Funding from a Data Sciences Institute (DSI) Doctoral Student Fellowship will help power research into soft tactile-sensing robotic skin.

MIE PhD candidate Arman Arezoomand uses a biomimetic approach in his research, working with sensors that can detect the shape and texture of objects, just as human skin does. As the recipient of the new fellowship, Arezoomand will continue to develop and explore a new application of AI in tactile perception for robots.

“Receiving this fellowship allows me to address the current limitations in artificial tactile perception and develop prosthetic digits equipped with soft sensors that truly replicate the sensitivity of the human fingertip skin,” says Arezoomand.

Beyond prosthetics, the technology developed in Arezoomand’s project holds significant promise for embodied AI, where robots must interact intelligently with dynamic physical environments. In this field, the artificial skin could enable more sophisticated autonomous systems — such as humanoid robots that navigate cluttered spaces or perform intricate tasks like sorting fragile items — by providing real-time feedback on surface textures, pressures and slippage.

Future plans are to integrate the sensor into a prosthetic hand, restoring a sense of touch for upper-limb amputees. An embedded/edge AI within the prosthesis would process the sensor data in real-time, providing the user with tactile feedback.

“Our overarching objective is to develop a sensor that can make a real impact and improve the quality of life for partial hand amputees,” says Arezoomand.

“The goal of restoring tactile sensing in prosthetics has been a powerful motivation to develop a truly useful product to improve balance, motor control and gripping.”

Arezoomand is co-supervised by Professor Fae Azhari (MIE, CivMin) in the Decisionics Lab, and Professor Heather Baltzer, clinician investigator at the Krembil Research Institute, part of the University Health Network, director of the Hand Surgery group at Toronto Western Hospital, and professor at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Arezoomand joined MIE after completing his Master of Science in Mechatronics Engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. He says he was drawn to U of T by its reputation as a hub for collaborative, multidisciplinary AI research — a perfect fit for his project.

“The complexity of the project allows us to break it down into smaller pieces for teams with different expertise, from mechanical engineering to medical science,” says Arezoomand.

“I am incredibly grateful to lead such a diverse and innovative effort in replicating the human sense of touch through artificial skin.”

The tactile sensing technology could also improve manufacturing and supply chains by creating more advanced automation systems that can perform delicate assembly tasks and take control of automated storage and retrieval systems in warehouses.

“Big tech companies have initiated research in this context, and they are competing, which shows the importance the tactile sensing challenges,” says Arezoomand.

“The scope and potential application of the research are so widespread, it’s fulfilling for myself and the team to work toward developing a sensor with substantial impact.”

Students from across the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Faculty of Arts & Science are acquiring industry-ready skills and making meaningful industry connections, thanks to a $1.38 million gift from the Royal Bank of Canada. 

The visionary support will enable students to delve deeper into topics the tech industry is confronting today with the Tech@RBC Insider Series, which features 12 learning sessions over the next three years. The gift will also create two powerful scholarships: the RBC Tech Scholars in AI Engineering and RBC Tech Scholars in Computer Science. Each valued at approximately $25,480, the awards will alleviate financial burden and transform the lives of 30 promising third-year undergraduate students over the next three years. 

“At RBC, we know students are critical to our future, forming the next generation of tech leaders and innovators,” says Martin Wildberger, executive vice-president of innovation & technology at RBC.  

“Our partnership with the University of Toronto is focused on helping motivate and encourage early talent to grow their skills beyond the classroom and learn from RBC’s technology leaders. Canada is home to some of the best and brightest students, and we aim to inspire and empower them to shape the future of technology for all of us.”  

Senior leaders at both faculties reflected on the significance of the gift and expressed gratitude. 

“It’s reassuring to know RBC shares our passion for ensuring brilliant students grow their skills to make an impact,” says Professor Deepa Kundur, chair of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.  

“Thank you for your vision and dedication to empowering the next generation of tech talent right here at the University of Toronto.”  

“We are deeply grateful to RBC for this generous investment in our students and community,” says Professor Eyal de Lara, chair of the Department of Computer Science.  

“By supporting the Tech@RBC Insider Series and new scholarships, this gift will open doors for our students to connect with leading voices in technology while reducing financial barriers to their education. It’s a powerful way to help our students thrive and contribute to the future of innovation.” 

In October, U of T Engineering and Arts & Science students packed the second-floor event space at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus for the inaugural Tech@RBC Insider session, Cybersecurity: Defend the Digital Fortress. Milos Stojadinovic, senior director of advanced threat operations and distinguished engineer at RBC, kicked off the evening with a behind-the-scenes look at how banks tackle cybersecurity. Following a networking session, workshop participants rolled up their sleeves to tackle hands-on threat modelling and threat response simulation exercises. 

Many students, including Chloe Kentebe (Year 2 CompE), gained valuable insights from the session.

