The aeroplanes, security and passenger flow of Australian airports will soon be under the virtual control of researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), thanks to new funding.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) today announced $830,000 in Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) funding to two QUT projects to acquire new facilities and equipment for collaborative research.
The ground-breaking ARC-funded Airports of the Future project, based at QUT and involving a multitude of partners, including a number of Australian airports, will use $500,000 in funding to build a state-of-the-art "command and control facility" at a QUT research hub located in the Brisbane suburb of Banyo.
QUT's Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, who leads the project, said the facility would enable researchers to trial new systems and software developed to increase aviation security and passenger experience.
"It means we can test new technology without having to shut down the airport," Professor Yarlagadda said.
"This command and control functionality will be enabled through a suite of equipment including visualisation and simulation platforms, a CCTV-based surveillance network, biometric authentication equipment, digital signage systems and mobile technology such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices."
Professor Yarlagadda said the facility could also be used to test the secure operation of other types of critical infrastructure in Australia.
"The facility will also be utilised as a training centre and widely-available resource for aviation and other industries dealing with critical infrastructure, such as transportation hubs and networks, energy and water distributions," he said.
"It could also be used for developing co-ordinated strategies for defence and incident response."
The second QUT project to be granted ARC LIEF funding was the Comprehensive Cell Imaging Facility, which was awarded $330,000 to provide Australian biological science researchers with equipment for in-depth analyses of cell function in vitro and in vivo.
The facility, led by Professor Judith Clements, will enable innovative research within a range of fields, including cancer, immunology, stem cell biology, infectious disease and tissue regeneration.
The Airports of the Future is a four-year international collaborative research project spanning seven interrelated research programs: Business Process Management; Business Continuity and Incident Response Management; Human Systems; Identity Management; Intelligent Surveillance; Airport Information Modelling; and Complex Systems.
The project is led by QUT's Professor Prasad Yarlagadda and aims to explore the complexity of modern airports, particularly addressing conflicts between aviation security and the passenger experience and provide potential solutions.
The Airports of the Future was awarded one of the largest ARC linkage grants, and engages six Australian and overseas universities, 16 domestic and international airports, seven government agencies and four aviation sector service providers including airlines.
Further information on the project can be found on the project's website: www.airportsofthefuture.qut.edu.au.
Media contact: Rachael Wilson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 1150 or rachael.wilson@qut.edu.au.
