic fuzzy trees for responsive
competitive research areas of machine decision-making
learning and AI. In high-quality research
• cyber-physical systems—wireless sensor
translation, its innovative capabilities
network security and machine learning
enable the University to collaborate with
and support domestic and international • data ferrying for multi-mission in
partners in areas relating to: urban areas
• intelligence, surveillance and • resource allocation with genetic fuzzy
reconnaissance decision-making for ship defence
• tracking and behaviour analysis • fuzzy modelling and event-triggered control
of complex networked control systems
• identifying patterns in large, complex
data sources • low-cost EMP-equipped predatory
unmanned aerial systems
• predicting future behaviour of people
and systems • identification of emergent behaviour within
a multi-agent system
• electronic warfare
• machine learning capability for target
• situational awareness
detection and object recognition 
• producing computer vision and
• modelling software-centric and interaction-
robotics applications
oriented system-on-chip
• deep learning and pattern recognition
• autonomous light hybrid vehicles
• autonomous systems and navigation. for defence applications and energy
management
• intelligent-agent modelling using
conditioned Markov processes.
6 Systems
DEEP-LEARNING
AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
Using a subset of machine learning called deep
learning, the Australian Institute for Machine
Learning (AIML) has developed algorithms capable
of object recognition and scene segmentation
in images. In some domains, the algorithms’
performance approaches human level.
In collaboration with the DST Group’s Land
Division, AIML is now applying this knowledge
to assist autonomous military vehicles in
sensing, understanding and interacting with their
environment in the land domain.
EMULATING NATURE’S
PERFECT PURSUIT
University of Adelaide researchers in robotic
vision have built an autonomous robot capable
of effectively and efficiently pursuing targets
Mathematical modelling
in unstructured environments. The robot uses
In the University’s School of Mathematical computational models bio-inspired by dragonflies’
Sciences, the Stochastic Modelling and remarkable ability to focus on a single moving target
Operations Research group addresses and shut out all else.
important defence-related problems by
Underpinning the models is a novel University-
fusing mathematical theory, computation,
developed algorithm. When tested in various
data and decision science. It plays key
nature-mimicking virtual reality environments,
roles in the:
the algorithm performed every bit as accurately as
• ARC Centre of Excellence for other state-of-the-art algorithms, but while running
Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers up to 20 times faster, so requiring less relative
processing power.
• Cyber Security Cooperative
Research Centre.
Similarly, the Dynamics, Modelling and
COMBAT SYSTEMS’ EARLY
Computation group models significant
problems in science and engineering; many PERFORMANCE PREDICTION
defence-related. Its strengths are in:
• classical mechanics, particularly
The University of Adelaide’s Centre for Defence
fluid dynamics
Communications and Information Networking
• modelling deterministic systems. has developed novel modelling environments to
enable early performance-metrics prediction when
Managing randomness and uncertainty designing large, software-intensive networked
systems. This was previously not possible until
The University is a partner in the ARC
system components’ functionality and high-level
Centre of Excellence for Mathematical
behaviour were fully defined.
and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS), which
brings together Australia’s top researchers in Created in collaboration with the Defence Science
applied mathematics, statistics, mathematical and Technology Group (DSTG), the modelling
physics and machine learning. environments allow design trade-offs to be
explored much earlier in systems’ design lifecycles,
Focusing on systems involving randomness
while ensuring their fitness for purpose. They’re
and uncertainty, ACEMS combines
being used to inform design choices for SEA1000
innovative data analysis methods
(future submarine), JP2072 (land battlespace
with advanced mathematical and
communications) and AIR6500 (integrated air
statistical modelling.
and missile defence).
The University of Adelaide 7
TECHNOLOGY
Electromagnetic devices High-energy lasers and photonics
and interactions
In collaboration with the DST Group, the
The Adelaide Applied Electromagnetics University’s Dual-use Laser Technology
Group provides innovative solutions to Centre has developed state-of-the-art, high-
industry involving: power, continuous-wave and pulsed infrared
lasers. This technology is critical for enabling:
• low-profile, integrated, reconfigurable
and wearable antennas • DIRCM (directed infrared
countermeasures) pump sources
• conductive textiles, novel conducting
materials, metamaterials and plasmonics • LIDAR (light detection and ranging)
scanning, measurement and mapping
• ultra-high-speed short-path
communications • high-fluence extreme UV and soft-X-ray
pulses in the water window.
• terahertz waveguides
• optical nano-structures inspired Nanomaterials and catalysts
by radio-frequency devices.
The Centre for Materials in Energy and
Catalysis specialises in fundamental and
High-performance
applied research in a number of energy
microelectronics engineering
and material-related fields, including:
The Centre for High Performance Integrated • energy production, storage (including
Technologies and Systems (ChiPTec) has batteries and fuel cells) and conversion
expertise in:
• photocatalysis
• mixed analogue-digital, very-large-scale
• nanoparticles for drug and gene therapy.
integration systems
• high-speed digital circuits
• low-power wireless systems and integrated
radio-frequency systems
• parallel architectures and algorithms
• digital hardware for artificial intelligence.
8 Technologies