She was drawn to the lecture and workshop by her strong interest in cybersecurity mechanisms, and how they are designed and implemented in the financial space. Last summer, under the supervision of Kundur’s lab, she took on a research project aimed at understanding the cyber-physical security of autonomous vehicles.

She says this experience, as well as navigating her classes, participating in extracurriculars — including contributing to U of T Formula Racing as a deep learning team member — and attending events like the Tech@RBC session, have deepened her interest and broadened her understanding of cybersecurity and safety.

“To ensure the strength and resilience of a system, one needs to have a certain level of technical knowledge surrounding the dynamics of its environment, but it’s even more essential to have a mindset that can consider the unique complexities and edge cases related to the ways that the system can be infiltrated,” she says.

“The art and science of developing innovative and applicable solutions is a skill I commit to continuously improving through my education and extracurriculars.”

Meanwhile, fellow attendee Tuğra Canbaz felt a personal connection to the lecture and workshop.

Canbaz, a Pearson Scholar from Türkiye and first-year student hoping to pursue a double major in computer science and economics, has seen the devastating effects of cybersecurity breaches in his home country.

“I can’t help but be interested in cyber security and regulations surrounding it,” says Canbaz, who is aiming for a career in tech, perhaps in financial technologies or cybersecurity.

“It’s also important to consider potential interactions with AI. Imagine if an AI algorithm was trained on leaked data and how invasive that would be. That’s something I want to work on safeguarding against in the future.”

The Tech@RBC hands-on lecture, workshop and networking session also put him in the proper frame of mind to consider future trajectories.

“I like solving problems creatively and I also like the social aspects of the job — working with people, putting humans at the centre of computer problem solving,” he says. “That’s what inspires me to do more.” 

 

Interested in attending the next Tech@RBC Insider Session, co-hosted by Tech@RBC, the Faculty of Arts & Science and U of T Engineering? 

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information about sessions: 

Site reliability engineering: November 26, 2025 

Product ownership: February 3, 2026 

Technical careers: March 19, 2026 

Finding out she was a Schulich Leader was a ‘life-changing’ moment for Vishwa Dave. The computer science student was about to graduate from Stouffville District Secondary School in Stouffville, Ont., when the e-mail arrived confirming she had been awarded the prestigious scholarship at the University of Toronto.

Shaking with excitement and not quite believing what she had just read, she forwarded the e-mail to her father. He immediately called — with her mother and grandmother also on the line — to confirm it was indeed real and congratulate her.

“It was a really joyful moment for all of us,” says Dave. “My first instinct was to tell the people that had helped and supported me on the way. It was honestly a life changing moment.”

A distinguished network of scholars

Dave is one of 10 students entering U of T and one of 100 students across the country to receive a 2025 Schulich Leader Scholarship, awarded annually to scholars entering a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program across 20 partner universities.

Valued at $100,000 each for science, technology and mathematics students and $120,000 each for engineering students, the scholarship covers the entire cost of an undergraduate education.

As well as the financial piece, Dave says being part of such a distinguished network is also invaluable. She’s already met a few of this year’s scholars in her classes and has been contacted by previous Schulich winners who have offered guidance and support.

“It is just a really welcoming community and all the resources we have are great,” she says.

A strong engineering program made U of T the top choice for Hudson Jantzi

Hudson Jantzi’s (Year 1 CompE) strength in STEM and passion for robotics had already earned him top prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF). It also earned him not one, but four Schulich Leader Scholarships at universities across the country, including U of T.

For Jantzi, who was captain of his robotics team at Elmira District Secondary School in Elmira, Ont., selecting U of T was the obvious choice.

“I chose U of T because it had the strongest engineering program of them all,” says Jantzi, who is now studying electrical and computer engineering.

“U of T life also just seemed pretty awesome.”

This summer, a team of undergraduate students from U of T Engineering launched an experiment into the stratosphere that could help scientists better understand the health risks posed by human space travel. 

Katarina Poffley (Year 4 EngSci) is the founder and captain of U of T’s Space Travel Analog Research Team (START). She says that humans face a number of health risks outside of Earth’s atmosphere. 

“Some of the physical hazards in space include lack of gravity, muscle atrophy, as well as differences in organ function,” she says.  

“But another big one is galactic cosmic rays, or GCRs. As radiation comes into contact with the human body, one of the ways that it can impact us is by harming our DNA, which can have major implications for our everyday functions. We specifically wanted to look into double stranded DNA breaks.”

To study this, START created an experiment for the 7th Annual Canada Stratospheric Balloon Experiment Design Challenge hosted by the Canadian Space Agency at the Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base in Timmins, Ont.  

Last August, the team’s payload — known as START1 — was successfully launched and recovered from a height of 28,659.4 metres. 

