New Atlas

Drones Audio available

Infrared drones spot koalas better than people

Ben Coxworth March 1, 2019

Although drones have already been used to count animals such as seals, doing so isn't that difficult, as the creatures typically lie right out in the open. Now, however, scientists have used the aircraft to count koalas that are hidden in amongst the leaves and branches of eucalyptus trees.

Dr. Sandra Johnson and Dr. Grant Hamilton with one of the drones

Marine Audio available

"LarvalBot" underwater robot delivers first batch of coral babies to the Great Barrier Reef

David Szondy December 13, 2018

A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) team has developed the "LarvalBot" underwater robot that, for the first time, has succeeded in reseeding damaged areas of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with heat tolerant baby coral polyps to help combat the effects of predators and climate change.

The "LarvalBot" undersea robot has dispersed microscopic baby corals (coral larvae) to help scientists working to ...

Outdoors

Soft-bodied ski helmet hardens when taking hits

Ben Coxworth December 10, 2018

Whether you call them beanies, tuques or simply wool hats, a lot of downhill skiers wear the things instead of helmets, as they're so much more comfortable. Well, that's why the ANTI Ordinary A1 was created. It's usually soft and pliable, but hardens to protect the head upon impact.

The A1 contains an inner layer of non-Newtonian fluids

Medical

Cell-laden contact lens being developed to treat eye injuries

Ben Coxworth November 2, 2018

Currently, if someone has a damaged cornea (the surface of the eye), it's covered with a "bandage" made from the amniotic membrane of human placentas. While this helps repair the eye, an Australian scientist is developing what he believes may be a better alternative – a wound-healing contact lens.

A conventional scleral contact lens, this one used to treat dry eye

Marine

Underwater drone watches over reefs – and kills coral-destroying starfish

Ben Coxworth September 1, 2018

It's no secret that the world's coral reefs are in trouble, and unfortunately scuba divers can only do so much in the way of monitoring or protecting them. Scientists in Australia, however, have developed an autonomous underwater drone that could be of great help.

The RangerBot can monitor and protect reefs for up to eight hours at atime

Environment

QUT deploys high-tech "message in a bottle" to fight floods and pollution in river systems

Matt Kennedy July 23, 2018

It may look like a discarded piece of plumbing or a message in a bottle bobbing about aimlessly in the river, but Queensland University of Technology's humble "Drifter" hides some serious kit with a lifesaving mission for flood-prone regions.

A Drifter device, about to be deployed in a Brisbane river

Robotics

New method improves robots' grasping capabilities

Ben Coxworth June 26, 2018

Robots that pick up and move objects (such as on assembly lines) may be useful, but they're typically only programmed to grasp specific types of objects that are placed in a specific orientation. Now, however, scientists have devised a method of allowing them to be more versatile.

The system allows robots to grasp individual items from a cluttered and moving collection

Biology

How hardy volcanic microbes helped track down an anti-aging "superhero" protein

Michael Irving May 16, 2018

Scientists studying tough microbes called archaea may have uncovered the key to an anti-aging drug. By manipulating a “super hero” protein, the researchers found a way to “trick” cells into acting younger by keeping the DNA repairing process running much longer than usual.

Hardy microbes that make their home in volcanic pools may hold the key to a new ...

Biology

New imaging technique reveals how dragonfly wings tear bacteria apart

Alayna Hansen February 11, 2018

Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have used a new technique to produce detailed images of dragonfly wings, showing more than 10 billion tiny 'fingers' (nanostructures) lining the wing surface that make bacteria tear themselves apart.

A new imaging technique has revealed how dragonfly wings get their antibacterial properties

Medical

Anti-anxiety drug found to undo some of alcohol's ill effects on the brain

Michael Irving February 8, 2018

Researchers have discovered a surprising secondary function for an existing drug. Tandospirone is used to treat anxiety and depression, but now Australian researchers have found that it can “reboot” the brain to reverse some of the negative effects of heavy alcohol consumption.

Australian researchers have found that an anti-anxiety drug may be able to reverse damage caused by ...