The University of Toronto Formula SAE Racing Team placed 15th overall at the Formula Student Germany competition in Hockenheim, Germany.

The competition occurred August 2 to 7 and included 78 teams from 25 nations.

“The German competition is one of the most challenging in the world,” explains Michael Bakaic (Mech 1T1 + PEY), who is the team captain. “It is a genuine test of our skills, which makes our strong showing so much more meaningful to us.”

The competition evaluates the student built and designed vehicles on a series of criteria, including static factors such as cost, design, marketing, as well as dynamic criteria like performance on the skidpad, endurance and fuel efficiency.

“The skidpad was definitely the highlight of the competition,” says Bakaic, who notes the team placed first in that category.

“This was the first competition where the organizers had run this category in full wet conditions,” says Bakaic, explaining that the judges ensured a wet surface by using sprinklers to keep the track covered with water.

That surprised all of the teams, who were only notified one month prior to the competition. For the U of T team, that news arrived too late to practise; the racing vehicle had already been shipped to Germany.

“It was a real testament to the talent of our driver and our design that we were able to do so well,” says Bakaic.

The team’s next competition will be the University of Toronto Shootout on October 1 at the Mosport International Raceway. Hosted by the U of T Formula SAE Team, the “shootout” attracts 21 Formula SAE design teams from around North America for a full day of autocross racing.

However, the team’s attention is now turning towards the design of their 2012 vehicle.

Bakaic has high hopes for the team’s performance in 2012 based on their success this year.

“We had a very young team this year,” he states, noting the departure of many senior team members who graduated this past year, “but we were able to organize ourselves well and it obviously paid off with our success in Germany.”

To keep apprised of the team’s performance throughout the year, visit their website.

Three assistant professors from U of T Engineering are among 17 researchers at the University of Toronto who are benefiting from new funding announced today by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The grants will provide support to:

• Professor Cathy Chin (ChemE) for the Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Innovative Catalytic Science;
• Professor Daman Panesar (CivE) for Characterization of Cement-Based Materials Using a MicroXRF for Durable Concrete Infrastructure; and,
• Professor Arun Ramchandran (ChemE) for the Laboratory of Complex Fluids.

The new funding from CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund will allow researchers to purchase new equipment that wouldn’t have been possible before.

“The equipment necessary to complete my research needs to be highly customized,” explains Professor Chin. “It’s not something that I can purchase off the shelf.”

Professor Chin’s research seeks to generate new fuel sources from biomass, which is generated from waste products. Utilizing catalytic conversion technology, Professor Chin hopes to provide new fuel sources that will eliminate the need for carbon fuels like coal and petroleum.

The grant arrives at an important time for Professor Chin, who is still establishing her lab after beginning at U of T just this past May.

“We are delighted to see some of our newest faculty members benefit from today’s announcement,” states Professor Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “Obtaining the required equipment is critical to achieving research excellence, and we are grateful to CFI for the support provided to Professors Chin, Panesar and Ramchandran.”

The CFI Leaders Opportunity Fund grant will support Professor Panesar’s efforts to address a critical challenge facing Canada today: deteriorating infrastructure.

“A survey revealed that 88% and 83% of roads and bridges in Canada require repair or replacement and rehabilitation needs for bridges alone is $700 million dollars annually,” states Professor Panesar.

Professor Panesar’s research focuses on developing methods to assess and improve the durability of concrete. The grant will provide important equipment to support this research.

“Advancement of the lab facilities will enable transformative research in the area of durable cement-based materials, leading to significant contributions and insight into the mechanisms that cause age-related degradation,” says Professor Panesar.

The grants will also benefit Professor Ramchandran’s research in fluid mechanics. His focus is on understanding the suspensions of rigid particles in fluids and deformable particles, such as drops, elastic particles and vesicles.

Created by the Government of Canada in 1997, CFI strives to build our nation’s capacity to undertake world-class research and technology development through investments in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions. Its Leaders Opportunity Fund helps universities attract and retain top research talent.

