"The future of materials lies in their multifunctionality" The Smart Materials Lab comprises a team of researchers dedicated to exploring the potential of smart materials, which offer a diverse range of capabilities.

It was a valuable opportunity for our researchers to engage with an international expert, exchange ideas, and strengthen collaborative ties. We thank Prof. Johnson for visiting our lab and for the stimulating discussions that followed the session. #Innovation

Prof. Johnson delivered an engaging presentation to our school, sharing his latest work on large composite components manufacturing and advancing circularity in composite materials. #Industry4.0 #ResearchCollaboration #SwinburneUniversity

We were pleased to welcome Prof. Michael Johnson from the University of Nottingham (UK) to Swinburne University of Technology earlier this week. #SmartMaterialsLab #AdvancedComposites #Automation #CompositesResearch

Bringing these communities together is exactly how Australia continues to build stronger and more innovative materials capabilities.

It was a great opportunity to connect with representatives from Materials Australia, the Australasian Corrosion Association, the Australian Ceramic Society, and the Australian Foundry Institute.

In her address, she provided strategic insights into the future of multifunctional lightweight materials and next-generation composites, while showcasing pioneering advancements from the @Swinburne – @CSIRO National Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing.

Our group leader, @nisasalim5, had the honour to serve as an invited speaker at the Technical Annual EOY hosted by Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick and Materials Australia. #SmartMaterialsLab #AdvancedComposites #Innovation #InvitedSpeaker #Networking #ManufacturingFuture

The event brought together leading voices in Australia’s manufacturing ecosystem, with insightful discussions on scaling production, the role of AI in transforming manufacturing workflows, and the growing opportunities in large-format additive manufacturing.

In her talk, Dr. Nisa showcased the exciting work happening at the @Swinburne – @CSIRO Industry 4.0 Testlab, highlighting our collaborative industry projects, composite manufacturing capabilities, and the innovations shaping the future of advanced composites.

Our group leader, Dr. @nisasalim5, recently delivered an invited talk at the Composites Australia Tech & Networking Event hosted at the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF). #SmartMaterialsLab #AdvancedManufacturing #Composites #Innovation #Swinburne

The work addresses a key challenge in enabling joule-heating-based actuation, paving the way for electrically driven LCE artificial muscles with enhanced sensing and actuation performance. Read more:

2. Robust and Multi-Functional Electrically Responsive Gold/Polydopamine-Coated LCE Artificial Muscles. Published in the MDPI Journal of Nanomaterials, this manuscript focuses on improving the adhesion of sputtered gold coatings on LCEs via polydopamine functionalisation.

muscles for next-generation robotics and soft actuators. This impactful work was also selected for the journal’s cover page, underscoring its novelty and scientific contribution. Read more:

1. Wet-Spun Disulphide LCE Fibres for Continuous Production of Fibrous Artificial Muscles. Published in MDPI Polymers, this study demonstrates a scalable wet-spinning approach to produce Liquid Crystalline Elastomer (LCE) fibres, offering a promising pathway towards artificial

This month, we are thrilled to highlight the outstanding work of our team member, Joshua Ince, who has successfully published two research manuscripts within a single month.

At the Smart Materials Lab, we take immense pride in celebrating the achievements of our talented researchers. Congratulations to Joshua Ince, Setareh Elyasi, @nisasalim5 and all co-authors. #SmartMaterialsLab

We’re proud to see Vimukthi representing our group and contributing to cutting-edge research in space materials and nanocomposite coatings. #LunarDustMitigation #Space #Materials #PolymerNanocomposites #CSIRO

His work focuses on developing advanced polymer–nanocomposite coatings designed to passively repel lunar dust, addressing one of the major challenges faced by future lunar and space missions. #BorlandForum2025 #SmartMaterialsLab

Our Smart Materials group member, Vimukthi Dananjaya, presented his research titled “Materials Against Lunar Dust: Polymer Surfaces for Passive Lunar Dust Mitigation” at The Borland Forum 2025, held on Tuesday, 28th October 2025 at Monash University. @nisasalim5 #Swinburne

Congratulations to our #SmartMaterials members — Vishnu Vijayan Pillai, Premika Govindaraj, @nisharhameed and @nisasalim5 — for their outstanding contributions. Read here: https://t.co/8Iswc8LE4B #SmartMaterialsLab