The apparatus consisted of a pressurized vessel containing three flasks designed to contain human cell cultures, as well as a temperature control chamber and a shock absorption enclosure. 

Through the flight, the team aimed to characterize the stratospheric radiation environment and evaluate the performance of environmental control systems during a stratospheric balloon flight. 

“There’s so much more that went into it than I originally thought,” says Poffley.  

“We had multiple safety checks before we could even get approved for take-off.” 

These safety checks included vertical and lateral acceleration tests, as well as tests that used dry ice to assess whether the environmental control systems within their payload could maintain the 37 Celsius temperature that human cells require at atmospheric pressure.  

While the team originally planned to test their system with live fibroblast cell lines, during its development they made the decision to instead focus on the environmental control aspects of their device, using it as a demonstration flight and generating data that can be extrapolated to longer missions and higher-radiation environments.  

On the morning of the competition, they did one last integration test, hooked up their payload power system while the balloon envelope was being filled and were ready to go.  

“It was very surreal after two years of work,” says Poffley.  

“I’m holding the payload and they’re like ‘okay, 3, 2, 1,’ and then I let it go and it flies.” 

With the successful recovery of their payload a few hours later, START is now able to validate the effectiveness of their temperature and pressure control mechanisms. They hope the payload can be flown in longer duration balloon flights for further research into the impact GCRs have on the human body. 

The team’s work was recognized with the Innovation in Research Award at the competition, a huge accomplishment for a newer team in their first year of participation. 

Their paper, START1: Modular Payload to Facilitate Ground-Based Galactic Cosmic Ray Research, was presented at the International Astronautical Congress 2025 in Australia in September. 

Poffley says the team benefitted greatly from the mentorship of their advisor, Professor Kaley Walker in U of T’s Department of Physics, as well as from the diversity of the team. 

“Working with a really strong team of primarily women has been empowering in itself,” says Poffley. 

“I struggled to find my place in engineering in the first couple years of my undergrad, and it was cool to look at this interdisciplinary team and recognize myself and some of my experiences in my peers.” 

As part of the competition, the team also hosted a 4-hour workshop with the National Society of Black Engineers high school conference, where they taught students how to build simple circuits and code in addition to talking about their stratospheric balloon flight.  

“Our entire team recognizes the importance of exposing the future generation of engineers and those interested in STEM to this kind of work.” 

The START team’s focus for the coming year will be to detail the work they did for future students to use.  

“We’re making sure we have a really good paper trail, so if somebody wants to take on this project later and they have the time, they can pick up right where we left off.” 

When Aniss Zaoui (MIE PhD 2T5) receives his PhD diploma at convocation this fall, it won’t be for the first time. 

“As surprising as it may seem, this is actually my second PhD,” he says.  

“It’s been an uncommon and very non-linear journey to get here, but I can definitely say I’ve arrived at a place where I love what I do. I have zero regrets.” 

Zaoui’s academic journey began in Algeria, where he was born and raised. He initially studied organic chemistry with the idea of going on to a career in drug development, completing master of science degrees at both Université Abu Bekr Belkaid in Algeria and Université Paris-Sud (Paris XI) in France. 

Returning to Algeria, Zaoui found his academic interests had shifted slightly toward polymer chemistry, the subject of his first PhD at Oran University 1 Ahmed Ben Bella. 

“Polymers are the basis of plastics, and also many other materials we use on a daily basis,” says Zaoui. 

“I liked the idea of working on something that was more practical and relatable. But the real interest for me was green chemistry, the idea that we could make these everyday materials in ways that use less energy, produce less carbon or otherwise reduce their environmental impact.” 

As he was finishing up, Zaoui heard from a friend at U of T; a PhD position was available in mechanical engineering, researching materials known as geopolymers — minerals with a patterned structure that resembles organic polymer molecules — as well as plant-derived additives as a way to improve the properties of concrete. 

“Cement and concrete have great structural properties, but cement is very carbon-intensive to produce,” says Zaoui. 

“Geopolymers reenforced with surface engineered thermoplastic microfibers can improve the toughness of cement-based materials. Plant-bases additives, like nanocellulose, can increase strength and reduce strength variability. The goal with both projects was to improve mechanical performance while considering cost and environmental impact.” 

Co-supervised by Professors Chul Park (MIE) and Oh-Sung Kwon (CivMin), Zaoui designed several new hybrid materials and manufacturing processes, one of which even resulted in a provisional patent.  

In between, Zaoui also found time to serve as Vice President, Social for the Association of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Graduate Students (AMIGAS). 

“The barbecues and outdoor events we organized were probably some of the best moments I had at U of T,” he says. 

“PhD students don’t get a lot of opportunities to de-stress and socialize, so it was great not only to get those moments, but to be able to help create them for other students as well.” 

Zaoui also volunteered with Career Exploration & Education, a division of Student Life at U of T. As a career advisor, he helped support students and recent graduates as they researched the next phase of their career, which he says did a lot for his own personal growth. 

