With the rise of the digital age, we’re currently experiencing a global technological revolution having a significant impact on a range of industries as diverse as agriculture, construction and medical research. Thanks to innovations like autonomous machines, quantum computers and enhanced crops, efficiency levels in many industries that drive our society are on the rise, and this trend is not expected to stop anytime soon.
Australia stands at the forefront of this rapid advance in technology. The country is home to ingenious minds, who have made groundbreaking contributions to some of the most important inventions we’ve seen in recent years.
In this article, we’ll give you an overview of some of the top Australian tech innovations making a big impact on industries across the globe.
Autonomous Tractors
Aussie-made driverless tractors are making waves in the worldwide agricultural industry. These high-tech machines are equipped with autonomous steering capabilities, eliminating the need for a human driver. Autonomous tractors can also make decisions like where to plough or irrigate the soil thanks to their powerful built-in computers.
Driverless tractors provide multifaceted benefits to farmers around the world. Arguably the most important of these benefits is a reduction in costs. As these tractors are autonomous, agricultural businesses don’t have to rely as heavily on human labour as they once did. This means reduced wage expenses for farm owners and lower barriers to entry for anyone looking to get into the agricultural business, not to mention reduced costs to crop consumers.
Autonomous tractors have also been designed to perform tasks like planting, tilling and harvesting with absolute precision. By reducing the risk of human error, farmers using these specialised machines can maximise their yield of crops and, ultimately, their bottom line.
Today, autonomous tractors are quickly becoming indispensable machinery for anyone working in agriculture. Farm owners choosing not to use modern tools like driverless tractors may see their productivity decrease below their competitors if they don't have contingency plans in place.
Hardier Crops
Given that agriculture plays a huge role in the Australian economy, it’s no surprise that we’re home to some exciting innovations in the area of enhanced crops. For instance, a team at Macquarie University is working to create a more heat-resistant variant of cotton through genetic alterations.
This work is vital given the increasing prevalence of extreme weather in the country. The development of cotton plants that can survive higher temperatures will likely have a significant impact on the fashion and textile industries, given that many of the clothes we wear are made of cotton.
Australian researchers are also working to improve wheat’s resistance to fungi-induced rust, which ranks among the top causes of waste in the agricultural industry. Besides allowing farmers to make more money per hectare of land due to having more viable crops to sell, this innovation will also positively impact the global food industry. The ability to produce wheat and other crops more efficiently offers strides towards reducing the global shortage of food and raising the average standard of living.
Eco-Friendly Fertiliser
Fertiliser is an essential tool for many farmers, as it helps crops grow faster and improves their quality. However, most traditional forms of fertiliser include large amounts of ammonia. This contributes to global warming and has negative long-term effects on soil.
Researchers in Australia are working on ways of producing fertilisers that don’t include some of its traditional drawbacks. By reducing the amount of ammonia used in the production process, these Aussie scientists aim to create a carbon-neutral fertiliser. What’s more, lower levels of ammonia will help preserve soil health, resulting in long-term benefits for farming businesses.
Agriculture is a massive component of both the Australian and the global economy, and ammonia-rich fertilisers have long been something of a necessary evil. Thanks to Aussie-led advances in eco-friendly fertiliser, it’s now possible to envision a future where we can grow crops efficiently and be kinder to the environment.
Quantum Computing
All things ‘quantum’ have been buzzwords for the last decade, but today, we’re closer than ever to seeing quantum computers being widely used in daily life. As their name suggests, quantum computers take advantage of quantum bits, which are microscopic particles, as opposed to the traditional binary system that classical computers use. This gives them a far greater processing speed than the phone or computer you might be using to read this article.
Australian researchers are at the forefront of innovations in this exciting field. In 2012, a team of Aussie physicists developed the world’s first atom transistor, which is a massive step forward in quantum computing.
Today, quantum computers aren’t widely used by the general public yet. This is largely because the technology is still being refined – there are still countless tasks in which classical computers outperform their quantum counterparts. In addition, quantum computers are still prohibitively expensive for many individuals and businesses.
This is rapidly changing, though. As quantum computers become more sophisticated and the cost of producing them decreases, don’t be surprised to see increasingly more quantum computers used in various industries. When it comes to the benefits of quantum computers, the possibilities are endless and currently unimaginable. From improved artificial intelligence to breakthroughs in drug research, quantum computing has the potential to change the world.
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Industries worldwide are rapidly evolving thanks to a host of recent technological innovations. Australia has made significant contributions to these advances. Innovations like driverless tractors, enhanced crops, eco-friendly fertilisers and quantum computing technology are all transforming industries not just locally, but around the world.
