Monash University > Engineering > ECSE > Research >

Computer Systems

This research falls into two broad categories:

Computer Architecture,which is concerned with the design, programming and techniques for the application of high performance computer systems. These systems increasingly involve parallel computer systems which require a balance of skills in machine organisation, programming and application domains for their effective use. The group has a number of collaborative linkages some of which include University of Adelaide, Manchester University, Osaka University, Lawrence Livermore National Laborato ries and Colorado State University. Topics under study include:

parallel computer architectures
interconnection networks
implicit parallel programming languages
comparative performance of parallel computer systems
data driven computer architectures
application specific computer systems
computer aided design of digital systems
applications of high performance computer systems
real time computer systems

Intelligent Robotics, with the Intelligent Robotics Research Centre involved in a number of related research projects concerning sensor, computational and mechatronic support for controlling both robotic manipulators and automated guided vehicles (mobile robots). These projects cover such topics as:

computer animated robot simulation
navigational algorithms and instrumentation
multiple camera colour vision
eye-in-hand vision
optical ranging devices
ultrasonic localisation and environmental mapping
robotic touch sensing
navigational markers for mobile robots
dextrous robot manipulators
virtual reality in an intelligent robotic context
indoor and outdoor autonomous mobile robot navigation
regularisation algorithms for computer vision
object recognition systems
artificial neural networks
swarm robotics

Facilities

High Performance Computing

Within the ECSE department's CTIE network testbed area is a small linux based computing cluster The "Pizzeria" that can be used for simulation and preparation of software to run on the larger high performance computing systems that are available to postgraduate students and researchers.

Monash university has recently started the Monash Sun Grid (MSG) high performance compute facility.

Alternative high performance computing facilities are the Victorian and Australian Partnerships for Advanced Computing VPAC and APAC facilities.

There is also the Engineering teaching pc lab cluster BC727 . This beowulf cluster utilizes the machines in the student labs during the times when the labs are closed. Generally it has about 90 nodes available overnight

Intelligent Robotics Research Centre

A wide range of computer and robotic hardware is established in the centre including Silicon Graphic workstations, Puma robot manipulators and Robuter and Denning mobile robots.

Staff Research Interests

Professor Ray Jarvis	Computer vision, robot navigation, image processing, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, interactive computer graphics, computer architectures, adaptive control.
Assoc. Prof. Lindsay Kleeman	Ultrasonic sensing, mobile robot localisation and map building, computer vision, digital design and performance.
Assoc. Prof Andrew Russell	Robot sensing, robotic mechanisms, control architectures for mobile systems, microprocessor applications.
Professor David Suter	Computer Vision including models of human perception and industrial machine vision systems. Signal (particularly image) processing, neural networks, physics based modelling for computer graphics, computer aided design tools for VLSI and multiprocessors/parallel computing.

Some prior projects

3D Shape Analysis and Object Recognition	R A Jarvis.
3D Shape Measurement and Comparison	K Ng.
Sonar based map building for a mobile robot	L. Kleeman and Chong K.S.
Adroit robot manipulation through tactile sensing	R A Russell.
Application of AI and optimisation techniques to telecommunications network management and control.	J L Ginger(TRL of AOTC), K P Dabke and Dr L.H. Campbell(TRL of AOTC).
Application of ES and neural networks to HV switchgear condition monitoring and fault diagnosis	L H Chen & P Voumard (Monash, Caulfield) and K P Dabke.
Application of ES to transformer impulse test diagnosis and transformer design.	K P Dabke with Australian industry and Electrical Research and Develo pment Association, Vadodara, India.
Automated Guided Vehicle Navigation in Industrial Environments.	R A Jarvis.
Robotic Swarms	R A Jarvis.
Virtual Reality in an Intelligent Robotics Context	R.A. Jarvis
Outdoor All-terrain Mobile Robot Navigation	R.A. Jarvis
Road Vehicle Driver Assistance	R.A. Jarvis
A Science Museum Mobile Robot	R.A. Jarvis
Classification of Image Features Using Fuzzy Logic	J Bridie & G K Egan.
Computerised breast shape measurement	K Ng with Assoc Prof P E Hartmann, Dept of Biochemistry, Univ of WA.
Development of High Resolution Algorithms for Signal Spectral Estimation	D Klimovski & G K Egan.
Digital Archives for Interactive Multi Media Production	G K Egan & J Smithies (State Film Centre).
Elastic models in computer graphics.	D Suter.
Fast Noncontact 3D Shape Measurement and Applications	K Ng.
High Performance Computational Simulations of the Human Neocortex	B Ramsden (Swinburne) & G K Egan.
Image Processing for Fault Detection in Printed Matter	K Ng & L Kleeman.
Landmark Based Mobile Robot Navigation in Time-Varying Environment	R A Jarvis.
Measurement of Straw Overcover in Newly Ploughed Fields.	K Ng, C W Hui and Dr P Findlater, Dept of Agric., WA.
Microrobotic manipulator	R A Russell.
Noncontact Measurement of Surface Shape of Cornea.	K Ng.
Omnidirectional Range Sensor	R A Jarvis.
Quad Vision Stereopsis.	R A Jarvis.
Recovery and analysis of motion from images.	D Suter.
Recovery of 3-D structure and motion of the heart.	D Suter.
Robot path-finding using short-lived navigational markers.	R A Russell.
Self timed Data Driven Architectures and their Applications	G K Egan & H Terada (Osaka).
Self-timed Digital Logic Design	L Kleeman
Sensor Based Autonomous Robot Navigation	R A Jarvis.
Simultaneous map building and localisation for mobile robots using acoustic and/or optical sensors.	L Kleeman.
Soil Erosion Measurements using Machine Vision	K Ng and Dr P Findlater, Dept of Agric., WA.
The Removal of Parallel Scratch Striations from Photographic Images	L Y Chen & G K Egan.
Ultrasonic array processing for object recognition and tracking.	L. Kleeman.
Virtual Reality in an Intelligent Robotics Context.	R A Jarvis.
Contact-free analysis of tactile images	V. Kakumanu and R.A. Russell.
Electric field based obstacle avoidance	G. Chetty and R.A. Russell
Etherbot - Radio Ethernet Tethered Autonomous Robot	R A Jarvis
Autonomous Navigation of Watercraft	R A Jarvis
Martian Rover Navigation in Very Rough Terrain	R A Jarvis
An Autonomous Shadow Vehicle	R A Jarvis