The School of Engineering held its second theme-led Engineering Expo in October 2024, highlighting next generation innovation in communications and photonics to an audience of industry representatives, students and researchers.
4 November 2024
Macquarie Engineering Showcases Next-Generation Innovation in Communications and Photonics
Macquarie University's School of Engineering demonstrated its research strength in advanced communications, photonics, and IoT technologies at its NextGen Innovation Expo on Wednesday 30 October. The event highlighted the school's commitment to industry collaboration across emerging technologies.
The Expo delivered a deep-dive into two of the School’s six research themes, exploring the themes of Microelectronics and Optics, and Future Communications and IOT, and featuring some of the work under theme leaders Professor Stuart Jackson, Professor Iain Collings and Professor Subhas Mukhopadyay.
Poster presentations by higher degree research students showcasing an extraordinary breadth of research into future technologies were featured at the beginning of the Expo, with students explaining their work to attendees from industry and the university.
Dr Sara Deilani introduced the next session, and a series of presentations from research leaders followed, with the three theme leaders joined by Professor Simon Mahon discussing advances in compound semiconductors, and Associate Professor Ediz Cetin explaining current work in satellite and space-based work in reconfigurable systems.
"Macquarie engineering is going from strength to strength, leading the way in both engineering education and research,” says Dean of Engineering Professor Aman Oo. “Our new research framework unites our research centres and labs under core research themes, fostering meaningful industry collaborations to achieve tangible outcomes.”
The expo showcased a range of exciting projects, including breakthrough work in methane detection from space. Working with industry partners, researchers are developing next-generation laser sensors capable of fingerprinting and classifying methane emission sources from satellites. This technology promises to revolutionise how we monitor and address greenhouse gas emissions globally.
Professor Iain Collings outlined the progress of Macquarie's Future Communications Research Centre in advancing 5G and 6G technologies. The centre’s research into millimetre wave communications for 6G networks addresses crucial challenges in base station placement and signal blockage in urban environments. Their innovative approach to wave form design, moving from traditional time-frequency methods to delay-Doppler representations, is gaining international recognition.
Professor Stuart Jackson described advances in the university’s expertise in photonics and laser systems, with researchers developing new optical materials with significant implications for telecommunications and defence applications.
“We have created a new class of materials where we can now combine crystal and glass properties into the same system,” says Professor Jackson. “This allows us to maintain the physical properties of crystals and optical properties of glass with almost zero scattering.”
In the IoT and robotics domain, Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay described innovative research underway in flexible sensors and drone technology. One notable project involves developing implantable sensors for spine surgery monitoring, while another focuses on multi-drone systems capable of carrying single payloads and extending flight times through mid-air battery delivery.
The school’s space research initiatives include work on inter-satellite communications using millimetre waves. Researchers have replicated the Hawkeye 360 satellite constellation scenario in the laboratory, demonstrating real-time beam forming and beam steering capabilities.
Professor Simon Mahon shared the journey of Macquarie Analog Devices Laboratory (known as MAD Lab) in advancing research and innovation in compound semiconductors.
"We are excited about projects that combine optical technology, laser electronics, radio frequency and digital processing," says Associate Professor Ediz Cetin. "Our work spans terrestrial applications through to space research."
Attendees then joined laboratory tours to explore some of the innovations underway in the different workspaces.
The NextGen Innovation Expo concluded with industry roundtable discussions exploring collaboration opportunities in microelectronics, wireless communication, photonics, and IoT. The event reinforced Macquarie University's position as a leader in practical engineering research and its commitment to bridging the gap between academic innovation and industry applications.
"We are open to working with industry colleagues on problems that will benefit both industry and the university,” says Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay. "Our goal is to create real-world impact through our research and innovation."
“We are committed to industry collaboration – not only to partner on producing quality research and timely solutions, but also to support the research teaching nexus – enhancing our school’s collective academic knowledge and, in turn, the learning opportunities for our students,” says Professor Oo.
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