From the earliest cave paintings, to songs handed down through generations, various forms of media have allowed civilisations to communicate among individuals and between groups of people.  Over the centuries and through advancements such as the printing press and radio, media became accessible to more and more people.   Today, the internet is one of the most pervasive communication technologies in the world.  Its unique ability to allow communication both to and from a user and facilitate a non-hierarchical information structure, has allowed it to become a key enabler for the “New Media” evolution

This paper aims to ascertain the current state of the new media industry, highlight where there are opportunities for innovation and indicate the potential players in this space.

The University of Queensland’s Solar Racing Team has performed quite well in competition in the past, using relatively inefficient and unreliable electrical systems.  This thesis focussed on the optimisation of two of the systems in the car – the sensors and associated signal conditioning and the power supply. For signal conditioning, the system created measures all the required parameters around the vehicle, including voltages, currents, temperatures and speeds. It does so, with an accuracy of better than 1% while also maintaining a very high reliability. The power supply unit created powers all the electronics of the car, by stepping down the main battery voltage of 120V. Its maximum load rating is 10W. The unit achieved a top efficiency of 89% at maximum load, with an efficiency above 80% over its most used range, by implementing synchronous rectification and a variable frequency scheme. With enhancements, it is envisioned that the efficiency could well exceed 90%.