Access Grid Technologies

The Access Grid technology developed at the Argonne National Laboratory connects people over the computing Grid through Access Grid Nodes.

The Access Grid is an integrated environment that supports group-to-group communication using high-speed networks over the Internet. It provides high-quality audio and real-time video that allow groups at multiple sites to interact simultaneously and share data and scientific instruments.

Access Grid Nodes in Australia

The first Australian Access Grid node Node was installed in Sydney VisLab with support from the Australian Research Council (LIEF grant) by Prof. Bernard Pailthorpe (director of VisLab 1994 - 2002) and became operational on the 29th August 2001.

Other nodes are located at:
  • James Cook University (Townsville), (pictures of the inauguration)
  • the Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane)
  • the Australian National University (Canberra)
  • AARNet - Australian Academic and Research Network (Canberra)
  • the University of Queensland (Brisbane)

    • Future nodes include:
  • James Cook University - Cairns
  • VPAC (Melbourne)

    • Access Grid Node Description

    An Access Grid room consists of a large tiled projector display (usually three projectors), two or three cameras, two or three microphones and computer hardware.

    All participants to an Access Grid session appear in windows projected onto the large screen. Additionally, documents from participants' laptop computers such as presentations,images, movies, spreadsheets, etc can be integrated into the meeting.

    Access Grid session at UQ with (clockwise from top left corner) between Dr Ian Atkinson (JCU - Townsville), Prof. K. Burrage, Dr N. Bordes and Rik Taylor (UQ - St Lucia), Prof. B. Pailthorpe and Queensland government representatives at QUT and Chris Willing (Sydney Vislab)

    SC Global Access Grid session in VisLab with Prof. B. Pailthorpe (director of Sydney VisLab) and Prof. J. O'Callaghan (APAC)
    (picture courtesy of Sydney VisLab)

    Research and Opportunities

    For more information, please contact:
    Bernard Pailthorpe, bap@acmc.uq.edu.au
    Nicole Bordes, nb@acmc.uq.edu.au

    Access Grid @ UQ
    Information Tech. & Electrical Eng. Building
    Node operator: Rik Taylor, taylor@itee.uq.edu.au