More funding for robotics researchers in Canada

Citation

(2004), "More funding for robotics researchers in Canada", Industrial Robot, Vol. 31 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2004.04931aab.003

More funding for robotics researchers in Canada

More funding for robotics researchers in Canada

Keywords: Medical, Robotics, Laser scanning, Canada

Robotics research in Canada has received a funding boost worth more than $400,000 (Canadian). The funding comes from Ottawa- based Precarn Inc., a not-for-profit national consortium of corporations, research institutes and government partners supporting the development of robotics and intelligent systems (IS). This latest funding follows an initial $500,000-investment made by Precarn in April 2003. Both are part of a program of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), a federally-funded Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) managed by Precarn. The program was created to help retain in Canada top academic researchers who are in the first 5 years of their careers. Announcing the new funding, Anthony T. Eyton, President of Precarn Inc. and Director of IRIS said that grants should enable the researchers “to pursue research that may not have otherwise been economically feasible in this country, which in the past has caused a movement of academics south of the border to 'greener' pastures”.

Fourteen researchers have each received approximately $35,000 to fund research into various fields with the robotics and IS area. In one project, based at Concordia University, Jayad Dargahi will explore ways to enable a surgeon to “feel” tissue and sense the presence of ducts and blood vessels during endoscopic surgery. To this end, he will be incorporating tactile sensors into the endoscopic surgical tools.

Hui Jiang of York University aims to build a spoken dialogue system for robots so that human operators can talk, or even dialogue, with a robot in human natural language in order to control or guide the robot to do complicated tasks.

At the École Polytechnique de Montréal, Sylvain Martel is combining microbiology with modern technology systems, such as electronics, to create smaller, more efficient miniature robots and mechanical tools. The work will focus on mixing special bacteria – which are sensitive to electromagnetic fields – and electronics, with the goal of developing devices that will control the movement of the bacteria. The benefits will be to such areas as medical research, as well as the development of various instruments through the production of new types of switches.

Also receiving new grants are Hani Naguib and Amor Jnifene, who are working as a team at the University of Ottawa to design and build linear robotic actuators (robotic muscles) using “smart” materials. The team aims to mimic biological muscles and create robots with human capabilities. The results of this research can also be used to develop more efficient artificial limbs.

Another newly funded team is that of Hao (Richard) Zhang and Torsten Möller of Simon Fraser University, where they aim to develop a system to help characterize and manipulate three-dimensional (3D) models acquired from laser scanning. With the recent influx of 3D scanners, this work addresses the need for a tool which enables users to manipulate the 3D models they scan. Applications such as archiving of artifacts, computer animation and games, as well as the development of 3D model-based IS are envisaged.

In another project, W.J. (Chris) Zhang, University of Saskatchewan, is developing technology for the design, manufacture, modelling and control of small-scale robots that help manipulate small structures, such as proteins. This technology, which, together with X-ray beams can provide 3D information (allowing researchers to see small structures from all angles), is beneficial to companies that develop new products working at the cellular level, and should ultimately help pharmaceutical companies in the development of new drugs.