Spot application of pesticides is one aspect of precision agriculture technology that may have promising economic, environmental and social benefits. However, the practical application of this technology is faced by several challenges including accurate detection of pests, simultaneous control of multiple nozzles, and formulation of suitable droplets under continuous opening and closure of nozzles. This […]

This project focuses on creating eco-friendly, recyclable transportation cards using shellac, a biodegradable and sustainable material. Traditional plastic cards contribute significantly to waste and CO2 emissions, while shellac offers a greener alternative that can be combined with recyclable paper substrates. By conducting a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of shellac materials, this research will evaluate their […]

The specific objective of this project is to compare the accuracy of the Manus Quantum motion capture gloves against traditional hand-held controllers for conducting proactive ergonomics analyses in virtual reality (VR). Digital human model (DHM) hand locations and joint angles will be compared to their ground truth measures derived from laboratory-grade optical motion capture. To […]

Acoustic Ornamentality will study the influence that our built environment has on shaping our local soundscapes and the propagation and attenuation of anthropogenic noise pollution. Malta’s vernacular Gallarija and abundance of architecture constructed of limestone, a porous rock, and renaissance and baroque architecture defined by it’s fine ornamentality and craftmanship offer potential greater attenuation of […]

Innovation in domains such as organic electronic materials is driven by experimental methods that are generally limited by the speed of human intervention in all the steps of the iterative R&D cycle. The emergence of AI tools and automated systems can now help to disrupt this paradigm by empowering the researcher to efficiently leverage their […]

High capacity battery systems are becoming as important as their smaller analogues which are currently in use in mobile devices. Rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs serve as uninterruptible power supplies or energy stores in electronic vehicles (EVs) and realize the EV technology for many countries. This promotes sustainable development while addressing air quality and climate change. […]

This project focuses on developing a smart, wearable system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced brain signal analysis to help monitor worker fatigue and stress in the mining industry. Mining is a demanding job, and workers often face long hours and stressful conditions, increasing the risk of accidents. The system uses a small, non-invasive […]

This project addresses the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries’ need for mature, physiologically relevant cardiac models for drug discovery, cardiotoxicity testing, and personalized medicine. Existing models, such as human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), lack the structural and functional maturity needed for reliable applications. The UBC MEMS Lab has developed a soft, micropatterned substrate and a […]

Skin cancer, especially melanoma, is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, with North America experiencing particularly high rates. Despite the importance of daily sunscreen use, concerns about the safety of traditional UV filters—such as skin penetration and potential hormonal disruption—continue to grow. Additionally, these filters degrade when exposed to sunlight, reducing their effectiveness over […]

This project introduces a novel, fast, and selective method for detecting microplastics (MPs) in water sources, alongside other contaminants such as heavy metals. Utilizing a cost-effective microfluidic chip, the solution aims to provide affordable water monitoring while promoting habit changes in plastic product usage to support environmental sustainability.

This project aims to enhance cybersecurity threat detection in response to attacks against Generative AI systems, by identifying novel characteristics in submissions to large language models (LLMs), and using these novel characteristics to generate innovative heuristics to scan for prominent threats to vulnerable GenAI system deployments. The challenge is twofold; first, augmenting existing extraction techniques […]

Infertility affects 15% of couples in the U.S. and Canada, with 20-50% of cases linked to male factors. Current treatments like Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI) are costly, invasive, and have low success rates (5-15% per round), creating significant barriers for couples. Fertilead Inc. addresses these challenges with FertilEZ, a self-administered at-home fertility kit that improves sperm […]