Research

One of the most significant space industry research concentrations in Australia, the new Cooperative Research Centre for Smart Satellite Technologies and Analytics – The SmartSat CRC – has been launched in South Australia. The new CRC is a national research powerhouse involving a $190 million investment in cash and in-kind from 82 research and industry … Continue reading New satellite CRC brings together leading Australian research and industry →

Swinburne University of Technology and its industry and research partners have been awarded $1 million of funding through the Global Innovation Linkages Program towards a $3.5 million project focused on Industry 4.0 manufacturing of high volume lightweight composites. The project will use a world-first process for 3D printing of industrial scale composites in Swinburne’s Industry … Continue reading Swinburne gets $1 million in funding for world-first industrial-scale 3D printing process →

New research findings show how engineering firms can make major gains in productivity and efficiency by reducing the often-considerable time-lag between the manufacture of components and checking their precision on a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). To ensure complete accuracy, CMMs are housed in a strictly temperature-controlled environment. But manufacturing processes often lead to big increases … Continue reading New temperature measurement technique boosts efficiency of component manufacture →

Fusion energy offers the possibility of a highly potent power source without waste and dangerous emissions, and with almost unlimited fuel. PACE speaks to physicist Richard Garrett about Australia’s role in a promising fusion project. Discussions about the best way forward for energy production and supply invariably centre on the pros and cons of renewable … Continue reading Powering into the future with fusion: Australian research and the ITER project →

A field robotics start-up based on technology created by the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics has received a $6.5 million investment from Australia’s longest running research commercialisation fund, Uniseed. Founded by University of Sydney Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, and 2019 NSW Australian of the Year nominee, Salah Sukkarieh, Agerris is … Continue reading Field robotics start-up receives $6.5 million investment →

A team of scientists from the Australian National University and The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) who represent Australia on the world’s largest engineering project, the ITER tokamak, has reported on its plasma diagnostics project. The report was presented to international panel for the Conceptual Design Review at an ITER meeting in France … Continue reading Australian ITER researchers report on plasma diagnostics project →

The federal government is seeking feedback to create guidelines that will shape how AI is developed and applied in Australia. A discussion paper, Artificial Intelligence: Australia’s Ethics Framework, by CSIRO’s Data61, has recently been released and is designed to encourage a conversation on how the nation develops and uses AI. The federal government said it … Continue reading Federal government seeking consultation on the ethics of AI →

The Western Australian government has announced the reappointment of the state’s Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken, for a further three years. Professor Klinken provides high-level, independent advice to the state government about matters that help shape the advancement of science and innovation. He works closely with the Science and Innovation Division in the Department of … Continue reading Peter Klinken reappointed as WA’s Chief Scientist →

Researchers have developed a new way of tracking sewage sludge flows during thermal treatment that could help engineers design better wastewater treatment plants and boost production of biogas. Researchers at RMIT University demonstrated how the flow behaviour of sludge can be used as a tool to gauge how quickly organic matter is dissolving at high … Continue reading RMIT study demonstrates new wastewater treatment tracking →

The Morrison government’s 2019-20 Budget contains some mixed news for Australia’s science and technology sector, providing boosted funding for women in STEM and the nation’s space sector alongside cuts to several research agencies and programs. $3.4 million in new funding will support women in STEM, and includes investment in the Science in Australia Gender Equity … Continue reading Budget a mixed bag for science and technology sector →

Two new research laboratories at RMIT University’s Melbourne City campus will focus on developing high-performance advanced materials and improving manufacturing and fabrication. Researchers will use the labs to improve solar cell technology, battery efficiency, magnesium implants for patients, and water sensing and purification. RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and Vice-President, Professor Calum Drummond, said … Continue reading New labs to push forward advanced materials and manufacturing research →

A new system devised by researchers at MIT can monitor the behaviour of all electric devices within a building, ship, or factory, determining which ones are in use at any given time and whether any are showing signs of an imminent failure. The new sensor, whose readings can be monitored on an easy-to-use graphic display … Continue reading Researchers develop cutting-edge sensor system for electrical systems →

A series of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) projects planned across five states could triple Australia’s electricity storage capacity, according to a new study by a researcher at The Australian National University (ANU). Professor Jamie Pittock says if the projects go ahead, they will accelerate our transition to renewable energy. “We’re talking about more than 20 … Continue reading Hydropower projects to boost electricity storage capacity →

A new sensor system, developed by researchers in Germany, is able to carefully control drying processes in industrial ovens and deliver reliable air humidity measurements at high temperatures and in the presence of other background vapours. Professor Andreas Schütze, project manager Tilman Sauerwald, and their research team at Saarland University have developed a sensor system … Continue reading Heat-resistant sensor system developed to monitor industrial ovens at high temperatures →

Researchers at Monash University are part of an international team that has developed a world-first blockchain system that can successfully defend malicious activity by attackers who possess more than half of the system’s computing power. The system, RepuCoin, introduces the concept of “reputation” to blockchain, effectively making it thousands of times more expensive to attack … Continue reading Researchers develop more secure blockchain system →

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) will collaborate with the NSW Department of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and researchers from the Australian National University, University of Sydney and University of Canberra on a project to use advanced laser cleaning on the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. The project, led by Professor Andrei Rode … Continue reading Advanced ultra-fast lasers to clean Sydney Harbour Bridge →

Researchers at UNSW Sydney, along with partners H2Store, have received a $3.5 million investment from Providence Asset Group to develop a first-of-its-kind hydrogen storage system that could mean cheaper, safer storage for renewable energy. Professor Kondo-Francois Aguey-Zinsou and his team at UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering have developed a unique system that provides cheap storage … Continue reading UNSW partners with industry to develop cheap hydrogen storage →

Researchers at the University of Sydney, Swinburne University of Technology and the Australian National University have collaborated to develop a solar absorbing, ultrathin film with unique properties that has great potential for use in solar thermal energy harvesting. The 90-nanometre material is 1000 times finer than a human hair and can be rapidly heated up … Continue reading Researchers develop new ultra-thin graphene material →

RMIT and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield have entered into a partnership that will see research collaboration and expertise exchange across advanced manufacturing and engineering. Under a memorandum of understanding formalised at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the two universities will jointly undertake industry-driven research that … Continue reading RMIT to collaborate with University of Sheffield in advanced manufacturing research →

Rechargeable lithium metal batteries with increased energy density, performance, and safety may be possible with a newly-developed, solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), according to new research. As the demand for higher-energy-density lithium metal batteries increases – for electric vehicles, smartphones, and drones – stability of the SEI has been a critical issue halting their advancement because a … Continue reading New research demonstrates better lithium battery performance →