The University of Waterloo, Maplesoft, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada are the recipients of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Synergy Award for Innovation, which recognizes their success in collaborating on the model-based design and control of automotive systems that improve vehicle safety and comfort while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The award, for $200,000, was presented to John McPhee, a Waterloo systems design engineering professor and industrial research chair in mathematics-based modelling and design at the University of Waterloo during a special ceremony held at Rideau Hall on February 3. McPhee, standing second from left beside the Governor General of Canada, is one of the country’s leading experts in vehicle design, modelling and simulation.
“I am honoured to be part of a partnership that has the power to achieve enormous impacts on Canada’s information technology and automotive manufacturing sectors, delivering new software and safer, more energy-efficient vehicles to Canadian consumers,” said McPhee.
MapleSim,
a
software
platform
developed
by
Maplesoft
in
collaboration
with
Professor
McPhee
and
his
research
team,
enables
design
engineers
to
accurately
model
and
simulate
the
impact
of
individual
components
on
overall
performance.
This
advanced
simulation
capability
shortens
the
design
cycle
and
improves
product
quality
–
two
essential
outcomes
for
technology
developers,
component
manufacturers
and
assemblers
in
the
rapidly
growing
development
of
green
vehicles.
Supplying
application-side
expertise
as
an
end
user,
Toyota
has
provided
technical
support
and
experimental
assistance
throughout
the
collaboration.
As
a
result,
MapleSim
is
a
more
powerful
software
platform
that
Toyota
now
utilizes
as
part
of
the
company’s
advanced
engineering
design
process.
Long and productive relationship
“The quality of the research collaboration between Professor McPhee,
The University’s unique inventor-owned policy on intellectual property creates a commercialization pathway allowing McPhee, Toyota, and Maplesoft to work as an integrated unit.
“This
long
and
productive
relationship
with
Professor
McPhee,
strengthened
by
our
collaborative
partnership
with
Toyota,
has
given
our
company
a
significant
competitive
advantage
in
green
vehicle
development,
arguably
the
most
significant
trend
in
the
history
of
automotive
technology.”
said
Jim
Cooper,
president
and
CEO
of
Maplesoft.
“The
fresh
insight
gained
through
this
integrated
research
has
allowed
us
to
set
a
global
benchmark
for
this
type
of
scientific
approach,”
said
Ray
Tanguay,
chairman
of
Toyota
Motor
Manufacturing
Canada
Inc.
“Increased
production
of
green
vehicles
such
as
the
hybrid
Lexus
will
minimize
harmful
emissions
and
fuel
consumption
resulting
in
environmental
benefits
to
Canada.”
The
NSERC
Synergy
Award
for
Innovation
recognizes
examples
of
collaboration
that
stand
as
a
model
of
effective
partnership
between
industry
and
colleges
or
universities.
[news
release]