International Internship
Summer 2008:
NICTA (Sydney, AU)
Caitlin Cottrill
About NICTA
• National Information and Communications
Technology research center of Australia
• Research Themes*:
– Embedded Systems – developing ‘smart products’ of
the future.
– Networked Systems – technologies that connect the
‘smart products’ of embedded systems together to
form ‘smart networks’.
– Making Sense of Data – finding ways to make sense
and extract value from the growing amounts of data
created by ICT systems.
– Managing Complexity – developing efficient and
reliable tools and processes to solve complex ICT
problems.
*From “About NICTA” http://nicta.com.au/about
My Work - General
• Privacy issues in Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS)
• Examination of the policy and technology
overlaps in ITS surveillance technologies
– What are the legal requirements for privacy
protection?
– How can ITS technologies promote a more
efficient transportation system while
preserving the right to privacy in public?
Applicable Overlaps
• Smart Transport and Roads (STaR)
– Research and implementation based on:
• Advanced video sensors and surveillance
technologies
• Co-operative mobility technologies
• New models for traffic control systems
• Multimodal interfaces for control room systems
• Measurement and management of the cognitive
load on individual traffic operations managers.
My Research in Context
• In the context of the STaR project:
– Reviewed amount and preciseness of data
generated by surveillance cameras on the
roadway
– Reviewed applicable AU privacy laws and
policies
– Began comparative project evaluating US,
AU, and UK privacy laws as they apply to ITS
surveillance technologies
Associated Research
Topics
• Automated Number Plate Recognition
(ANPR): Potential for collaboration with
law enforcement
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
applications in transport: Detection and
tracking ability
• Smart Cameras: Application specific
information processing (ASIP)
Gratuitous Photos