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Fluffy Spider To Enhance Graphical Capabilities Of Embedded Systems
June 01, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sydney, Australia, May 31, 2006—National ICT Australia (NICTA), Australia’s national centre of excellence for information and communications technology (ICT) research, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to engage in joint research with Fluffy Spider Technologies, a world leader in the development of user interface technology for embedded devices such as mobile phones.
Fluffy Spider Technologies will be working with NICTA’s Embedded, Real Time and Operating Systems (ERTOS) Program, which focuses on improving the reliability and trustworthiness of embedded systems. ERTOS has developed a unique microkernel-based embedded operating system called L4/Iguana.
“This exciting agreement represents a milestone in fulfilling NICTA’s charter to develop commercially viable technologies that improve the way Australians live and work,” said Dr Terry Percival, Director of NICTA’s Neville Roach Research Laboratory in Sydney. “The partnership will leverage NICTA’s research and commercialisation strengths to provide international exposure to a locally developed technology.”
Fluffy Spider Technologies’ signature product is FancyPants, a unique graphical user interface for embedded systems. FancyPants gives embedded systems sophisticated media handling and image manipulation capabilities previously only found in desktop environments.
“Combining FancyPants with NICTA’s L4/Iguana will provide a small and robust software base that delivers a better experience for users of embedded devices,” said Professor Gernot Heiser, Program Leader of NICTA’s ERTOS Program.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, NICTA and Fluffy Spider Technologies will engage in joint research to generate technological and business opportunities for both organizations.
“It is a great pleasure for Fluffy Spider Technologies to be working with NICTA, Australia’s most significant research and development organization,” said Mr Robi Karp, CEO of Fluffy Spider Technologies. “This collaboration is a significant breakthrough for Australian innovation. Our complementary skills will enable us to create a new generation of cutting-edge products for modern mobile devices that will be deployed across the globe.”
ERTOS demonstrated practical applications of some of its groundbreaking research at Techfest 2006, NICTA’s annual technology exhibition, held in the Crystal Ballroom at Sydney’s Luna Park on 31 May 2006. ERTOS showed how its hardware and software can power typical embedded systems such as those found in vending machines. It also demonstrated a video stream capture and analysis system that can capture live video and analyse the footage in real time, providing analysis, timing and power usage information. A third demonstration showed ERTOS-designed hardware and software being used to run the Sunswift solar car.
Techfest 2006 featured the work of more than 200 NICTA researchers and students from across Australia, including more than 20 live demonstrations of some of NICTA’s most exciting new research. Themed ‘Getting Connected’, Techfest gave the ICT industry a chance to meet leading researchers and investigate commercial collaborations.
About NICTA
NICTA is a national research institute with a charter to build Australia’s pre-eminent Centre of Excellence for information and . NICTA is building capabilities in ICT research, research training and commercialisation in the ICT sector for the generation of national benefit.
NICTA is funded by the Australian Government as represented by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and the Australian Research Council through Backing Australia’s Ability and the ICT Centre of Excellence program.
NICTA was established and is supported by its members: The Australian Capital Territory Government; The Australian National University; NSW Department of State and Regional Development; and The University of New South Wales. NICTA is also supported by its partners: the University of Sydney; University of Melbourne; the Victorian Government; the Queensland Government; Griffith University; Queensland University of Technology; and Queensland University.