Tracking algorithms for multiple targets win Australia's prestigious Eureka Prize
A University of Western Australia team — including two borthers who are professors at the school — have won the Eureka Prizes, Australia’s “science Oscars,” for a tracking system that has revolutionized the surveillance and monitoring of potential threats in the vast air, sea, and land space of Australia — and of other countries
A research project from the University of Western Australia (UWA) that has revolutionized the surveillance and monitoring of potential threats in the vast air, sea, and land space of Australia — and of other countries — is one of the winners of the 21st Annual Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
Winthrop Professor Ba-Ngu Vo, his brother Assistant Professor Ba-Tuong Vo, and Winthrop Professor Antonio Cantoni from UWA’s School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering have developed a new family of algorithms for tracking multiple targets — a system which outperforms and is cheaper than previous methods.
The team is the first to measure the margin of error in defense tracking systems and their work — already in use in international surveillance including the U.S. Space Fence — has led to systems being simpler and more accurate. Their findings also enable thousands, rather than hundreds, of targets to be tracked using standard computers and the system can be adapted for other uses including traffic control.
UWA Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Bill Louden said he was thrilled with the team’s win. “The University is punching above its weight in terms of international-caliber research. This team’s transformation of tracking technology has implications for national and international security.”
The team’s $10,000 prize was awarded last week in Sydney in the category of Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Support of Defense or National Security. A total of nineteen winners around the Australia were awarded $190,000 in the Eureka Prizes, Australia’s “science Oscars.”
