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Engineering posts

Build your own automatic fishing machine Activity

by David Shaw, 22 June 2022 | 0 comments

Illustration of a fish trap with netting across the river.

Here’s a chance to create your own automatic fishing machine inspired by Aboriginal engineering. Automatic fishing machines were, and may still be, used by Aboriginal people to catch fish in shallow waters. This activity is based on a fishing machine invented by Aboriginal engineers and used near the Murray River.

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Make a jumping jack Activity

by David Shaw, 12 May 2022 | 0 comments

Cardboard robot toy with moving arms and legs

This cardboard doll loves to leap! It takes a bit of crafting, but the results will make you jump for joy.

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Super jumping robot News

by David Shaw, 11 May 2022 | 3 comments

Jumping robot features two intercepting hoops with a small rocket on the top.

What on Earth can jump the highest? Olympic high jumpers can clear more than 2 metres. Pumas might be the best animals at jumping, able to leap 7 metres into a tree. But a team of researchers from the USA have just made a robot that jumps higher than any animal!

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Circular fibres student pitchathon News

by Fiona Midson, 6 April 2022 | 0 comments

Circular fibres pitchathon

There’s a lot of waste in how we make, use and dispose of clothes. CSIRO is looking for ideas to make fibre and materials more sustainable, and build a recycling, environmentally friendly, circular fibre industry.

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Meet Dr Keith Bannister: astronomer and engineer News

by David Shaw, 11 November 2021 | 0 comments

Photo of Keith Bannister sitting in front of a computer screen.

By Rachel Rayner Dr Keith Bannister knew from an early age he wanted to do something technical with his life. The bedroom floor of his childhood home was usually littered with wires, screws, nuts and bolts.

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Make The Dish! Activity

by David Shaw, 4 November 2021 | 0 comments

Paper model of radio telescope with starry background.

By David Shaw and Domonkos Szabo The Parkes radio telescope, turned 60 this week! To celebrate, why not make a model of The Dish?

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Australia wins a million at the ‘Robot Olympics’ News

by David Shaw, 30 September 2021 | 2 comments

exploring caves is all in a day's work for this robot! Image: CSIRO

CSIRO’s robotics scientists have a lot to celebrate. They were part of a team that represented Australia in one of the world’s hardest robotics competitions, the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. And they just won silver (and a million dollars).

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Spiders use stretchy silk to lift large loads News

by David Shaw, 12 February 2021 | 0 comments

A redback spider with a small lizard trapped in its web

Imagine you’re a tangle-web spider, and you’ve just snared a nice big critter for dinner. Sounds great, huh? Except there’s a problem. Dinner is 50 times heavier than you, and it’s trying to escape. What’s a spider to do?

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15 activity ideas for young makers Activity

by David Shaw, 24 April 2020 | 1 comments

Pipeleaner and string construction.

You might be stuck at home, but there’s still plenty to make and do! Here are some of our favourite activity ideas for young makers.

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Airbag bang Poem

by Jasmine Fellows, 5 December 2019 | 1 comments

Inflated airbag and manequin

Written by Celia Berrell A small steel ball in a short smooth tube held in place by a spring, is the kind of switch that works in a twitch and starts an exploding thing.

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Double helix cover

Double Helix

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