Hugo Vihvelin, a master’s student in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University is one of two recipients of the 2015 Mitacs Master's Award for Outstanding Innovation, for his research with Halifax-based Daxsonics Ultrasound.
But when the product required an updated approach to match new industry standards, the company relied on the fresh perspective of a Mitacs Accelerate intern from the Université de Sherbrooke to take it to the next level and enhance their competitiveness for entry into Canada-wide markets.
But while the Halifax-based startup had worked-out the mechanical design of its brace, its team knew they needed people with expertise in body movement and rehabilitation to test it. That’s where Mitacs Accelerate came in. With expertise from two interns, Spring Loaded was able to make some big strides in its research.
One of those interns was physiotherapist Tony Ingram. Having just arrived from Newfoundland after completing his Masters in Kinesiology at Memorial University, Tony had an in-depth knowledge of knee function and chronic knee pain.
Han Chen, a Mechanical Engineering Masters student at McGill University, has created what amounts to a virtual factory, where new tools and equipment can be designed and tested, significantly reducing their real-world production time and creating a lot of opportunities.
Working under the supervision of Professor Shi Cao in the Department of Systems Design Engineering, Shefali is using her computer science background to help develop an innovative face recognition app for Google Glass — a type of “wearable technology” — like glasses with an optical head-mounted display.
Hailing from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, in Pilani, India, Shefali says she is thrilled to take part in research involving Google Glass, calling her project an “amazing opportunity to have hands-on experience with today’s technology.”
Working under the supervision of Dr. Janet Light and PhD student Ali Reza Manashty at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, Umang is helping to develop the components of a comprehensive remote healthcare system designed for senior citizens and physically disabled individuals.
During the summer of 2014, researchers at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy were looking into whether a group of drugs called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — normally used as anti-depressants — could be used to treat Alzheimer's.
The project started when Michael Gray was researching earthquake-proofing techniques as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil Engineering. Michael had developed a prototype connector device with one end that could grip part of a building’s frame between a pair of comb-like pincers, while the other end was welded to a brace.
Richard is an alumnus of the University of Ottawa's SUNLAB.
Mitacs gratefully acknowledges Western Economic Diversification, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick for their support of Mitacs Elevate. In addition, select Elevate fellows are supported through Mitacs Accelerate and its funding partners.
Mitacs gratefully acknowledges the Government of Canada, the Networks of Centres of Excellence's Industrial Research and Development Internship program, Western Economic Diversification, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Alberta Innovates Technology Futures and the governments of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec through Le Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologies, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador through its Research and Development Corporation for their support of Mitacs Accelerate.
