Many of the citations on the list relate to papers
co-authored by researchers in the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering. Over the past 15 years, the department has
built up its Communications Research Group that is now
internationally renowned for its research excellence. For the
past nine years the group’s main focus has been wireless
communications, but research has also been conducted in optical
communications which relates to the most cited original paper by
Smith et al. External funding has assisted in the
development of capabilities and scope of this research, and the
Communications Research Group has attracted a significant amount
of funding support from New Zealand’s Foundation for Research,
Science and Technology.
In terms of the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Centre
for Bioengineering, the focus on computational methods that
affect (and save!) lives has attracted a significant amount of
attention. This group has developed model-based therapeutics
which have resulted in ground-breaking techniques for glucose
control, cardiovascular management, agitation/sedation control,
and optimal ventilation.
The high impact of the biomedical-related research has come
from consistent international publications, prestigious grants
and awards, and, importantly, in the case of glucose control,
very successful implementation and a 32% mortality saving in the
Intensive Care Unit at Christchurch Hospital. One of the keys to
this success is the concept of model-based therapeutics where
virtual clinical trials can be performed on the computer to
optimize therapy before giving it to a patient.
What are the University’s key research goals in this area, in your
view?
The University of Canterbury’s College of Engineering aims to
remain at the forefront of computer science, mathematics and
engineering innovation and research. To assist it in achieving
this, a NZ$20 million Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) Innovation Institute, known as NZi3, is being established.
NZi3 is the only teaching and research institute of its kind in
New Zealand and is a true collaboration between academia and
industry.
The aim of NZi3 is to provide an entrepreneurial environment
in which students, academics and industry partners can conduct
applied ICT research to generate new products, companies, and
intellectual property.
NZi3’s founding industry partners are IBM, HP, Jade Software
Corporation, Tait Electronics, and Humanware. The Institute’s
research is being conducted in industry-led themes, including
wireless communications, software engineering, bioengineering,
human-interface technology, assistive technology,
nanotechnology, and geospatial.
As part of its support to NZi3, IBM has provided the
University of Canterbury with a Supercomputer and a Blue Gene
Supercomputer which is one of the 25 most-powerful
supercomputers operating in academia worldwide (currently 99th
fastest in the world)
Within the College of Engineering’s departments our wider
goal is to enhance the departments’ positions as world-leading
research groups and continue to develop multidisciplinary
research projects.
The University’s most-cited original paper in our records is,
"Performance enhancement of spectral-amplitude-coding optical CDMA
using pulse-position modulation," (Smith EDJ, R.J. Blaikie and D.P.
Taylor, IEEE T. Commun. 46: 1176-85, September 1998). Would
anyone care to talk a little about this paper and why it is so
highly cited?
This paper has been highly cited for two major reasons;
namely:
- It clearly demonstrates that much of the earlier work in
the field was based on a false assumption that the
transmission and detection processes are linear, whereas
their performance is in fact limited by nonlinear
self-interference effects. As a result, most previous work
drew very optimistic conclusions concerning the performance
that could be achieved.
- It developed a new approach to optical data
communication that allowed for a large number of
simultaneous access to the channel. In point of fact such
systems have never been implemented commercially, but the
paper's approach demonstrated a viable approach for the
technology and showed what the correct assumptions are for
system design.
Have any other particular papers become a particular source of
excitement or pride, regardless of citations?
From the perspective of the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering’s Wireless Communications research group,
the following paper is one of its most interesting and exciting
papers:
C.L. Miller, D.P. Taylor and P.T. Gough, "Estimation of
co-channel signals with linear complexity", IEEE Trans.
Commun. 49: 1997-2005, November 2001.
This paper won the Rice Award in 2002 as the best
communication theory paper published in the IEEE Transactions
on Communications in 2001. The work of this paper is now
forming the basis for realistic multi-user signal-detection
algorithms and has been employed in significant further work.
For other departments, rather than a specific paper being the
source of pride, it is the steady stream of high-quality
international publications they generate involving large
inter-disciplinary teams of researchers. The high citation in
the areas of computer science mentioned earlier is an example of
how broad research has become.
What research fields or capabilities do you see as critical for the
future of the University?
NZi3, the newly established ICT Innovation Institute, is a
key area for the College’s research future, in addition to the
expanse of research being conducted within the departments.
Having the Blue Gene Supercomputing facility at the University
of Canterbury also creates a wealth of research opportunities to
explore very complex problems, which would have previously been
impossible in New Zealand.
In terms of wireless communications research, physical layer
communications technologies, especially advanced wireless
systems, has been identified as a critical research area for the
University and NZi3’s Wireless Research Centre.
The ability to share knowledge between research fields and
different disciplines and the capability of better engaging the
"coal face" of any industry is critical to this University. The
College of Engineering prides itself on the extensive
relationships it has developed with key industry partners which
have resulted in important, collaborative research and
development opportunities.
The recognition of biomedical, mathematical and
communications research as computer science is a further
demonstration of how success in one field cross-fertilizes
another.
What are the implications of the University’s work for the future of
this particular field or neighboring fields?
The work at Canterbury in wireless communications has the
potential to have a major influence on the future development of
wireless systems (communications, positioning and sensor
systems) within New Zealand and indeed internationally. To do
this requires the maintenance of sufficient research staff and
research funds to stay at the forefront of the field.
In summary, the implications are that the University will
maintain an international reputation for world-class
interdisciplinary research, develop closer collaboration with
industry and other institutions for mutual benefit, and attract
highly skilled students and academics to generate further
external funding.
College of Engineering
University of Canterbury
Christchurch, New Zealand
cites
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