Michael Brooks

Michael Brooks

School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology


Michael Brooks is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Adelaide, previously serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Provost and Interim Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Brooks has researched in the artificial intelligence and robotics fields of image and video understanding, publishing extensively in computer vision. He is a Fellow of both the Australian Computer Society and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and is the holder of an honorary doctorate from the University of Nottingham.

He has served on numerous research institute boards, including the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute, and National ICT Australia, the forerunner of CSIRO’s Data61.

Professor Brooks is a former chair of Australia’s Group of Eight Committee of Deputy Vice-Chancellors Research, and chaired the Australian Research Council review of the Excellence in Research Australia quality assessment scheme for universities. He was a member of the expert committee overseeing the development of the 2018 Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (Code) and has had extensive experience in handling matters of research integrity.

He is presently Chair of the Australian Research Integrity Committee which undertakes reviews of institutional processes used to manage and investigate potential breaches of the research integrity Code.

Research Interests 

Recovery of 3D object shape and depth from visual imagery: stereo vision; motion vision; shape from shading; metrology; self-calibration. Statistical vision-parameter estimation. Applications in vision: networked video surveillance, object detection and tracking, behaviour analysis, intruder detection,  depth and volume estimation, analysis of road accident and crime scene images, UAV video analysis; evolutionary feature programming.

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2021 - ongoing Emeritus Professor The University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2021 Interim Vice-Chancellor and President The University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2020 Acting Vice-Chancellor and President University of Adelaide
    2019 - 2020 Provost University of Adelaide
    2018 - 2019 Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research) University of Adelaide
    2008 - 2018 Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research) University of Adelaide
    2007 - 2008 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) University of Adelaide
    2007 - 2007 Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Strategy) (8/2007) University of Adelaide
    2007 - 2007 Chair, Research Quality Framework Board University of Adelaide
    2003 - 2007 Head of School University of Adelaide
    1992 - 2005 Program Leader, Image Analysis Program Cooperative Research Centre for Sensor Signal & Information Processing
    1991 - 1998 Chair in Artificial Intelligence University of Adelaide
    1991 - 1998 Associate Professor University of Adelaide
    1989 - 1991 Reader in Computer Science Flinders University
    1986 - 1991 Head of Discipline Flinders University
    1985 - 1985 Lecturer in Computer Science University of Adelaide
    1979 - 1980 Lecturer in Computer Studies Sheffield Polytechnic
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2015 Fellowship ATSE Fellow Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering Australia -
    2015 Fellowship Australian Computer Society Fellow Australian Computer Society Australia -
    2004 Award Best Product in Intelligent Surveillance International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference United Kingdom -
    2003 Award Secrets of IT Innovation Winner Australian Government Australia -
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1983 University of Essex United Kingdom Ph.D. (Computer Science)
    1976 University of Essex United Kingdom M.Sc. (Computer Science)
    1975 University of Hull United Kingdom B.Sc. Hons (Mathematics)

ARC Discovery Grant 2005-2007 

Prof MJ Brooks

Multi-objective parameter estimation techniques for computer vision 
  • 2005 : $101,000

  • 2006 : $79,000

  • 2007 : $81,000

Category : ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSING 



Administering Institution : The University of Adelaide   



This project will benefit Australia's scientific knowledge and technology base in the area of computer vision. By contributing improved methods for parameter estimation applicable to a wide variety of technical problems, the project will aid the generation of improved software products in a wide variety of domains. Examples include: augmented reality systems, with which virtual reality artifacts may be immersed within real video; 3D from 2D systems, with which 3D object structure may be computed from image streams; and visual robotic systems, with which the pose of viewed objects may be determined. 

ARC Discovery Grant 2007-2009 

Prof MJ Brooks and Dr AR Dick

Automated acquisition of surveillance-camera network topology 
  • 2007 : $67,000

  • 2008 : $67,000

  • 2009 : $67,000

Category : ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSING 



Administering Institution : The University of Adelaide   



The development of an automated system for acquisition of camera network topology is a crucial prerequisite to obtaining intelligent surveillance systems operating at the network level. Such systems will contribute improved methods for safeguarding Australia from terrorism and crime by facilitating the tracking of suspicious individuals and vehicles, and detecting anomalous behaviours in busy environments. The leading-edge techniques involved will also constitute smart information use of significant commercial value to Australian industry.

ARC Discovery Grant 2008-2010 

Prof MJ Brooks 

Enhanced parameter estimation for multi-component fitting in computer vision 
  • 2008 : $85,000

  • 2009 : $85,000

  • 2010 : $80,000



Category : ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSING 



Administering Institution : The University of Adelaide   



Computer vision is concerned with the development of computational methods that endow machines with the capacity to interpret their visual environment. Emerging applications include automated methods for analysing behaviour exhibited in video and improved techniques for generating special effects in movies. Many vision problems require high-accuracy estimation of parameters embedded within a mathematical model, an area that has seen enormous progress over the last decade. This project will develop leading edge techniques for simultaneously computing parameters that characterise multiple components (such as several objects in motion) rather than a single component, a critical remaining challenge in the field.

Teaching

Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2007 - 2008 Co-Supervisor Efficient Embedding of Meshes and Hypercubes on a Group of Future Network Architectures Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yawen Chen
    2007 - 2010 Principal Supervisor Optical Flow Estimation in the Presence of Fast or Discontinuous Motion Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Yan Niu
    2003 - 2006 Principal Supervisor Robust Visual Tracking in Image Sequences Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Prof Chunhua Shen
    2002 - 2008 Co-Supervisor Fundamental Numerical Schemes for Parameter Estimation in Computer Vision Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Tony Scoleri
    2000 - 2008 Principal Supervisor Reconstructing 3D Geometry from Multiple Images via Inverse Rendering Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr John Bastian
    2000 - 2008 Co-Supervisor The Automated Synchronisation of Independently Moving Cameras Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Daniel Pooley
    1999 - 2004 Principal Supervisor Towards an estimation framework for some problems in computer vision Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Darren Gawley
    1998 - 2005 Principal Supervisor Surface Reconstruction from Three Dimensional Range Data Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Andrew Peter Myers

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