Innovations

When you think of mining, you think of breaking rocks. You think big rocks, you think danger. In the interest of safety and through-put, Australian mining engineers have come up with Rocklogic - a system which remotely controls these huge hydraulic rock-breaker machines that weigh-in at ten tonnes. 

New products from insect silk – from bees, ants and spiders. Australian research  is about to be commercialised. 

A user-friendly blood test that spells out your blood type on special bio-reactive paper was inspired by a scene from a Harry Potter film. 

How more than three-thousand Argo floats are bobbing around our oceans – avoiding pirates in some seas – as they check on the health of our oceans.

While Omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit cancer from spreading, can we eat enough foods containing Omega-3 to give our bodies protection?

An Australian company has developed a high-yield enclosed algae growth and harvesting system that can grow algae on an industrial scale and produce biofuels.  Algae.Tec is now undertaking biofuels projects in Australia, Sri Lanka and China.  They also have an understanding with the European airline Lufthansa for the development of aviation biofuels. 

Cartilage repair gel for sporting injuries gets a leg-up.

We take a look at a solar desalination project growing vegetables in the driest state in Australia.

Every day we wage a constant battle against bacteria with bacterial wipes, hand sanitisers and antiseptic sprays. But now, another weapon is on the horizon in the guise of a portable flashlight.

Here’s Desley Blanch to flash us an insight into zapping bacteria with plasma.

Diabetes is the world's fastest growing chronic disease and according to the United Nations it is the major health crisis facing all nations of the world.

But now there is a tiny diagnostic sensor developed by an Australian company to help sufferers better control their condition.

An Australian technology start-up aims to make reporting of website faults easier and more visual for non tech-savvy people.

Inspiring women to become engineers is Marita Cheng's goal - herself an engineering student. Appalled and surprised at the lack of interest by young girls in technology and engineering, Marita determined to change that, and to not just encourage young girls in Australia but with young girls the world over.

So she founded Robogals.  

More than 1 billion people around the world use kerosene lamps and other basic fuels for lighting, many of which also run the risk of sparking fires and emitting hazardous fumes.

Australian scientists have genetically modified a banana that is now rich in iron. The technology has now been shared with Indian scientists and farmers to help address the country's nutrient deficiencies, particularly in poorer rural areas.

Wheat that's tolerant to salt and developed in Australia may aid food security into the future.

Imagine your runners imbedded with your emotions. That's the next level in personalised sporting goods. 

Desley Blanch discovered how it's done and why and to her great relief no shoes burst into tears.

After ten years of research the smallest transistor has been built; the nano-sized device is a breakthrough which confirms another step on the road to making computers a billion times faster than they are today.

How do you keep up-to-date with a seabed and in particular the Ningaloo Reef, a heritage-listed site off Australia's west coast?

Answer:  You call on Sirius - again.

A vaccine for Alzheimer's has been demonstrated to slow memory loss in mice and see them regain fitness and activity.

Melbourne researchers think they're closer to understanding why some cancers spread through the body.