The interns in this project will use their skills in researching parts and products that can be used to achieve the subprojects that we set out to create on the micro-mobility car. In some areas the students may use the machine shop and equipment found in the engineering building on York University campus to create parts. Lastly, the car will have to be tested for insurance and the received data collected to find an insurance suited for the car.

Seaweeds naturally produce polymers that hold great potential as a building block for bioplastics, which has been piloted globally but still nascent in Canada. This project establishes a partnership between Bioform Solutions Inc. and the University of Victoria Green Safe Water Lab, to develop a seeds-to-solution protocol for converting kelp into higher value bioplastics. The key molecule, alginate, varies in composition depending on the species of kelp.

Wig is a wearable device that can be used to help with many aspects of our lives. Since it is in close contact with the human body, it makes it a great tool for human health monitoring. This can be done through the hidden sensors in wigs that keep collecting information about physical and mental health of users. Since different wigs match different people, considering the shape of their head, skin color and their own preferences, it is important for users to know how a certain wig changes their appearance.

The proposed project focuses on assessing an innovative piece of equipment for turning plastic waste into recycled filament for 3D printing. Through this project, Shifting Shap3s will better understand the impact of various factors, such as mechanical and environmental, on the quality of the output filament. In addition, the project will assess the environmental impacts of the product and its lifecycle. Moreover, it will analyze the economic performance of the product and opportunities for sustainable production.

Hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) are clean and efficient energy conversion devices that produce electricity from green hydrogen with zero carbon emissions. Currently, the catalyst layers in HFCs are composed of Pt-decorated carbon powders mixed with an ion conducting polymer (ionomer), leading to uncontrolled distribution of each phase and significant tortuosity due to the complex pores and pathways between particles. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the core component of a HFC that plays the most critical role in the HFC performance and lifetime.

Whey and milk ultrafiltration (UF) permeate are usually considered as environmental pollutants due to their elevated organic load. Increase of whey production owing to high demand of milk-derived products creates a huge disposal problem for dairy industries. The conversion of lactose, which is main component of whey and milk UF permeate, to value-added ingredients is advantageous. In this project, we will employ a cost-effective enzymatic method to convert lactose into bioactive LBA using whey and milk UF permeate as substrates.

Many methods for providing respiratory support to patients are currently in use, however more commonly available techniques such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) are not appropriate for ventilation of patients with airborne infectious diseases due to the risk of aerosolization endangering other patients and hospital staff.

Mechanistic models of nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, and growth are implemented in industry as ‘decision support systems’ for modern feed formulation and diet optimization, and in academia as research and teaching tools. However, in the equine sector, there has been little focus in modelling which limits the ability of the equine sector to address complex challenges such as interactions between equine nutrition, management, health and welfare. The aim of this proposal is to develop a mechanistic model of post-absorptive nutrient metabolism in mature horses.

The learning of bimanual skills is very important in spine surgery since errors can result in poor patient outcomes. Surgical trainees develop these skills by watching expert surgeons do operations and as they acquire more experience, they are given more responsibility to perform complex operations. The limitations of this learning method are the low numbers of expert surgeons to teach these skills and patients may be at increased risks during this traditional approach to training students.

The aviation industry is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and the influence of these emissions is exacerbated by the fact that they are emitted at high altitudes. This project advances the development of fully electric Urban Air Mobility (UAM) systems, which have the potential to significantly reduce emissions relative to existing jet fuel powered aircraft. Unlike conventional aircraft, which use jet fuel-based propulsion systems, UAM is expected to utilize fully Electric Vertical TakeOff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.