South Australian Networking Laboratory

 

The South Australian Networking Laboratory, SANLab, is an exciting new partnership between universities, industry and government to build an advanced experimental research capability in Wireless Mobile Ad Hoc Networking.

 

Our mission is to EVALUATE, CREATE and DELIVER wireless networking technologies.

 

Our vision is to be the national leader in advanced wireless networking technologies in support of defence, security and safety applications. This will be achieved through internationally competitive RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTATION and PROOF OF CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT.

 

Wireless mobile ad-hoc networks (wireless MANETs) are a kind of self-configuring network of mobile routers and terminals connected by wireless links.

 

Minimal configuration, quick deployment and self-healing capabilities make wireless MANETs suitable for specialised military scenarios, emergency situations and exploration of dangerous environments.

 

Numerous technical and human challenges need to be addressed for the practical and reliable application of MANETs.

 

To meet these challenges, our objectives are to:

n           To develop a national experimental research capability and laboratory infrastructure to address important communications issues around MANETs.

n           To develop a MANET solution to a specific defence or emergency response need as an exemplar application.

n           To provide a test ground for requirements, technologies, security, network management, and performance, with the aim of delivering robust, high performance systems for rapidly changing environments.

n           To undertake fundamental research to extend the state of the art in wireless networking.

n           To share between participants the lessons learned and technologies created.

n           To provide specialised training via coursework, Masters and PhD programs.

 

SANLab is a partnership between the Centre for Defence Communications and Information Networking (CDCIN) at the University of Adelaide, the Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR) at the University of South Australia, BAE Systems, Cisco and ASC.

 

SANLab is supported by the Government of South Australia, through the Premier's Science and Research Fund.

 

SANLab is a $2M project over three years, which commenced in July 2008. Funding for the project comprises $900,000 in cash from the Government of South Australia, and a further $375,000 in cash and $720,000 in-kind from the partners.

 

 

Core capabilities:

Wireless Technologies

o        Wireless channel measurement and modeling

o        Spectrally efficient wireless communications

o        Adaptive coding and modulation

o        Multiple antenna technology

o        Robust non-line of sight communications

o        Cross-layer design

o        Interference mitigation and cancellation

o        Network coding

 

Network Analysis

o        Protocol analysis

o        Performance analysis (link, network, application and user views)

o        Traffic measurement and characterisation

o        Network design, monitoring, measurement and management

 

Cognitive Science

o        Characterisation of human networks in the context of communicating and sharing information

o        Ability to apply this modelling, analysis and experimentation to military operations (i.e., situations that require command, shared situation awareness and the coordination of planning and action) Some dimensions of the research capability include socio-cognitive capacities and constraints, influence of alternative modes of communication and associated fidelity and types of interface (mobile, fixed, computer-based, augmented reality)

 

Experimentation:

o        Facilities supporting practical measurement, experimentation and hardware/software development for commercial-grade wireless communications technologies, including high-speed modem and codec design. MANETs and human decision making.

 

For more information, contact:

Prof Michael Rumsewicz, Director CDCIN, michael.rumsewicz@adelaide.edu.au

Prof Alex Grant, Director ITR, alex.grant@unisa.edu.au

Key participants

Prof Alex Grant - robust wireless communications, low-complexity algorithms for digital communications, interference mitigation and cancellation, network coding.

Prof Lars Rasmussen - adaptive modulation and coding, interference mitigation and cancellation for wireless networks.

A/Prof Linda Davis - algorithm analysis and design for high-speed implementation. Experience in industrial research labs (Bell Laboratories) and academia  (Melbourne University, Macquarie University).

Dr Terence Chan - information theory and network coding.

Prof Michael Rumsewicz - 20 years experience in international telecommunications R&D labs and academia including Bell Communications Research, Ericsson, University of Adelaide.

Prof Nigel Bean - 15 international experience in mathematical modelling of communications networks.

Assoc Prof Matthew Roughan - 15 years experience in international R&D labs and academia including AT&T Labs, University of Melbourne and University of Adelaide.

Dr Andrew Coyle - 20 years experience in mathematical modelling and analysis of telecommunications networks.

Dr Bruce Northcote - 15 years experience in international telecommunications R&D labs and academia including Bell Communications Research, Ascom-Nexion (USA), Fujitsu (USA), University of Adelaide.

Dr Michael Webb - 20 years of experience in Defence Science and Technology Organisation (Australia), including research in human performance in C3 contexts and evaluation of C2 effectiveness and dependency on communications network performance.

Associate Professor John Dunn - More than 20 years experience in Cognitive psychology, human memory, applied decision-making, cognitive modelling, mathematical psychology, methodological issues in neuropsychology and human experimental psychology.

Dr Daniel Navarro - Winner of the Society for Mathematical Psychology's 2007 New Investigator Award. Expertise in cognitive science, mathematical modelling, and statistical inference.