“CFI investments provide vital infrastructure in communities across the country and create opportunities for leveraging the work being undertaken by our enterprising researchers,” says Dr. Gilles G. Patry, CFI President and CEO. “Cutting-edge research facilities are magnets that attract the best talent from around the world, allowing them to work with business and train a new generation of Canadian researchers and innovators.”

Seventeen U of T researchers won a total of $3,892,005, representing 13.7% of the total funding awarded nationally.

“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I extend heartfelt thanks to the Canada Foundation for Innovation and to the Government of Canada for this investment in our researchers,” states Professor Paul Young, U of T’s Vice President (Research). “Support like this is crucial to the success of our research endeavour — both here at U of T and across the country.

Throughout the summer, U of T Engineering showcased the best the Faculty has to offer the next generation of engineers.

Through innovative programs offered by senior graduate students, supported by undergraduate students, a wide variety of youth enriched their understanding of engineering. Organized by the Engineering Student Outreach Office, more than 1,200 youth from 20 countries around the world took part in cutting-edge projects such as building solar cars, model lungs and miniature wind turbines.

The budding engineers also used skills they learned to tackle hands-on teamwork activities, like building and programming robots during in-class labs.

July: DEEP Summer Academy

The Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) offered more than 40 courses inspired by graduate student research to 900 highly motivated students between grades nine and 12. Among the courses offered by the summer academy were two unique sessions: in the first, youth had the opportunity to analyze the embryonic stem cells of mice, while in another course, participants delved into the science behind space robotics taught by alumnus Jian-Feng Shi (AeroE MASc 0T4).

The students involved in the program also applied the skills they developed to tackle hands-on teamwork activities in U of T’s leading-edge research facilities.

August: Jr. DEEP, Girls’ Jr. DEEP & ENGage

In August, the Faculty also played host to Jr. DEEP  and Girls’ Jr. DEEP. The programs, modeled on DEEP, encourage interest in science by exploring popular themes like aeronautics, environmental sustainability solutions and earth systems.

Jr. DEEP was geared towards students in grade seven and eight. Participants had the opportunity to explore everything from engineering’s most extreme jobs to biomedical science and engineering. They learned all about designing amusement parks and underwater exploration. Students also conducted mini-experiments to diagnose clinical conditions like hyperthyroidism.

Along with Jr. DEEP, the Engineering Student Outreach Office also ran Girls’ Jr. DEEP, a program meant to develop the engineering interests of female students in grade seven and eight. The unique initiative is part of the Faculty’s ongoing response to the under-representation of women in the engineering profession.

Throughout the program, undergraduate and graduate female instructors taught participants about a range of disciplines in science, engineering and mathematics. In one class, students learned about cells, how they function and even created their own models with help from instructors.

The girls learned about the science behind rocket mechanics and later launched their very own devices on campus. Participants also built hydraulic mazes and mini-labyrinths using hydraulic pumps (syringes) to navigate them.

Also taking place in August was ENGage, a program meant to inspire black youth to explore the exciting world of engineering. U of T’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Engineering Student Outreach Office organized the second year of the program.

The program was conceived by Mikhail Burke (MSE 1T2) and Ayokanmi Falade (MechE 1T1 + PEY) in 2009–10 when they were President and Vice President, respectively, of U of T’s NSBE chapter. While the 2010 camp lasted only one week, this year’s edition of ENGage offered two, one-week sessions. Plans are underway to offer a similar program that will run on Saturdays during the academic year.

Participants in the program were recruited through community partners based in Regent Park and Parkdale. However, word of mouth also spread news of the initiative far and wide.
For more information about other interactive programs offered to pre-University students throughout the year or to get involved, please visit the Engineering Outreach’s official website.

A group of engineering students from the University of Toronto have created a device that could revolutionize how malaria is diagnosed in developing countries.

Joshua Dian (ElecE PhD candidate), Shyra Khosla (MechE 1T0), Martin Labrecque (ElecE 1T1, PhD candidate), Shervin Mehryar (ElecE 1T2) and Aaron Persad (MechE PhD candidate) received the 2010 James Dyson Award and praise from peers for their out-of-the-box thinking that could save lives around the world.

