CQU will be able to perform faster and better research simulations thanks to a 7-times boost in its advanced computing capabilities.

Australian Research Council funding will provide more than 700 gigaflops of raw computational performance - a new ‘computational cluster’ of at least 44 double-processing computing units and associated equipment based in Rockhampton.

What it means is that researchers working with digital mammograms, train derailment simulations, robotics, traffic flow control, 3D data visualisations, environmental sustainability modelling and a host of other projects can look forward to more powerful computing processing.

They will be able to solve more complex problems using high-speed distributed computing and enable research solutions to be found in a more timely fashion. This will particularly benefit PhD students who have tight deadlines for their outcomes and those working on grant-funded research.

The $500,000 successful grant bid was in tandem with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), under the Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) program.

New supercomputing facilities at CQU and QUT will be complementary and will encourage collaboration. The new gear will also suit the supercomputing trends and requirements at State, national and international level.

The new computational systems will be made available State-wide through the Queensland Parallel Supercomputing Foundation.

As well as boosting current applied research, the new equipment will benefit CQU’s underpinning work in intelligent computation, including nonlinear optimisation, fuzzy logic, complex system modelling and multi-variant inputs.

Our train-wagon simulation project, when fully implemented, will extend the computational requirement past that of the current cluster’s capacity.

It is necessary to replace the 32-bit system with a 64-bit architecture, not only to enable current research to continue, but also to support planned future research.

[Photo] Picking up speed - Researchers Associate Professor Brijesh Verma and Dr Billy Sinclair discuss CQU's new computer technology with Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jennelle Kyd and Network Manager Merv Connell.