An international research team led by The Australian National University (ANU) has made a new type of silicon that better uses sunlight and promises to cut the cost of solar technology. The researchers say their world-first invention could help reduce the costs of renewable electricity below that of existing coal power stations, as well as […]
Part-Organic Invention Can Be Used in Bendable Mobile Phones
Engineers at ANU have invented a semiconductor with organic and inorganic materials that can convert electricity into light very efficiently, and it is thin and flexible enough to help make devices such as mobile phones bendable. The invention also opens the door to a new generation of high-performance electronic devices made with organic materials that will be […]
New Intelligent System Learns From Simple Problems To Solve Complex Ones
Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have designed a new type of intelligent system based on deep learning that can learn to solve decision-making problems, including problems more complex than it has been trained to solve. Deep learning is a popular artificial intelligence technique for tasks such as creating captions to describe images, transcribing […]
Shatter-Proof Mobile Phone Screens a Step Closer
An international study on glass led by The Australian National University (ANU) and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France could lead to the development of shatter-proof mobile phone screens. Lead researcher Charles Le Losq from ANU said the new knowledge, based on experiments and computer modelling, could be used to alter […]
Physicists Design a Device Inspired by Sonic Screwdriver
Physicists have designed a handheld device inspired by the sonic screwdriver in Doctor Who and the tricorder in Star Trek that will use the power of MRI and mass spectrometry to perform a chemical analysis of objects. The sonic screwdriver is a tool used in Doctor Who to scan and identify matter, among other functions, […]
Sci-Fi Holograms a Step Closer with ANU Invention
Physicists from The Australian National University (ANU) have invented a tiny device that creates the highest quality holographic images ever achieved, opening the door to imaging technologies seen in science fiction movies such as Star Wars. Lead researcher Lei Wang said the team created complex holographic images in infrared with the invention that could be […]
‘Ghost Imaging’ With Atoms Demonstrated
A team of physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) has used a technique known as ‘ghost imaging’ to create an image of an object from atoms that never interact with it. This is the first time that ghost imaging has been achieved using atoms, although it has previously been demonstrated with light, leading to […]
Archaeologists Use Drones To Trial Virtual Reality
Archaeologists at The Australian National University (ANU) and Monash University are conducting a trial of new technology to build a 3D virtual-reality map of one of Asia’s most mysterious sites – the Plain of Jars in Laos. Researcher Dr Dougald O’Reilly from the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology said the technology, known as CAVE2™ […]
World’s Thinnest Lens to Revolutionize Cameras
Scientists have created the world’s thinnest lens, one two-thousandth the thickness of a human hair, opening the door to flexible computer displays and a revolution in miniature cameras. Lead researcher Dr Yuerui (Larry) Lu from The Australian National University (ANU) said the discovery hinged on the remarkable potential of the molybdenum disulphide crystal. “This type […]
Experiment Confirms Quantum Theory Weirdness
The bizarre nature of reality as laid out by quantum theory has survived another test, with scientists performing a famous experiment and proving that reality does not exist until it is measured. Physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) have conducted John Wheeler’s delayed-choice thought experiment, which involves a moving object that is given the […]