Information Technologies:
Research in the field of information technologies has been conducted at AGH-UST since the 1960s and it constitutes one of the most important and still developing areas of science and research. In general, two research groups can be distinguished: research connected with the direct development of information technologies, and research into creative applications of information technologies in other areas of science and technology. The first group is instrumental in nature, which means it serves the development of models, algorithms, methods, and information technologies and systems. This research can be classified into three main disciplines: Information Technology, Telecommunications and Electronics, which are mainly dealt with at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics. On the other hand, the use of information technologies is applicable to practically every field of technology, and therefore it is reflected in the scientific and research activity of nearly all AGH-UST faculties: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science. Taking into consideration the layered structure of each information system, we will begin the presentation relating to the development of information technologies with hardware (electronics) and then proceed to software (telecommunications and information technology).
Research into hardware is conducted mainly at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics: designing customised Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), multi-processor architectures, hardware-based acceleration of computational processes, construction of Field Programmable Gate Array systems (FPGA), Radio-Frequency Identification systems (RFID), designing and construction of specialised detectors and (distributed) detection systems, designing the implementation of control systems (Programmable Logistic Controllers and specialised controllers).
In a traditional approach, the domain of telecommunications is the intermediate layer, which performs the function of communication (in the broad sense of the word) between particular nodes. In this important area of information technologies, the following studies are conducted: 4th generation wired and wireless networks, 4th generation Internet, new generation optical networks, 3D Internet television, enabling quality services in different types of networks, recovering information, and reliability of modern telecommunications networks.
Research on the development of new information technologies can be classified into the following subject areas: systems based on the SOA paradigm (Service Oriented Architectures), agent technologies, grid systems, visualization systems, virtual organizations and virtual reality, software based on the particular features of different forms of knowledge presentation (ontologies, boards and tables), systems of recognizing and understanding images, systems of automatic translation of natural languages, real-time operating systems. The listed areas determine the main research subjects, which are shaped differently in the practical application of information systems. These systems are embedded in different environments, which frequently determine the specific character of the solutions applied. There exist numerous practical applications such as: Centre of Telemedicine, intelligent systems of multimedia indexing and monitoring, systems of secure information exchange, specialised databases and data warehouses, support systems for public administration.
In practical terms, each information system is relative to its environment. The special character of the environment can influence the system structure, and frequently requires the construction of a suitable interface. A classic example can be the systems of detectors, mentioned in the hardware section, but it is also necessary to remember about other applications, where the software layer is usually complex: voice communication, optical feedback, and the issues of specialised measurement and monitoring systems for medicine.
Building an information system frequently requires the modelling, analysis and development of control, management, co-ordination and other algorithms. These subject areas are included in the application of system and control theories. The Departments of Automatics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics, and the Faculty of Mechanical Science and Robotics offer the possibilities (and wide experience) of carrying out relevant studies and research works.
The above-mentioned research areas in the field of information technologies are widely reflected in international research projects (framework programmes), as well as Polish programmes (development projects, projects within the framework of the Innovative Economy Programme), numerous assignments and studies for information technology firms and companies, other business entities, and local and national administrative bodies.
With reference to one of the above statements, the applications of information technologies are present in the scientific and research works of nearly all AGH-UST faculties. This review encompasses only some selected applications, in which information technology works and projects predominate the research which is typical of a particular application area. Examples are the designing and implementation of dedicated mechatronic systems (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics, and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics), the issues of controlling robots (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics, and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics), information systems based on the Geographic Information System (Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics), as well as modelling and visualisation systems for technological processes (Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics, and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics). In conclusion, a rich offer of AGH-UST in the field of information technologies enables us to create and shape various research and scientific projects. These projects can be directed towards businesses operating in the fields of information technology, electronics and telecommunications. Rich and complementary expertise in each of the mentioned areas enables a comprehensive development of suitable systems, beginning with the analysis and modelling of phenomena, through the development of algorithms and the construction of suitable equipment (including the interface), to the implementation of a communicative layer and suitable system/ user software. Moreover, numerous application studies enable the natural creation of interdisciplinary teams, where specialist technologists collaborate with automation engineers and computer programmers. Due to mutual interaction, the effect of synergy is created, which allows to achieve new results both in a particular area of application, and in the field of information technologies.
