DrGraham Brooker

Radar systems provide an effective method of imaging the environment through rain, fog, dust, smoke or darkness, so are essential in vehicles that need to operate in dirty and potentially dangerous environments, such as in mining or military operations. Dr Graham Brooker's work in this field is providing a safer environment for people working in these fields. His parallel work in rehabilitation engineering is improving the quality of life of people living with dementia or Parkinson's disease.

"I love radar! There's something almost magical about being able to transmit insignificant amounts of power - less than that produced by a small torch - and receive echoes from targets that are kilometres away.

"As we work to improve the resolution and lower the cost of radar imaging, the technology will also become more commercially available in road vehicles, improving safety during times of poor visibility and ultimately reducing death and injury rates.

"With regard to rehabilitation engineering, my colleagues and I are currently working on a number of devices, including a system to investigate walking balance to identify vestibular diseases; an at-home test to evaluate people with Parkinson's disease; a birth simulator to help midwives learn how to rotate foetal heads and so minimise the requirement for caesarean sections; and a glasses-mounted device for people with dementia to identify where they are and prompt them to perform activities they might have forgotten, or to notify their carers about their activities.

“I’ve been a radar engineer for nearly 40 years, and have been working on rehabilitation devices for eight years. After working in industry for many years, I joined the University of Sydney in 1999. The work I’m doing here makes me feel that I’m making a real difference, improving the quality of life of thousands of members of our community.”