Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
Electrical and biomedical engineering is a diverse discipline with research varying from high voltage distribution networks to microfluidic devices for analysis of biological cells.
Research focus
Our current research is focused on the following five areas.
Power, energy and control
- Power electronic conversion systems
- Electrical grid energy conversion equipment
- High-voltage distribution engineering
- Advanced control systems
- Industrial automation
Audio/Video/Image signal processing
- Speech, video and image processing
- Non-linguistic speech classification using machine learning
- Recognition of emotions and mental states using speech analysis
- Automatic analysis of conversations for human-machine communication systems
- Computational neuroscience
Biomedical engineering
- Biomedical electronics and devices
- Therapeutic applications of electromagnetic radiation
- Implantable and rehabilitation engineering
- Novel biomaterials
- Microfluidic platforms for portable medical diagnostics
Computer engineering and embedded systems
- Embedded system design and applications
- Machine – machine interactions
- High performance digital logic
Complex and intelligent systems
- Complex and dynamic systems and networks
- Industrial information technologies
Our impact
We work extensively with partners to solve practical problems facing industries and communities. Our partners have included:
- Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG)
- Telstra
- Creative Power Technologies
- Robert Bosch Pty Ltd
- Wilson Transformer Company Pty Ltd
- Clarinox Technologies
- St Vincent's Hospital
- Centre for Eye Research Australia
- Centre for Digital Mental Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
- Oregon Research Institute, USA
- Human Trust and Interaction Branch, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA
Recent research highlights include:
- The development and commercialisation of early fault detection technology for use on power lines in the high bushfire risk areas in Victoria. The award-winning technology has helped improve the public safety of Victoria through preventing fires started by power lines.
- The successful development of a real-time speech emotion recognition system. The system simultaneously recognises seven different emotional categories and is suitable for mobile phone and online speech communication platforms.
- Parkinson’s disease diagnostics approach which received international attention and received coverage from media outlets such as BBC, ABC and Channel 9.
- Research on diamond coated 3D scaffolds for medical applications which received significant international and national coverage.
Research centres and groups
- NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Electromagnetic Energy Research
Facilities
- High Voltage Laboratory
- MicroGrid Facility
- Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials Lab
- Biomedical Signal Analysis and Instrumentation Lab