By Peter Layton, Griffith University The United States military plans to start using thousands of autonomous weapons systems in the next two years in a bid to counter China’s growing power, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced in a speech on Monday. The so-called Replicator initiative aims to work with defence and other…
Inspections of 19 Gippsland dairy farms have found 85 per cent non-compliance in dairy effluent management, according to EPA Victoria. The high level of non-compliance was in spite of “ongoing communications with the industry” about effluent management, the agency said, as well as “surprising and disappointing.” Jessica Bandiera. EPA Gippsland Regional Manager, said that, “Maintaining…
Engineering and systems integration company SYPAQ’s unique cardboard drones are in service in Ukraine, and even took part in a recent bombing raid of Russian airports according to some media reports. The company’s Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System (PPDS) can launch, fly up to 120km and land by itself, delivering supplies or providing a low-cost…
An RMIT University team has shown promising results from insect-inspired “microscale spikes” for titanium implants and other surfaces, demonstrating drug-free anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. According to a statement from the university, the features on the “micro-pillared titanium surface pattern” were about the height of a bacteria cell and designed to address drug-resistant “superbugs” which are…
The federal and Western Australian governments have signed a landmark agreement to expand and modernise electricity grids in Perth, the South West and the North West Pilbara region. The Commonwealth-Western Australia Rewiring the Nation deal will bolster WA’s energy security in preparation for increasing use of renewable energy and battery storage. It will be backed…
Plant-based and dairy milk manufacturer MILKLAB has used its stand at the Melbourne International Coffee Exhibition (MICE) to showcase a novel sustainable building material made from recycled waste including long-life milk cartons and coffee cups. The new-look MILKLAB Lane stand at MICE this month incorporated cafes and coffee carts and a stand that was made…
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has announced it will purchase new, smart sea mines, which will reinvigorate Defence’s maritime mining capability, and are deployable from submarines, ships and aircraft, according to an announcement. Following evaluation of market options last year, Defence selected RWM Italia (pictured) to provide the capability under a multi-million-dollar contract – the…
Nutrition and wellness company Fixx Nutrition has announced that it will double production at its new factory on the Gold Coast, citing increased local and international demand, including an upcoming launch in the South African market. In a statement on Tuesday, the Burleigh Heads-based business said it had been on a “rapid growth trajectory” with…
Professional body Weld Australia recently launched a new set of educational material, the Manufacturing and Engineering Training Package, delivered online and including 12 welding and fabrication units of competency. According to a statement on Tuesday from Weld Australia, the MEM package is delivered at a “time, place and pace” that suits the student, and “reimagines…
The Department of Defence has selected Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) as the strategic partner to steward AIR6500 Phase 1 (AIR6500-1) – the delivery of a new Joint Air Battle Management System (JABMS). The system will be the architecture at the core of the Australian Defence Force’s future Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) capability. The…