The group’s Automated Parasite Detection System (APDS) has the ability to replicate the work that would normally be done by highly qualified personnel. It prepares a monolayer of cells, and fixates and stains the cells in a repeatable, operator-independent manner. The device also includes a machine vision system capable of repeatable differentiation of infected from uninfected cells resulting in low false-positive and false-negative rates. In lay terms, it can diagnose malaria using clean blood work in as little as 60 minutes.

The project originally started out as an extra-curricular project, but soon turned into so much more, confessed Persad. It was the group’s desire to do something for others in Africa, where the majority of deaths occur that first spurred the work. “I was watching TV, and it really struck me how expensive medication is, and how there’s no guarantee it will work,” Persad said. “There’s still so much that needs to be done.”

The complexities that surround diagnosing malaria (especially in remote areas) can be difficult to understand. The painstaking process for identifying the parasite can take weeks in rural communities. Meanwhile, access to tools, resources, health specialists who can diagnose the parasite, and most importantly, funding to carry out the task, are serious handicaps that threaten to derail effective treatment.

“We wanted to create a more convenient, more accessible diagnosis process,” said Dian. “Something that would help others not just in places like Africa that people often think of when they hear malaria, but all over the world.”

The journey for the students from unlikely competitors to national winners was extremely difficult said Martin. The project went through several revisions to create the finished project — a portable device that is easy to transport and inexpensive to build. “We spent days inside Josh’s house going over everything again and again to make sure it was perfect. It was a challenge, but the fact this is one of the most pressing issues of our time keeps you motivated.”

Although winning an award of this magnitude is impressive to the U of T Engineering students, they’re more excited about what the future of the device may hold.  They hope APDD can be adapted to other blood-borne parasites, if more funding were to become available, and to diagnose other diseases. “This could be the beginning of so much more,” said Khosla.

The team was funded in part by the University of Toronto and the local chapter of the Engineering World Health (EWH). Both groups provided tools, resources, labs and financial assistance to help with the project.

When Oti Agbeyegbe (MIE 1T2) signed up for Impact Apprentice – a business competition based on Donald Trump’s famed Apprentice – he was excited.

It wasn’t competing against peers from across Canada or possibly being named the best in the country that filled his stomach with butterflies, but the opportunity to prove that engineers posses just as much business savvy as they do practical knowledge.

“Sometimes people assume that engineers are only capable of building things, but that’s not the case,” he said. “I like the idea of problem solving, which is what we do here and what I’ll do in the competition.”

The third-year engineering student spent the week of August 23 putting his skills to the test, while competing in a series of business challenges in downtown Toronto.

In the competition, 32 university students at post-secondary institutions from coast to coast were selected to participate after undergoing a series of tasks to narrow down the competition. One of the unusual tasks included pitching themselves to judges in a short one-minute video.

For Oti, creating the video was a big departure from normal tasks he’s been assigned while at school, but it worked out great in the end. “I worked hard on that video, and it ended up paying off because I was chosen to compete.”

Although he didn’t end up winning, the experience was invaluable and helped him build on the entrepreneurial skills he learned at U of T. For instance, he used the know-how he learned in business U of T Engineering classes to package and market products to strangers during tasks and improve upon business processes, alongside seven other teammates.

He wouldn’t trade his time in the competition for anything else and cherished the moments where he was able to showcase his skills. “Being in this competition let me apply other skills like communication and entrepreneurship in a different environment and really show more of what I can do,” he said.

 

For some, the summer is a chance to catch up on sleep or travel. However, for hundreds of undergraduates in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, this summer was a chance to experience life in the lab.

Under the supervision of faculty members and senior graduate students, students undertook  a broad range of research that can improve life in many ways. From less turbulent flights, improved air quality, new biomedical devices or computers that don’t crash, students were devising new solutions for society.

Many of the results were presented at the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD) on August 17. However, if you missed those presentations, fear not! Learn more about the research conducted by six students this summer at U of T Engineering.