Research Graduate Testimonials
Dr Wayne Piekarski
My name is Dr Wayne Piekarski and I have recently completed a PhD with the School of Computer and Information Science. I decided to do a PhD after doing research in the final year of Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems at UniSA. I'm now a full time researcher and lecturer at the university.
My research area is in the field of augmented reality and wearable computers. Using a head mounted display, a user is able to walk around outdoors and look at computer generated graphics such as buildings and trees. The user has a computer carried in a backpack with sensors and computers to generate the graphics. My PhD thesis was in this area, exploring how users can control these kinds of systems using easy to use gestures. For example, it is not possible to use a keyboard or mouse outdoors - instead the user controls the system with their body directly.
I have always been interested in computers since I was very young, and I really enjoyed studying at university because I was able to work on things that I was interested in. Toward the end of my studies, I discovered that I was very interested in doing research. I found research exciting because I was able to work with up and coming technology years before it would be used by industry or by consumers. The other exciting part was developing new technology myself, and then presenting this research to other people. I have been fortunate enough to travel dozens of times all over the world to talk about my research and meet with lots of interesting people, as well as winning many prizes. It is only through my research work that I have been able to do this, and it is a very exciting thing to be doing.
UniSA has a number of very interesting programs in computing which I am happy to have studied as I believe that it has put me where I am today.
Furthermore, I am now part of the teaching team myself, lecturing my own courses in operating systems and also computer graphics.