The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding announced today will support two Waterloo Engineering research initiatives:
- The Robohub: a Robotic Test Facility for Multi-Robot Teams ($1,512,194), William Melek, mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor
- A Platform for CMOS-MEMS Integration and Characterization ($607,448) Raafat Mansour, electrical and computer engineering professor
The Robohub will be a unique and revolutionary robotics test facility – a state-of-the-art showcase for humanoid, aerial, ground and maglev robot technologies. The facility will provide a vital catalyst for innovation, bridging the laboratory and the real world. Researchers will develop richly heterogeneous robot teams and simulate complex, real-world environments, opening new multidisciplinary avenues to explore the potential of these combined robotic technologies.
Waterloo Region is already home to a dynamic cluster of high-profile robotics companies, and Robohub research will provide the key breakthroughs to grow this burgeoning Canadian industry. Manufacturers will also be able to deploy Robohub-developed automation technology to boost productivity, product quality and job quality. HQP will receive world-class training in cutting-edge robotics, and will graduate equipped to create and lead the tech companies of tomorrow.
Mansour’s research team will contribute key elements to enable the emerging nanomanufacturing enterprise: tools that can see and manipulate matter at the nano scale, with unprecedented high speed at low costs.
For the first time, the highest resolution microscopy instruments, known collectively as scanning probe instruments, will be entirely built on a single microchip. Single-chip microscopes will be made available to high-school and university students alike, so that they may observe and interact with nanoscale phenomena. It is our hope that this experience will plant the seed for a new generation of Canadians to seize the leadership role in nanomanufacturing at the global scale.
More than $4 million was awarded to four Waterloo research initiatives including a new research centre that will revolutionize the ability to predict and delay illness and injury associated with aging and iCouch, a lab to design and build digitally immersive interiors:
- William McIlroy (Kinesiology): Advanced Aging ResearCH Centre (ARCH) to transform health and well-being of older adults ($1,387,023)
- Daniel Vogel (Mathematics): Facility for Fully Interactive Physio-digital Spaces ($616,306)
“CFI’s infrastructure funding is essential in providing researchers with the equipment and tools they need to conduct world-class research. It can make a significant difference in meeting our research objectives of advancing science and knowledge, and supporting Canada’s competitive edge,” said George Dixon, vice president, University Research at Waterloo.