Honours Scholarship Recipients

Our congratulations to the following people who have been awarded an Honours Scholarship in the second round for 2008.

Sam Thorogood - University of Sydney*
Renata Pronk - Macquarie University
Jonathon Manning - University of Tasmania

Each recipient will receive $4000, paid in two even amounts. *Sam Thorogood will receive $2500 paid in two even amounts as he has was also awarded an AUC Seeding Grant earlier in the year.

A short summary of their Honours Projects are below:

Sam Thorogood - University of Sydney

Family: The identity, history and lineage of files   
Modern operating systems are typically vessels for the user-centric goal of information management, more formally known as the domain of personal information management (PIM). To achieve user goals within PIM, operating systems typically reveal hierarchical file systems which can be used to manage documents and other files through the fairly traditional idiom of 'filing'
The technical outcomes of this project will be a real-time set of data available to any higher-level tool: from simple applications designed to display the graph, to pseudo-VC (version control) tools, and even intelligent agents - able to use this relationship data - designed to aid end-users with the management of large tasks

Renata Pronk - Macquarie University

The Jekyll & Hyde of octopuses: a study of their personality
My honours project tests whether octopus have personality. Octopus are highly intelligent invertebrates (animals without backbones) that are evolutionarily distinct from modern mammals. They are capable of completing complex tasks and solving simple puzzles. Apple technology is vital to all aspects of my honours project, but it is particularly necessary for video editing and the playback of video stimuli. The use of Apple software, such as QuickTime Pro for recording, Final Cut Pro for editing, and Compressor for exporting, together with Apple's unique line of hardware, have made my project possible.

Jonathon Manning - University of Tasmania

Carpooling
My honours topic is an investigation the Mobile HCI aspects of supporting carpooling through the use of mobile devices and online services. Carpooling is current performed either through ad-hoc agreements, or via websites of varying sizes. However, access to these sites is commonly restricted to computers with fixed internet connections (DSL, cable, and so on). Mobile broadband for laptops is increasingly common, but has not reached consumer levels of accessibility yet. The only remaining option for the typical carpool user is the mobile phone; however, the usability of internet services has traditionally been quite poor. My honours thesis is on how the accessibility and usefulness of a carpooling service can be improved when the interface and access mobility of the online service is also improved.