A Brisbane scientist who is creating technology to keep public spaces safe has been awarded the People's Choice Award in this year's prestigious science awards, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
QUT's Dr Clinton Fookes, from the School of Engineering Systems, studies computer vision for surveillance and biometrics.
Dr Fookes was one of only six finalists chosen from hundreds of entries in the Eureka Prizes for scientific research and innovation.
"My research is about 'making sense' of what computers see," Dr Fookes said.
"We're now literally surrounded by surveillance cameras, but the amount of capability they give us is almost zero."
Dr Fookes' research includes developing biometrics which aim to uniquely identify a person using some of their physiological or behavioural traits.
He is utilising computer vision to recognise and report on people, objects and their actions to improve our security in public places.
"We are seeking ways to automatically extract and interpret important information from visual sources, including images and video," he said.
"Research in this field could lead to new discoveries in a range of areas including human-computer interaction, security, medical imaging and robotics."
Dr Fookes is also using computer vision to monitor the effectiveness of large-scale engineered systems, like our airports.
The Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award aims to promote science generally and inspire young budding scientists to take up a career in this field.
ABC's Catalyst will air a feature about Dr Fookes on August 26.
Media contact: Rachael Wilson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 1150 or rachael.wilson@qut.edu.au.
** Dr Clinton Fookes is available for interview this afternoon
