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New public transport app for people with low vision

Electrical engineer Santiago Velasquez has helped to develop an app that could make riding public transport significantly more accessible.

While attending university in Brisbane, Velasquez, who has a vision impairment, would regularly catch the bus with his guide dog Trey.

“Queensland is always very hot,” Velasquez explained. “Trey has little booties that protect his paws from the heat, but he doesn’t love it — and the booties aren’t great anyway because dogs sweat through their paws.

“So I would put him in the shade, then stand out in the sun at the bus stop and start hailing. Often, though, I would get left behind by the bus. I knew there had to be a better way — and that’s how Hailo started.”

Inside Australia’s new waste-to-energy facilities

Could producing power from incinerated garbage be good for the environment? Here’s how companies are adopting waste-to-energy technology.

The city of Copenhagen is a picturesque metropolis that spreads over a series of natural and artificial islands along Øresund strait. Residents enjoy a high quality of life, in an easily navigable urban environment recognised globally for its environmental sustainability.

One local attraction enjoyed by residents of this bustling Scandinavian burg is the Amager Resource Centre (ARC), a facility in the neighbourhood of Amager East where residents can ski down a grassy slope, enjoy public gardens and make use of a climbing wall.

But ARC’s principal reason for existence has nothing to do with recreation. The primary responsibility of this facility, nestled in the Danish suburbs, is burning garbage.

New Master’s course for migrant engineers

New course aims to address the acute shortage of engineers in Australia through hands-on industry experience.

By 2040, Australia will have a shortage of 200,000 engineers, potentially undermining vital infrastructure and construction projects, as well as sapping economic growth.

That’s the warning from Nicolette Barnard, owner of IgniteXellence Business Consulting, who blames the situation on the increasing pace of digitalisation and the needs of a growing population.

“In the future, we’ll need so many more engineers,” she said. “But there are too many barriers to entry for those who are coming here from overseas. Some firms ask for ‘relevant experience’, which usually means experience in Australia.

Five key AI skills engineers need right now

Australia faces a shortage of 200,000 engineers by 2040. Here’s how the profession can keep up with changing industry demands.

Australia will experience a shortage of 200,000 engineers by 2040, according to projections by Professionals Australia, a situation that could threaten economic growth and jeopardise infrastructure projects.

Already, 70% of engineers are born overseas, a number that would inevitably rise if suitable local candidates cannot be found.

To harness the many opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) will open up, there are five main skills that engineers will need to learn, according to Robert Malkin, Senior Director at the infrastructure engineering software company Bentley Systems.

“AI can be an incredible assistant for engineers that unlocks new possibilities and helps find solutions to the many challenges society faces such as an ageing population and increasing pressures towards achieving net-zero emissions,” he said.

“So, we’re excited about finding out what’s possible and embracing developments like intelligent infrastructure to help build a better world and improve lives.”

Bringing a cultural precinct back to life

A run-down public space has been transformed into an urban playground integrated with some of Adelaide’s most important building assets.

How a run-down high-profile public space has transformed into a creative urban playground integrated with some of Adelaide’s most important building assets.

Not long ago, in the heart of Adelaide along the Riverbank, sat a large, dilapidated and underutilised space that people avoided walking through.

The block, built back in the 1970s, occupied prime real estate — sitting between Parliament House, the casino and the Adelaide Festival Center. But the existing carpark and plaza on the site were outdated and had fallen into disrepair.

Seeing an opportunity to revitalise the site over a decade ago, the State Government, in collaboration with developer Walker Corporation, commenced works on a masterplan for the site.

createdigital.org.au/top-engineering-projects-2023/

From the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project to micro-spikes that skewer bacteria and fungi, here are six innovative engineering projects we covered in 2023.

Innovation can arise from the most unexpected of places, and engineering projects don’t always end up where it’s thought they would at the start.

This year has seen numerous projects in construction, biotechnology, waste management and more that have pushed the boundary of possibility in Australia and abroad.

Here are six engineering projects underway or completed in 2023 that showcase the innovation, problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking evident across the engineering profession.

A mission to plant seeds on the moon

A group of scientists and engineers is creating a hyperbaric chamber to prove that growing plants on the lunar surface is possible.

The Australian Lunar Experiment Promoting Horticulture (ALEPH) project, led by start-up Lunaria One, has received $3.6 million from the Australian government to investigate if plants can grow on the lunar surface.

Seeds will be transported to the moon in a specially designed, shoebox-sized chamber aboard a lunar lander scheduled for a mission as early as 2025.