Machine learning, genetics and doubt: Big ideas from NASIT’14
Professor En-hui Yang asked information theorists from across the world to doubt absolutely everything — except, of course, their decision to study information theory (IT). Yang spoke at the IEEE North American School for Information Theory (NASIT’14), hosted this month by the University of Toronto. The conference brought together 100 graduate students from across North […]
Lassonde Mining Building wins Canadian Green Building Award
Tucked away in one of the University of Toronto’s oldest and most historic buildings, there’s an attic. This attic isn’t a place to store your grandmother’s old photo albums or records, it’s home to the Goldcorp Mining Innovation Suite – an eco-friendly design space for mineral and civil engineering students that was recognized this month […]
Suffering from knee pain? Biological joint replacements move a step closer with 3D printed templates
Knee pain – it’s familiar to runners, skiers, and almost anyone over a certain age. Yet doctors often urge patients to postpone knee replacement surgery as long as possible because the artificial joint may not last long. Now, a collaborative research project that began at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering […]
New class of nanoparticle brings cheaper, lighter solar cells outdoors
Think those flat, glassy solar panels on your neighbour’s roof are the pinnacle of solar technology? Think again. Researchers in the University of Toronto’s Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have designed and tested a new class of solar-sensitive nanoparticle that outshines what we currently consider state of the art. This […]
Heather MacLean recognized by CMHC for contributions to sustainability
8:07 AM: the Gardiner Expressway rumbles with thousands of vehicles driving downtown to work, each with its own combustion engine releasing a barely-visible trail of exhaust into the atmosphere. Is there a better way to move people around our city? If so, what is it? These are questions that Professor Heather MacLean (CivE) explores in […]
PURE green machine proves U of T engineers more than just design wizards
It may have hydrogen fuel cells, a solar panel and three lithium-ion batteries, but a new electric vehicle from students at U of T won’t be found on the highway – it’ll be working on the farm. A group of engineering students has proposed a new type of sustainable soybean harvester, recently winning first place […]
Teaching flying robots to learn
A helicopter drone zooms along the shores of Boston’s Charles River, carefully flying back and forth to photograph algae growth for nearby researchers. And who’s at the controls? Nobody – thanks to autonomous algorithms developed by Angela Schoellig, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS). Next month, Schoellig – […]
A car that travels 1,152 kilometres on one litre of fuel
How much do you think it costs to drive from Toronto to Vancouver in the U of T Supermileage Team’s new eco-car? Hint: it’s less than a medium latte from your favourite coffee shop.Unveiled at the international Shell Eco-marathon this month, the tiny car from U of T engineering students is capable of traveling 1,152 kilometres on […]
U of T engineers use “Sperm Olympics” to help couples get pregnant faster
In vitro fertility treatments can be intensely emotional and medically invasive, not to mention expensive. But technical developments from a research group at the University of Toronto may soon be able to shorten the journey to pregnancy – and that potential has piqued interest from international investors. The research group, QSperm, is looking to turn […]
