A research team at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi has asked just that, and are developing a ‘smart’ insole for shoes that will be able to provide navigational feedback — such as a pulse or vibration — to the wearer. Having already built a prototype, this summer they’ve engaged an international research intern for her insight into smart fabrics that could bring it one step closer to reality.  

To help overcome the increasing risk of hearing loss suffered by construction workers, EERS, a Quebec-based start-up, is developing technology to address this common industrial worksite complaint.

A few years later, that opportunity has allowed Joel to build a career for himself, and make developments that have benefitted the company and Canada’s agricultural sector.

“It was hardcore research,” says Joel, looking back on his internship. “Not just gathering data, but also looking at the results, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations directly to the general manager. It was more like a project as a professional than as an intern, and it definitely gave me a foot in the door.” Joel’s internship also led to the company filing a patent on some of his work.

To help tackle this environmental issue, Mitacs intern Oldooz Pooyanfar, a graduate student from Simon Fraser University’s School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, is working on a ‘smart’ system that monitors the health of honey bees and their hives. Once installed inside a beehive, her integrated monitoring system allows beekeepers to observe and track the health of their colonies. The device uses microscopic sensors and microphones to pick up sounds and vibrations emitted by bees and can also be used to observe the temperature and humidity of each hive.

After hearing about Mitacs’ Globalink Research Internships through her department head, she set her sights on Canada and submitted her application.

Hayfa’s interest in research abroad soon found her in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, where she’s studying algae in order to learn more about the health of the province’s lakes and rivers. Her research project, based at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), uses a new mathematical approach to evaluating the microscopic organisms in fresh and salt water.

Tao is helping develop a structural system that will mitigate hazards in industrial buildings — often containing heavy equipment — during an earthquake.

Tao’s first task involves looking at blueprints of industrial buildings, specifically ones that store overhead cranes, to better understand their design and seismic behaviour. This is a significant step because overhead cranes can change the way a building moves and reacts to an earthquake.

Working under the direction of Professor Jonathan Kelly, Xinyi is helping to extend leading-edge technology that makes it possible for the wheelchair to navigate and drive itself.

The Aussie is researching a strange phenomenon dubbed ‘The Ranchlands Hum’— a mysterious noise that has plagued residents in the northwest Calgary community of Ranchlands since 2008.

Luanna’s in Canada as a Mitacs Globalink intern where she’s collaborating with Professor Wei Peng on a project to make wind power more efficient.

“Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve had a love for renewable energy,” says Luanna. “When I read about this project, I jumped at the chance to take part in it and further my knowledge.”

Gabriel and Dr Kuruganti are using high-density electromyography (EMG) sensors to understand how the muscles in the upper and lower limbs behave under different conditions including exercise and rehabilitation. The information obtained from these sensors can help to understand human movement. Traditionally, EMG systems use up to 16 channels of data. Gabriel is helping to “tune” the high-density EMG signals in a 64-node sensor to give the highest quality information for other researchers to use.