University of Western Australia

Energy

Watch: Giant multibody wave energy converter flaps its way toward launch

If you find yourself in the Australian port city of Albany and spot a humongous yellow machine bobbing in the waves of King George Sound, don't be alarmed. It's just a generator prototype making a case for renewable wave energy.

The EZONE UWA Student Hub had a budget of AU$80 million (around US$57 million) and took two years to complete

Architecture

Sustainable learning hub keeps cool with math-inspired petal facade

Hassell has designed UWA's new Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences building. The project is defined by a shading screen of metal "petals." It also boasts sustainable technology, such as solar power and an advanced monitoring system.

A new rubber material can be healed by applying an amine catalyst

Materials

New recyclable rubber material repairs itself on demand

Imagine getting a flat tire, and just smearing on a chemical that makes the rubber meld seamlessly back together. That’s the kind of breakthrough researchers are now reporting, with a new material made of waste products and easily recyclable itself.

The WaveFlyer electric hydrofoil jetski is currently in the prototype stage of development

Boats and Watersports

WaveFlyer electric hydrofoil jetski rises above the water

Jetskis are a bit like motorbikes for the water. Hydrofoil boards and boats allow users to cut through and rise above the waves. The WaveFlyer merges the two, and throws in electric propulsion for a cleaner and quieter ride.

The setup stopped great white sharks from taking the bait 10 out of 10 times on their first approach, but this figure dropped to nine out of 10 on subsequent approaches

Good Thinking

Shark Shield electrical forcefield fends off 90% of attacks

A new study is throwing further weight behind an old idea of using electrical pulses to scare off sharks by overstimulating their senses, with a comprehensive study finding the Shark Shield can deter attacks 90 percent of the time.