This project explores how interaction designers can use physical objects to ‘sketch’ out ideas for interactive experiences. Just as a painter might first sketch his or her idea in pencil, interaction designers can use the objects in this toolkit to create 3D sketches of their ideas in the real world. Each of the objects is […]

Through this project, we aim to determine on-farm factors that may effect the fertility of farms which use automated activity monitors (AAM) within their reproductive management in southern Brazil. AAM are technologies that monitor the physical activity of cows to try to detect when the cow comes into estrus. These technologies are becoming more important […]

The Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation (SSDF) is a fundraising entity supporting six not-for-profit societies that provide opportunities for social engagement for people with disabilities. The six societies provide design opportunities for accessibility solutions; connect people with employment, training, and social opportunities in the community; and make sailing, music, gardening, and the great outdoors more accessible. […]

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the hardest diseases to detect, even though an estimated 5.3 million Americans had Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, as reported by Alzheimer’s association. Alzheimer’s disease is known to be caused by amyloid-? plaques. Amyloid-? plaques are plaques that form in the spaces between nerve cells, greatly affecting the neuronal network which […]

This project will focus on using cameras to measure the rotation angle of a wood log in a sawmill production line. This work will involve updating a cart to move and rotate a wood log, setting up a camera to see the full path of the wood log, and writing a computer code to find […]

Cancer arises as a result of deleterious aberrations in the DNA, RNA and proteins of cells. The accumulation of genetic abnormalities, over lifetime, perturbs critical functions of cells, which may ultimately give rise to tumor. However, vast majority of these aberrations are not essential and only small fractions, known as “driver” genes, are critical for […]

This research will help Innovation Building Group to optomize design details for proposed net-zero energy buildings in Golden, BC. The focus of the research is on comparing the costs of envelope design details with the expected energy savings. This will allow the most economical decisions to be made, which will mean that the best building […]

The objective of this project is to design and build a new prototype device attachable to a smartphone camera employing a novel method of illumination to enable acquiring high quality images of the skin without surface contact. By replacing the precise optical and lighting components currently used in the company’s existing product MoleScope, this design […]

The demand for renewable and clean energy alternatives is steadily increasing due to the cost and environmental concerns of traditional fossil-based fuels. Wood pellet fuel is one such renewable alternate energy source, manufactured by Pacific Bioenergy, Prince George, BC. These wood pellets are transported via rail and subsequently loaded onto vessels for trans-ocean shipment. The […]

Informed decisions on resource management and development require an understanding of how projects will impact the resource, other resources, and the ecosystem. Because the ocean and land are intricately connected along coastal areas, development projects in either will invariably affect the other. However, Ecological Risk Assessments do not consider the two in tandem because the […]

‘Mapping for Change’ is a case study of best practices in the use of Geoweb as a mechanism for enhancing informational exchange and collaboration between homelessness stakeholders including non-profits/charities serving the homeless. Using geoweb technology developed in the Spatial Information for Community Engagement (SPiCE) Lab at UBC Okanagan, the project involves implementing and monitoring/evaluating the […]

Our brain is controlled by two systems: excitatory systems and inhibitory systems. The balance between these two systems is essential for normal brain functions. Our lab has found that glutamate, a key neurotransmitter in excitatory systems, can act at GABAAR, a key receptor in inhibitory system, and improve GABAAR’s function. This is a novel form […]