June 8, 2017

University of Queensland researchers have partnered with global technology leader Lockheed Martin to develop next generation computers for aerospace applications.

ARC Future Fellow and project lead Professor Warwick Bowen said the partnership would develop a new approach to computer technology, with the potential for future commercial impacts in the aerospace industry.

"In contrast to today's computers, which rely on electric currents, this new approach will use mechanical vibrations inside the computer chip to perform computations," Professor Bowen said.

"This makes it much more robust to radiation exposure in near-earth orbit and deep space applications.

"An expected further project outcome is the development of nanotechnologies that could have wide uses in sensing, health and communications.

"The project could also improve heat management and energy efficiency in future computers."

Speaking on the partnership with UQ, Lockheed Martin Australia Chief Executive Vince Di Pietro said Lockheed Martin had a long history of collaborative research and innovation across the globe, including investment in the world's best research in Australia.

"By leveraging an existing contract established through our Global Supply Chain Enabled Innovation program into this ARC Linkage grant with UQ, we see a true partnership between industry, academia and government growing Australia's future defence industry capability," Mr Di Pietro said.

Chief investigator Dr Rachpon Kalra, awarded a UQ Development Fellowship to work with Lockheed Martin Australia, said the project would strengthen UQ's ties to one of the world's largest aerospace companies.

Fellow chief investigator Dr Christopher Baker said the project built upon UQ's expertise in nanotechnology and nanoengineering.

UQ made a recent multi-million dollar investment in nation-leading nanofabrication tools capable of building devices with features only a few tens of atoms in size.

The project is part of the University of Queensland Precision Sensing Initiative, a joint initiative of the Schools of Mathematics and Physics and of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

It will benefit from substantial Federal Government investment into the Australian Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, which aims to develop next generation quantum technologies for future Australian industries.

Federal Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham announced the funding last month, making it one of four UQ proposals that attracted $1.28 million in Australian Government funding through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.

The computers for aerospace project received $334,710 Federal Government funding, with cash and in-kind funding by the University and industry partner.

Dr Luke Uribarri from Lockheed Martin will be the fourth investigator on the project.

Explore further: Lockheed Martin to deliver world record-setting 60kw laser to U.S. Army

Lockheed Martin has completed the design, development and demonstration of a 60 kW-class beam combined fiber laser for the U.S. Army.

Digital Array Row Transceiver (DART) provides greater performance thanks to improved reliability and increased efficiency

Lockheed Martin and Dominion Resources, Inc. have co-developed a new smart grid technology called VirtuGrid, which will enable remote detection of power outages for faster mapping and response. This collaboration between ...

A major Chinese investment in graphene research plans to deliver lighter, better performing aircraft and high-speed trains.

Thousands of electrical components make up today's most sophisticated systems and without innovative cooling techniques, those systems get hot. Lockheed Martin is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ...

(Phys.org) Hong Kong based Reignwood Group and U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin have announced plans to build an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) electricity generating plant off the coast of China to power ...

An AI machine has taken the maths section of China's annual university entrance exam, finishing it faster than students but with a below average grade.

Globally, from China and Germany to the United States, electric vehicle (EV) subsidies have been championed as an effective strategy to boost production of renewable technology and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

As global automakers compete to bring the first flying car to market, Czech pilot Pavel Brezina is trying a different tack: instead of creating a car that flies, he has made a "GyroDrive"a mini helicopter you can drive.

Apple's new HomePod speaker may be music to the ears of its loyal fans, but how much it can crank up volume in the smart speaker market remains to be heard.

Autonomous vehicles with no human backup will be put to the test on publicly traveled roads as early as next year in what may be the first attempt at unassisted autonomous piloting.

Using Earth-abundant materials, EPFL scientists have built the first low-cost system for splitting CO2 into CO, a reaction necessary for turning renewable energy into fuel.

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

Continue reading here:

UQ, partners taking computing out of this world - Phys.org - Phys.Org