Derek Wright

Director, Mechatronics Engineering Program
Derek Wright

Contact information

Phone: 519-888-4567 x31163, 519-888-4567 x41222, 226-606-0651
Location: E5 4117, E7 3324

Biography summary

I am a full-time faculty member in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and currently serving as the Director of Mechatronics Engineering. I'm also the faculty advisor for the Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group. My research is in Digital ICs (especially spiking neural networks), Medical Imaging Physics, and Multidomain Modeling and Simulation. I am interested in productization and commercialization efforts related to this research and to student initiatives.

Research interests

  • Neuromorphic hardware
  • VLSI
  • Multidomain modeling and simulation

Education

  • 2010, Doctorate, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
  • 2005, Master of Applied Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Waterloo
  • 2003, Bachelor of Applied Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Waterloo

Courses*

  • BME 294 - Circuits, Instrumentation, and Measurements
    • Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • ECE 240 - Electronic Circuits 1
    • Taught in 2024
  • ECE 298 - Instrumentation and Prototyping Laboratory
    • Taught in 2019, 2021
  • ECE 340 - Electronic Circuits 2
    • Taught in 2022
  • ECE 445 - Integrated Digital Electronics
    • Taught in 2020
  • MTE 220 - Sensors and Instrumentation
    • Taught in 2022, 2023
  • MTE 421 - Linear and Nonlinear Electronics
    • Taught in 2023
  • MTE 481 - Mechatronics Engineering Design Project
    • Taught in 2024
  • PD 19 - Tactics for Workplace Success
    • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • PD 20 - Engineering Workplace Skills 1: Developing Reasoned Conclusions
    • Taught in 2019

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Selected/recent publications

  • Blackmore, Ewart and Trinczek, Michael and Jiang, Kai and Sachdev, Manoj and Wright, Derek, SRAM Dosimeter for Characterizing the TRIUMF Proton and Neutron Beams, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 2018
  • Wright, DW and Cobbold, RSC, Two-dimensional phononic crystals with time-varying properties: a multiple scattering analysis, Smart Materials and Structures, 19(4), 2010
  • Wright, DW, Two-dimensional phononic crystals with time-varying properties: a multiple scattering analysis, Smart Materials and Structures, 19(4), 2010
  • Mohan, Nitin and Fung, Wilson and Wright, Derek and Sachdev, Manoj, A low-power ternary CAM with positive-feedback match-line sense amplifiers, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, 56(3), 2009, 566 - 573
  • Wright, Derek W and Cobbold, Richard SC, The characteristics and applications of metamaterials, Ultrasound, 17(2), 2009, 68 - 73
  • Wright, Derek W and Cobbold, Richard SC, Ultrasound transmission through time-varying phononic crystals, Canadian Acoustics, 36(3), 2008, 44 - 45
  • Wright, DW, Acoustic wave transmission in time-varying phononic crystals, Smart Materials and Structures, 18(1), 2008
  • Wright, DW and Cobbold, RSC, Acoustic wave transmission in time-varying phononic crystals, Smart Materials and Structures, 18(1), 2008
  • Mohan, Nitin and Fung, Wilson and Wright, Derek and Sachdev, Manoj, Design techniques and test methodology for low-power TCAMs, IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, 14(6), 2006, 573 - 586
  • Patel, Dhruv and Wright, Derek and Sachdev, Manoj, Sense amplifier offset characterisation and test implications for low-voltage SRAMs in 65 nm, 2018 IEEE 23rd European Test Symposium (ETS), 1 2018, 1 - 6
  • Al-Hammoud, Rania and Grove, Jason and Milne, Andrew and Pirnia, Mehrdad and Wright, Derek and Sooriyabandara, Samanthi, Building Indicators by Consensus for Common Attributes, Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA), 06 2017
  • Wright, Derek and Markoff, Emma and Grove, Jason and Al-Hammoud, Rania and Milne, Andrew and Pirnia, Mehrdad, Surveys for Simultaneous Direct and Indirect Assessment, Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA), 06 2017
  • Grove, Jason and Ioannidis, Marios and Wright, Derek, DESCRIBING AND MEASURING THE ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE BASED USING CONCEPT DOMAINS, Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA), 06 2017
  • Wright, Derek and Soroka, Orysia, Modeling and simulation of a linear piezoelectric stepper motor in maplesim, Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 2012 IEEE International, January 2012, 2746 - 2749
  • Soroka, Orysia and Wright, Derek and Vahid, Orang, Modeling and Simulation of a Linear Piezoelectric Stepper Motor in MapleSim, Proceedings of the 9th International MODELICA Conference; September 3-5; 2012; Munich; Germany, January 2012, 143 - 150
  • Wright, Derek W and Cobbold, Richard SC and Alfred, CH, Ultrasound wave propagation in time-varying phononic crystals, Ultrasonics Symposium, 2008. IUS 2008. IEEE, January 2008, 1491 - 1494
  • Wright, Derek and Cobbold, Richard, Properties of a Phononic Crystal with Band-Gaps and Anomalous Ultrasound Refraction, 2008 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium Abstract book, January 2008
  • Mohan, Nitin and Fung, Wilson and Wright, Derek and Sachdev, Manoj, Match line sense amplifiers with positive feedback for low-power content addressable memories, Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 2006. CICC'06. IEEE, January 2006, 297 - 300
  • Wright, Derek and Sachdev, Manoj, Transistor-level fault analysis and test algorithm development for ternary dynamic content addressable memories, null, January 2003
  • Wright, Derek, Time-varying phononic crystals, January
  • Wright, Derek, A Comprehensive Test and Diagnostic Strategy for TCAMs, January

Graduate studies