Noisy solution wins award

Engineering researcher Liang Chen has developed a noisy solution to internet efficiency.

During his postgraduate studies at the University of Melbourne’s School of Engineering, Chen has developed a promising low-cost new signal processing method that turns current thinking on its head.

He has discovered a way to use information buried in noise-like distortion which appears to lead to an enormous improvement in network reliability and efficiency in optical networks.

These findings are different to current processing approaches where distortion is simply thrown away, because it is seen as a detrimental effect needing to be eliminated.

His discovery has won him a 2011 Victoria Fellowship which will see him travel to the US and Europe to investigate possible research collaboration and to receive industrial training from scientists.

He is one of six young Victorian scientists to win a Victoria Fellowship that is worth $18,000, first awarded by the Victorian government in 1998, to recognise young researchers with leadership potential and to enhance their future careers, while developing new ideas which could offer commercial benefit to Victoria.

According to the Coburg resident, his discovery has come at the right time as Australia rolls out its national broadband network. He says that there will be a growing need for cost-efficient links to carry the massive increase in data traffic expected over the coming years.