Research in Engineering & Information Technologies
Research with our Faculty is dynamic and always evolving; inspiring the active mind and providing new tools and ways of thinking that lead to innovation.
Our research spans all areas of human endeavour and its successes are the result of the unflagging curiosity and energy of our researchers and students. Our ongoing planning efforts aim to bolster our research strengths and create fertile ground for innovation. By creating the space for free intellectual inquiry, the Faculty fosters strong core disciplines as the essential foundation for our work
The Faculties Leading Researchers...
Professor John Patterson
Fluid Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering
John’s research career has focussed primarily on areas of hydraulics, fluid mechanics and water quality engineering. The emphasis has been on modelling of lakes and reservoirs and the reservoir modelling work has led to extensive industry contacts, with projects across Australia and internationally. He was one the primary architects of the widely used reservoir simulation model DYRESM, and its water quality derivatives.
“My work spans experimental, numerical and analytical approaches and I strongly believe that a combination of approaches to an investigation is the most productive avenue to understanding.”
Professor David Hill
Ausgrid Chair of Electrical Engineering*, School of Electrical and Information Engineering; ARC Professorial Fellow; Director, Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Electricity Networks
David Hill is a specialist in electrical power systems, control and networks, areas which come together (with communications and computing) in the design of so-called smart grids. The Power Engineering Laboratory in the School studies a range of research including power electronics and systems and fundamentals of future grids, e.g. carbon-limited power. The Centre (CIEN) is supported by Ausgrid and the ARC to carry out research on smart grids and related problems in general cyber-physical systems.
Professor Robert Minasian
Chair Professor; Director, Fibre-optics and Photonics Laboratory, School of Electrical and Information Engineering
The Fibre-optics and Photonics Laboratory specialises in research into advanced optical techniques for high-speed signal processing. Principal areas of work focus on photonic signal processing, microwave photonics, optical communications, nonlinear fibre optics, optical network security and encryption, optically-controlled phased arrays, and terahertz/gigahertz photonics in communication and radar systems.
“My work in photonic signal processing aims to discover new paradigms for processing high-speed signals directly inside the optical fibre. Our vision is to push the frontiers to overcome inherent bottlenecks limiting conventional electronic processors, and open up new capabilities in fields including fibre-radio cellular communications, radar, radio astronomy, and video distribution networks.”
Associate Professor Andrew Harris
Director, Laboratory for Sustainable Technology
The Laboratory for Sustainable Technology at the University of Sydney is a multidisciplinary research group and is set up to undertake research to develop sustainable products and processes that maximise resource and energy efficiency and minimise environmental impact.
Dr Harris believes that the scientific breakthroughs of the future will come about because of multidisciplinary research – chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers working together to solve problems.
“I am interested in developing processes for the future that are inherently sustainable, not ‘end-of-pipe’ solutions simply to be implemented in the near term.”
Dr Mari Velonaki
Co-Director, Centre for Social Robotics and ARC QEII Fellow, Australian Centre for Field Robotics
Mari has worked as a researcher and artist in the field of interactive media since 1995. She has created interfaces that provide a basis for engaging human-machine interactions incorporating movement, speech, touch, breath, electrostatic charge, artificial vision, light, text and robotics.
In 2003 Mari initiated and led a major cross disciplinary robotics project, ‘Fish–Bird: Autonomous Interactions in a Contemporary Arts Setting’ at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR).
In 2006, she co-founded the Centre for Social Robotics within the ACFR. In 2007 Mari was awarded the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship in recognition of her body of work.
In 2009 she was awarded an ARC QEII Fellowship (2009-2013) for the creation of a new humanoid robot that is able to interact with people in socially empowered environments. This project aims to create new knowledge of how people can interact with robots on a level that involves both emotional and physical engagement through movement, touch and responsive text.
“I believe that effective human-robot communication is crucial in the rapidly emerging field of social robotics, where interactions often take place between robots and members of the general public.”
Professor Tony Vassallo
Delta Electricity Chair in Sustainable Energy Development, The School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor Vassallo’s research spans sustainable and distributed energy technologies, including how energy storage can lead to greater use of renewable energy systems.
“I believe the widespread use of energy storage will transform the way we produce, deliver and use electricity, and will be the key technology linking transport with renewable energy systems.”
Professor Albert Zomaya
Chair Professor of High Performance Computing & Networking; Director, Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing, School of Information Technologies
A major theme for the Centre of Distributed and High Performance Computing is Green Computing. Researchers in the Centre pioneered the development of several algorithms that help in the reduction of energy consumption in distributed systems and data centres. Green computing issues will be with us for many years and they will become more serious as our dependence on very large ICT facilities grows.
“In my work I investigate the development of efficient algorithms, models and software to produce more energy efficient high performance computer systems. This in turn reduces the carbon footprint of these systems and lead to greener ICT infrastructure.”