Technological Futures

Four researchers at the University of Waterloo have been awarded $3.95 million in funding to support their research as part of the illustrious Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program.   

This year, the CRC program is investing more than $198 million to support new and renewed Chairholders. Through the program, up to $311 million each year is invested to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds.   

An international team led by researchers at the University of Waterloo has developed new material that can be used as flexible “artificial muscles” to replace rigid motors and pumps in robots and allow them to move more naturally and fluidly.

Soft robots differ from hard robots in that they are pliable and flexible, making them safe for interaction with people, but the materials currently used for components enabling their movement aren’t strong enough to be effective.

Bridging theoretical insight and academia with experimental expertise and industry application has been key to advancing quantum information science — and a defining strength of the Waterloo quantum ecosystem.

University of Waterloo researchers have received more than $4.3 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), a non-profit corporation that support research infrastructure through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

The University of Waterloo has broken ground on WaterFEL, the Infrared Free Electron Laser (IR-FEL) facility scheduled to open in 2028. The new facility will be the only one of its kind in North America and will revolutionize research with its capabilities to address global challenges, from understanding and treating complex health conditions to creating pathways for a healthier environment.

The iron ring is small, sized to fit the little finger of an engineer’s working hand. Today it is more often made from stainless steel than iron. Though it doesn’t weigh much physically, it carries enormous symbolic weight, acting as a reminder to Canadian-trained professional engineers of the oath they took to do good, safe work that advances society.

Engineering and health researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a radar and artificial intelligence (AI) system that can monitor multiple people walking in busy hospitals and long-term care facilities to identify possible health issues.

The new technology — housed in a wall-mounted device about the size of a deck of cards — uses AI software and radar hardware to accurately measure how fast each person is walking.

An international study surveying microbiome scientists found that when it comes to data reuse, a universal set of ethical guidelines driven by the scientific community needs to be adapted.