Waterloo Engineering has the largest and most active robotics and automation research group in Canada, supporting Canada's largest robotics and automation cluster (via WaterlooEDC).
With over 45 faculty members solving problems in advanced robotics, autonomous systems, human-robot interaction, and related fields, Waterloo is where the future of robotics is being developed.
Our mission is to make significant advancements in robotics, from fundamental research through design and development to commercial applications including robots that build cars, explore space, deliver coffee, defuse land mines, or perform surgery.
For more details, check out the Robotics @ Waterloo page.
What's the RoboHub?
The Waterloo RoboHub is the home of robotics at the University of Waterloo, bringing together all of the related technical, educational, research, and other services and experience into one central group.
Visit the About the RoboHub section of the website for more details on our team, fleet, facilities, and research themes.
News
Plant-based isn't just about burgers anymore
A team of University of Waterloo researchers has created smart, advanced materials that will be the building blocks for a future generation of soft medical microrobots.
These tiny robots have the potential to conduct medical procedures, such as biopsy, and cell and tissue transport, in a minimally invasive fashion. They can move through confined and flooded environments, like the human body, and deliver delicate and light cargo, such as cells or tissues, to a target position.
The tiny soft robots are a maximum of one centimetre long and are bio-compatible and non-toxic. The robots are made of advanced hydrogel composites that include sustainable cellulose nanoparticles derived from plants.
This research, led by Hamed Shahsavan, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, portrays a holistic approach to the design, synthesis, fabrication, and manipulation of microrobots. The hydrogel used in this work changes its shape when exposed to external chemical stimulation. The ability to orient cellulose nanoparticles at will enables researchers to program such shape-change, which is crucial for the fabrication of functional soft robots.
Detecting infrastructural issues in time
Millions of people and vehicles rely on bridge infrastructure to get from point A to point B every day. But the potential for catastrophic failure grows as bridges and other transportation infrastructure age.
According to the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, there are over 617,000 bridges in the U.S., almost half being at least 50 years old. It is not only age that affects these bridges' reliability and structural integrity. Additional stresses from events such as hurricanes, earthquakes and heat waves are compromising structural durability and longevity too.
Dr. Chul Min Yeum, an assistant professor in the civil and engineering department at the University of Waterloo, leads a team of researchers using technologies like 5G and augmented reality to identify structural issues in bridges, buildings and other infrastructure before disaster strikes.
Electrical and computer engineering professor, Kerstin Dautenhahn, elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its Members have elected this year’s new Fellows and named the incoming class of the RSC College.
One hundred and one new Fellows have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. Recognition by the RSC for career achievement is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. One of those newly elected Fellows is electrical and computer engineering professor, Kerstin Dautenhahn.