A $3.5 million Australian Army project to develop a convoy of autonomous trucks that use technology to ‘follow the leader’, reducing the need for troops and the risks they face, has successfully completed a series of road trials. The autonomous leader-follower vehicle technology, using modified Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles–Australia (RMMV-A) trucks, was developed under a contract…
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finally struck a deal with the Nationals and is expected to take a pledge of net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 to the Glasgow climate conference. So what must Australia do to actually meet this target?
By Rachel Bolton One of the great joys of scientific innovation is looking at an existing technology and envisioning a completely novel application outside its original purpose. Quasar Satellite Technologies is a rather elegant example of just that. The new Australian startup is reimagining the application of phased array feeds, originally designed for astronomy and space…
Brisbane communications manufacturer EM Solutions has launched a new satellite communications Antenna Diversity System (ADS) which it claims offers a step change in the resilience of naval communications for ships at sea. The company, a subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems, has completed development of its new system by achieving Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification, allowing…
Composites specialist Quickstep Holdings has announced a manufacturing partnership with UAV logistics company Swoop Aero and a stake in Swoop’s parent company, Kookaburra Aerospace. Quickstep said in a statement that a contract with an initial order value of $1.5 million would see them provide engineering and manufacturing services, as well as an initial production run…
The Australian-made rover expected to land on the moon later this decade should get there on an Australian-made rocket, according to a local space company which says it could build the spacecraft and help inspire the next generation of Australian aeronautical engineers.
Venture-backed Sydney company Baraja has announced a multi-year, high-volume commercial deal with Hitachi Construction Machinery, which will see its products used in some of the world’s largest mines.
By Peter Roberts For several decades Australia has a series of ‘car plans’ that succeeded in reducing model proliferation in what was once a highly protected industry, creating a sector which was technologically advanced and, with the subsidy of the plan, profitable for the surviving companies Ford GM and Totoya. It made an important contribution…
Battery and electric vehicle technology company 3ME technology has been revealed as the first investment of the Australian Business Growth Fund, a joint partnership between the federal government and Australia’s major financial institutions. Based in the Hunter region, 3ME Technology will receive $15 million from the fund, which was established in 2020 and provided an…
Finalists for two competitions have been announced this week, with manufacturers in the running to win awards at the InnovationAus 2021 Awards and Australian Technologies Competition (ATC21.) The InnovationAus Awards include 11 categories. The Advanced Manufacturing finalists are: – Bodd, an additive manufacturing start-up using 3D printing, body scanning and SaaS technology to reinvent fashion;…