Engineering a ‘social needs marketplace’ to help the urban poor
This story is Part 4 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Two years ago, U of T Engineering professor Mark Fox (MIE) spent 36 hours living on the street. He did it partly as a charity fundraiser, but mostly to get a better sense of how the homeless […]
A bumper crop atop U of T Engineering’s Sky Garden
This story is Part 3 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Every Tuesday through the late summer and early fall, a team of volunteers ascends to the roof of the Galbraith Building on U of T’s St. George Campus. They are there to pick corn, beans, squash, peppers, […]
On the right track: new iCity collaboration addresses Toronto’s transit woes
This story is Part 2 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Just before leaving by bike to interview U of T transportation guru Eric Miller (CivE), I checked my smartphone for new email. Fifteen minutes later, as I walked into the Galbraith Building on the St. George campus, […]
Plant biosensor could help African farmers fight parasitic “witchweed”
Engineering and biology professors at the University of Toronto have developed a new strategy for helping African farmers fight a parasitic plant that devastates crops. Plants in the genus Striga, also known as witchweed, act as parasites of other plants, tapping into their root systems and hijacking them for their own purposes. Though their purple […]
David Sinton elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
Professor David Sinton (MIE) has been named to the 2015 cohort of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Now in its second year, the College recognizes and brings together an emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leaders from multiple disciplines. Sinton is a pioneer in applying small-scale fluid mechanics research, […]
World’s fastest bike created by U of T Engineering alumni and students
A team of U of T Engineering alumni and students has created the fastest human-powered vehicle on earth — a bicycle that reached a top speed of 139.45 kilometres per hour (86.65 miles per hour) at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada, last week. The 25-kilogram speed-bike, named Eta after the Greek letter used […]
Blue Sky Solar Racing team reveals new solar-powered vehicle Horizon
With the sun beaming down on its solar surface, Horizon looked poised to tear off its platform and hit the road. The sleek new vehicle was unveiled today by the University of Toronto’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team. The eighth-generation, custom-built solar car boasts several design innovations, including adopting a catamaran-shaped aerobody, improved seams, lighter […]
$2.8 million research grant boosts the search for ‘green plastics’
Paper or plastic? This seemingly mundane question captures one of our biggest sustainability challenges: although paper is renewable and biodegradable, for many uses non-degradable plastic still wins out due to its resilience and versatility. Now, thanks to a new grant from the European Research Council, Professor Emma Master (ChemE) is searching for ways to get the […]
Engineered hybrid crystal opens new frontiers for high-efficiency lighting
It’s snack time: you have a plain oatmeal cookie, and a pile of chocolate chips. Both are delicious on their own, but if you can find a way to combine them smoothly, you get the best of both worlds. Researchers in The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering used this insight […]