A few months ago, Zaoui moved to Sydney, Nova Scotia to start the next phase of his career. He is now a research and development scientist at Agapyo, a company that develops bio-sourced and biodegradable materials that can serve as drop-in replacements for various types of polymer plastics. 

“The idea is that instead of using oil-based polymers, we can use a plant-based feedstock and transform it into something that will behave like the kind of hard plastics you find in everyday objects,” he says. 

“It kind of combines everything I’ve been interested in over the past ten years. I love working on a concrete, actionable solution where I can see the progress with my own eyes.” 

In addition to sharpening his technical expertise, Zaoui says his time at U of T Engineering helped him learn to think about science in a more applied, practical way. 

“I already knew how to conduct research and write papers, to solve problems in a general sense,” he says. 

“But this was the first time I thought in terms of meeting particular design requirements while also being aware of constraints such as cost and time. These come up all the time now in the conversations that I have with our clients. Without the skills I developed at U of T, I’m not sure I would have been ready to handle that so quickly.” 

Beyond that, Zaoui says that the U of T community was the ideal way to be introduced to Canada. 

“Being surrounded by all of these high-profile people, many of them extremely smart, was something I am very grateful for. I now have a great network I can rely on, and that will benefit me far into the future.”  

A team of researchers from U of T Engineering have designed a new material that is both very light and extremely strong — even at temperatures up to 500 Celsius. These properties could make it extremely useful in aerospace and other high-performance industries.  

The new composite material is made of various metallic alloys and nanoscale precipitates, and has a structure that mimics that of reinforced concrete, but on a microscopic scale.    

“Steel rebar is widely used in the construction industry to improve the structural strength of concrete in buildings and other large structures,” says Professor Yu Zou (MSE), senior author on a new paper published in Nature Communications.  

“New techniques such as additive manufacturing, also known as 3D metal printing, have now enabled us to mimic this structure in the form of a metal matrix composite. This approach gives us new materials with properties we’ve never seen before.”  

While steel is still the major structural material in trains and automobiles, aluminum has some advantages in airplanes due to its lower weight.  

Lightweighting — reducing the weight of components while retaining their strength — means that less power is needed to move the vehicle, which in turn improves fuel efficiency. It is particularly important in aerospace, where every gram counts.  

But aluminum alloys also have their downsides, explains Chenwei Shao, a research fellow in Zou’s lab and lead author on the new paper.  

“Until now, aluminum components have suffered from performance degradation at high temperatures,” says Shao.  

“Basically, the hotter they get, the softer they get, rendering them unsuitable for many applications.”  

To overcome this problem, the team aimed to build a composite of various metals that would have the same structure as reinforced concrete: a cage or mesh composed of steel rebar, surrounded by a matrix of cement, sand and aggregate.  

“In our material, the ‘rebar’ is a mesh made of titanium alloy struts,” says Shao.  

“Because we use a form of additive manufacturing in which we fire lasers at metal powders to heat them into solid metal, we can make this mesh any size we want. The struts can be as small as 0.2 millimetres in diameter.”  

To fill in the spaces between these struts, the team used a technique known as micro-casting to create a matrix of other elements, such as aluminum, silicon and magnesium. This matrix acts like the cement to hold it all together.  

Further strength is provided by micrometre-sized particles of alumina and silicon nanoprecipitates embedded in the ‘cement’ matrix. These particles are much like the gravel or aggregate found in concrete.  

The team then subjected their new material to a variety of tests to determine its strength.  

“At room temperature, the highest yield strength we got was around 700 megapascals; a typical aluminum matrix would be more like 100 to 150 megapascals,” says Shao.  

“But where it really shines is at high temperature. At 500 Celsius, it has a yield strength of 300 to 400 megapascals, compared to about 5 megapascals for a traditional aluminum matrix. In fact, this new metal composite performs about as well as medium-range steels, but at only about one-third the weight.” 

The ability of this material to resist degradation at such high temperatures was surprising, so the team built detailed computer models to understand what was going on.  

Huicong Chen, another co-author on the paper, led these computer simulations.  

“What we found was that at high temperatures, this composite material deforms via a different mechanism than most metals,” says Chen.  

“We called this new mechanism enhanced twinning, and it enables the material to maintain much of its strength, even when it gets very hot.”  

Zou says that while it may be some time before the new material begins to be deployed by industry, its discovery underlines the advantages of newly emerging techniques, such as additive manufacturing.  

“We wouldn’t have been able to make this material any other way,” he says.  

“It’s true that it still costs a lot to create materials like this at scale, but there are some applications where the high performance will be worth it. And as more companies invest in advanced manufacturing technologies, we will eventually see the cost come down.  

“We think this is an exciting step forward toward stronger, lighter and more efficient vehicles.”