RMIT University

PhD student Mohammad Taha with a sample of coated glass

Materials

Ultra-thin coating makes "dumb" glass smart

There are already "smart glass" windows that can be tinted to block the sun's hot rays, thus reducing the need to run air-conditioning systems. Such systems still require electricity, however. Now, scientists have developed a coating that allows existing glass to become smart … no power required.

Discarded cigarette butts could soon be locked away inside asphalt roads and paths

Environment

Asphalt made of cigarette butts paves the road to less litter

The 6 trillion cigarettes produced every year generate over 1.2 million tonnes of toxic butt litter in the environment. Now, researchers at RMIT University in Australia have found a new way to safely dispose of cigarette butts: seal them up inside roads and paths.

The capsule makes real-time "gas reports" from within the gut

Medical

Electronic gut-checking capsule tested on humans

A couple of years ago, scientists developed a swallowable electronic capsule that measures concentrations of intestinal gases, and transmits that data to a smartphone. It's now been tested on humans for the first time.

$A new electrode design, inspired by the fractal pattern of veins in a fern leaf, could boost the energy capacity of supercapacitors 30 times over$

Energy

Fern-leaf inspires electrode for high density solar energy storage

Made from graphene and with a fern-inspired fractal structure, engineers at RMIT University have developed a new prototype electrode that could enable solar harvesting and storage systems that are thin, flexible and have high capacity.

VicHyper, a team of university students from Melbourne, Australia, has unveiled their entry into SpaceX's Hyperloop Pod Competition, and described what goes into designing and building it

Urban Transport

Aussie engineers unveil their entry in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

SpaceX isn't building the Hyperloop itself, but it’s playing a big part in getting it off the ground by hosting a pod design competition. To find out what goes into creating a Hyperloop pod, we spoke to VicHyper, one of 30 teams whose design was selected to be built and tested in January next year.

Scientists from the CSIRO, working jointly with researchers from RMIT University and QUT, have created a salt bath pre-process that promises to vastly improve lithium-based battery life and performance

Energy

A salty battery bath to combat EV range anxiety

Australian researchers have found that pre-treating lithium electrodes in a special salt bath decreases the breakdown of the electrodes and boosts performance and battery life so markedly it could bring an end to range anxiety for drivers of electric vehicles.

Incorporating cigarette butts into bricks can help reduce litter as well as energy costs

Good Thinking

Can cigarette butt-bricks build a better environment?

What if we could get rid of cigarette butt litter by using them to make bricks? A team at RMIT University in Australia tried the idea out and found that not only could it reduce toxic waste, but also makes for better bricks.

The results of the trial are already contradicting our current understanding of how diet affects intestinal gases

Medical

Intestinal gas-sensing smart capsule proves effective in early testing

A team of scientists has conducted the first-ever trials of a smart capsule designed to improve our understanding of intestinal gas. With the ability to measure the amount of gas present in the gut, the capsule could one day lead to targeted, patient-specific treatments.

The team has previously explored the kestrel's ability to detect and make use of surrounding wind currents as a means of countering turbulence

Drones

Hovering kestrel inspires drone that gains altitude without using power

In working towards more efficient unmanned aircraft, Melbourne researchers have developed a fixed-wing sail-plane that uses updrafts to gain height, inspired by the ability of the kestrel falcon to hover while searching for prey on the ground.

A prototype nebulizer developed at RMIT could allow asthma, lung cancer, and diabetes patients to breathe easier, potentially replacing both inhalers and injections for many prescription drug treatments

Medical

Respite nebulizer may replace inhalers and injections for drug delivery

A prototype nebulizer developed at RMIT can deliver high doses more efficiently than inhalers, and it could be used instead of needles for new drug treatments such as DNA vaccines and stem cell therapy. The nebulizer could also replace inhalers for many asthma and lung cancer patients.

A cloud of nitrogen dioxide gas, released in a mine blast

Health & Wellbeing

Smartphones may soon detect air pollution

According to the World Health Organization, nitrogen dioxide (NO2)-based air pollution contributes to over 7 million deaths per year. Thanks to research being carried out at RMIT University, however, it may soon be possible to receive warnings of dangerous NO2 levels via a sensor in your smartphone.

Space

SkinSuit designed to reduce harmful physical effects of weightlessness tested on ISS

The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) got a fashion show with a medical twist last month as Denmark’s first astronaut, Andreas Mogensen, donned a SkinSuit designed to counteract the harmful effects of prolonged periods of weightlessness on the human body.