Research

Researchers built an AI computer model to identify key words in more than 700,000 anonymous online journal entries written by over 67,000 users of a mobile mood-tracking application. They found strong associations between positive moods and getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising.
 
Even activities such as getting a haircut or having a manicure were linked to feeling calmer and happier. So, it turns out that mom was right - taking care of yourself really does make you feel better!
 

The tobacco control policies of Japan, the world’s ninth largest cigarette market and host of the 2020 Olympics, are not working, according to new studies from researchers at the University of Waterloo.

The two studies were part of the Waterloo-based International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC) and involved a survey of 3,800 smokers in Japan. Waterloo researchers collaborated with researchers in Japan on both studies, which are the first national-level evaluations of Japan’s efforts to reduce smoking.

“Smaller airways can lead to the respiratory system limiting exercise performance in some people, and can have implications for the development and progression of lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma,” said Paolo Dominelli, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Kinesiology. “Having a smaller airway would be analogous to  breathing through a straw – it takes more effort and is not as efficient.”

A storyline with emotionally evocative details can reduce virtual reality cybersickness for some people, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo found that storylines that provide context and details can help users feel immersed in VR experiences and can reduce feelings of nausea, disorientation and eye strain, depending on a user’s gaming experience. 

The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children (NSHCC) was established in 1921 as a welfare institution for African Nova Scotian children in need of care. Operating for more than 70 years, the home was a site of institutional abuse. When former residents began to come forward in 1998 to speak about their experiences of harm, they were met with denials and silence by authorities. It would be more than a decade before their voices were properly heard.

In the world of startups, the University of Waterloo’s incubator Velocity is a giant. Velocity has helped launch over 300 companies with a remarkably vast array of business models and technologies that have received more than $1 billion in investment. It supported the creation of some of 2019s fastest growing startups and most recently launched Concept, a campus-focused pre-incubator to further encourage students to learn about scaling their ideas into a business.

Automotive innovation was in the spotlight as dignitaries gathered at Waterloo Engineering today for the official opening of a new research facility.

The Autonomous Vehicle Research and Intelligence Laboratory (AVRIL) – a 7,000-square-foot, $4-million building located near Engineering 7 - is dedicated to automated driving, vehicle connectivity and advanced driver assistance systems.

A wireless, battery-free sensor invented by researchers at Waterloo Engineering can detect water leaks in buildings at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.

The tiny device, which is housed in a box just three centimetres square, uses nanotechnology to power itself and send an alert to smartphones when exposed to moisture.

The tiny device, developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, uses nanotechnology to power itself and send an alert to smartphones when exposed to moisture.

By eliminating a battery and related circuitry, researchers estimate their sensor could be commercially produced for $1 each, about a tenth of the cost of current leak detection devices on the market.

The study, which surveyed nearly 1,000 Canadians aged 16 to 30, found that most consumers could not identify whether a cannabis edible contained ‘low’ or ‘high’ levels of THC based on the label. 

The researchers also found that descriptive information, such as symbols and words, are more effective in helping consumers understand THC potency and approximate serving sizes for cannabis products.