Research

Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have made new breakthroughs that could help further revolutionise solar technology and make it more efficient and more accessible. The researchers have been concentrating on the solar cell’s skin layer, which is 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, and is used to conduct electricity and protect the … Continue reading ANU research at the forefront of solar technology →

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly growing in the workplace. However, to take full advantage of AI opportunities, businesses need to overcome lingering doubts from their customers and employees, according to new research from Genpact. The second edition of Genpact’s research series, AI 360: insights from the next frontier of business, explores perceptions … Continue reading New research shows Australia behind on adoption of AI →

A lecturer at Deakin University’s School of Engineering has been named a Superstar of STEM in a new national program that promotes the achievements of women in the sector. Dr Ellen Moon, a lecturer in environmental engineering, was welcomed into Science and Technology Australia’s 2019-20 Superstars of STEM Program by the federal industry, science and … Continue reading Deakin Uni engineering lecturer recognised as STEM “superstar” →

A researcher from The Australian National University (ANU) has taken on the role of president of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP). Professor Jodie Bradby is just the second woman to hold the position, after being nominated by her colleagues. She will spend two years in the top job. Bradb said she was keen to … Continue reading New president of the Australian Institute of Physics announced →

Nominations are now open for this year’s Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, which recognises Australia’s top scientists, innovators and science teachers. Nominations close on 12 March, with $750,000 in prize money to be distributed across seven categories. The main prizes for Science and Innovation are each worth $250,000. Five other prizes of $50,000 each recognise … Continue reading Nominations open for Prime Minister’s Science Prizes →

Western Australia is to host a major space technologies symposium that will bring together internationally recognised academic, industry and defence leaders to explore and shape the long-term vision for space technologies. Four universities – Edith Cowan University, Curtin University, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia – will co-host the Emerging and Disruptive Technology … Continue reading Western Australia to host space technologies symposium →

The University of NSW Sydney has signed a $3 million deal with renewables asset manager Providence Asset Group (PAG) as part of a 10-year commitment to joint research and collaboration in sustainable energy technologies. PAG has made an initial investment of $500,000 to support renewables technology research at UNSW through the UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute … Continue reading UNSW to collaborate on renewable energy research →

A research team led by Columbia University has developed a new method to finely tune adjacent layers of graphene to induce superconductivity, providing new insights into the underlying physics of the material. The team’s study was published in the January 24 issue of Science. Cory Dean, assistant professor of physics at Columbia and the study’s … Continue reading Researchers unlock graphene’s superconductivity →

The Western Australian government has awarded $330,000 to 11 PhD fellowship winners working on innovative STEM projects. The funding for the Science Industry Fellowship program comes out of the state goverment’s $16.7 million New Industries Fund, which aims at supporting new businesses and diversifying the Western Australian economy. Among the projects that are being funded … Continue reading WA government provides funds for STEM research projects →

RMIT researchers have developed technology that is able to detect emotions in human speech, enabling more natural conversations with robots. Current voice-activated technology used in virtual assistants is limited by its ability to decipher human emotions, causing it to provide irrelevant responses or miss the point of some conversations entirely. But a team of researchers … Continue reading New technology to help robots detect emotion in human speech →

The global engineering project to develop fusion energy, ITER, is now 60 per cent complete, with scientists from around the world attending the latest coordinating committee of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) in France. International fusion researchers, including Dr Richard Garrett from Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, attended the meeting. It was the first time … Continue reading Australian researchers attend meeting on world’s largest fusion energy project →

Scientists have developed a 3D-printed robotic hand which can play simple musical phrases on the piano by just moving its wrist. The robot hand, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, was made by 3D-printing soft and rigid materials together to replicate of all the bones and ligaments — but not the muscles or … Continue reading Researchers develop 3D-printed piano-playing robot →

Australia’s first ambassador for Women in STEM, astrophysicist Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, is to join UNSW as Professor of Practice in Science Communication. UNSW has also been named the host organisation for her Women in STEM ambassador role. Harvey-Smith, an award-winning astrophysicist with 15 years’ experience conducting and publishing fundamental astrophysics research at universities and research … Continue reading Women in STEM ambassador to launch 10-year plan at UNSW →

A Curtin University PhD project developed in collaboration with back-up power equipment, Magellan Power, has led to the development of a sky imaging product that can help mitigate the effects of passing clouds of solar power generation. PhD student Mojtaba Saleh worked with Magellan Power to develop the “Sky Eye Solar Smoother”, which uses real-time … Continue reading Research develops sky-imaging technology to bolster solar power →

New research from the CSIRO explores the possibility of making robots that emulate evolutionary adaptation so they are better able to respond to their environments. The paper, authored by researchers from CSIRO’s Active Integrated Matter Future Science Platform (AIM FSP) and published in Nature: Machine Intelligence, argues that robots could eventually be designed to display … Continue reading Adaptability to be key for future robots, study argues →

An international team of researchers led by The Australian National University (ANU) is contributing to the development of a safe data superhighway for a future quantum internet and its artificial intelligence and communication potential. The researchers are exploring the potentials of storing data in light particles, which can store vast amounts of information. “The light … Continue reading ANU research exploring data storage potential of light particles →

Researchers have found that the topological material trisodium bismuthide (Na3Bi) can be manufactured to be as ‘electronically smooth’ as the highest-quality graphene-based alternative, while maintaining graphene’s high electron mobility. Na3Bi is a Topological Dirac Semimetal (TDS), considered a 3D equivalent of graphene in that it shows the same extraordinarily high electron mobility. In graphene, as … Continue reading Electronically smooth 3D graphene →

As exploding batteries in mobile phones, computers and headphones continue to make headlines, researchers at Swinburne’s Centre for Micro-Photonics are one step closer to producing commercially viable, chemical-free, long-lasting, safe batteries.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s 2015 National Innovation and Science Agenda was a call to arms for Australia’s research and industry sectors to collaborate and drive our economy. One and a half years on, you’d be excused for thinking a few pages of notes were missing from Budget 2017. Specifically no comment was made about the … Continue reading Budget 2017: a glimmer of support for innovation and advanced manufacturing →

B&R has expanded its range of automation-ready Panel PCs with a new series of widescreen formats ranging from 7″ WVGA to 24″ Full HD.