LUCID SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH EXPO SHINES
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Imagination Genius Innovation
LUCID 2007 showcased the work of selected postgraduate students in a poster session. The topics covered by the posters included: next generation wireless devices and networks, language technology, virtual reality, lasers and photonics, network security, cryptography, astronomy and microelectronics. Representatives from a number of local technology oriented companies, teachers, potential PhD students, research organisations such as CSIRO and NICTA, as well as a number of industry associations attended the event.
Congratulations to the following students:
Dionne Haynes was the winner of the Department of Physics prize for her poster Investigations of light loss in fibre fed astronomical instruments. Her project into the application of optical fibres in astronomy, examined investigation and development of cutting edge photonic technology for use in novel astronomical instrumentation.
Abstract: Astronomy is a photon starved science. Every photon is precious when trying to take a spectrum from a faint source and astronomers can not afford to lose any of them. Therefore it is essential that astronomical instruments be designed and built with minimal light losses in order for the astronomers to advance on their science. Fibres have been used in ground based astronomical instrumentation for 30 years and have revolutionized spectroscopy by enabling multiobject spectroscopy, a technique by which more than one spectrum can be obtained simultaneously. Spectroscopy can be used to derive many properties of distant stars and galaxies, such as their chemical composition and also their motion, via the Doppler shift. These requirements and the increasing importance of multiplexed spectroscopy mean that fibres are an essential part of future astronomical instrumentation and hence astrophysics, therefore their performance must be well understood. In this poster we present modelling of the effect of scattering from the fibre end-face surface roughness and compare this with experimental measurements of the fibre losses for a range of surface roughness values.
Michael Boers was the winner of the Department of Electronic Engineering prize for his work into Gigabit low-cost millimetre-wave radios.
Abstract: We are working on the next generation of wireless technology operating at 60GHz. The aim is to achieve an extremely high data-rate (>2Gbps) at a low-cost so it can be used to replace the cable between your DVD player and Plasma TV or PC and screen. Our first wireless transceivers at 60GHz are working well and the next generation are currently under development. (Our industry partner is Neil Weste – Radiata (5GHz wireless) co-founder).
Eric Fassbender was the winner of the Department of Computing prize whose work examined the effect of music on learning in virtual-immersive environments. His poster provided an interactive medium.
Abstract: The Title of project is VirSchool - An immersive environment for improved learning. In his research, Eric is investigating the effect of music on learning in virtual-immersive environments. He uses a virtual reality course about the history of the Macquarie Lighthouse to find out if changes in pitch and tempo of computergame soundtracks influence the memory for facts that are being learned in such virtual worlds.
Luke Stewart whose project was titled Self-Assembled Photonic Crystal Devices was the winner of the People's Choice Award.
Abstract: My project involves the fabrication of synthetic opals. By doing so, we can mimic the iridescence that opals display, and hence mimic the way they interact with light. With careful engineering, we hope to use this to fabricate waveguides with lower losses, and emitting devices with longer lifetimes.
Prize winners 2007
| Dionne Haynes | Physics Prize |
| Michael Boers | Electronic Engineering Prize |
| Eric Fassbender | Computing Prize |
| Luke Stewart | People's Choice Prize |
Click here to see LUCID Photos
The inaugural Lucid Research Expo 2006 attracted students, staff, research organisations, as well as a number of industry associations.
Held by the Division of Information and Communication Sciences (ICS), Lucid aims to explain complex research in an accessible, 'user-friendly' way.
The day was a great success, Ben Smith, Industry Liaison Director at ICS said: "We have received very positive feedback from the day. It is a wonderful opportunity for our research students to network with industry representatives. One student received a job offer that day."
Lucid showcased the work of selected postgraduate students through the use of posters. The topics covered by the posters include next generation wireless devices and networks language technology, virtual reality, lasers and photonics, network security, cryptography, astronomy and microelectronics.Lucid gave Macquarie students like Gaurav Gupta the chance to engage with representatives from industry Gaurav Gupta was one of the research students who displayed his work. The day was extremely encouraging with lots of people from industry (Toshiba, SensoryNetworks, CSIRO) showing interest in the research and looking forward to working closely together. Gaurav's poster was one of the more popular posters on display, explaining his area of research, The area of research is copyright protection of digital media (like mp3 files, movie files, software, games, etc) through digital watermarking. Lucid also saw the launch of the Division's new Concentration of Research Excellence (Lasers and Photonics, and Quantum Information Science and Cryptography).Ben Smith, ICS's Industry Liaison Director was very pleased with Lucid's success.
Macquarie University is embarking on an investment plan to ensure our pre-eminence in a range of research areas of international significance and benefit to Australia. Our goal is to be acknowledged as world-class in identified areas across the University, says Ben.See the Higher Degree Research Office website for more information about research at Macquarie.This page content is provided by the Macquarie Globe, online newspaper of the Macquarie international community.
To find out more please contact Mr Ben Smith at bsmith@ics.mq.edu.au or on 61 2 9850 9106.