Author: Jon

iSMART director Dr. Vivian Mushahwar is leading an innovative team of engineers, designers, and clinicians in a bold mission: creating smartwear that helps people with mobility challenges live with greater independence and confidence.

Thanks to funding from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), this multidisciplinary team is pushing the boundaries of wearable technology — making it lighter, more flexible, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life.

Read full Folio article:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gc3nyspP

This month, we said goodbye to an incredible person. We take a moment to honour the life and legacy of Dr. Greg Kawchuk.

Below, Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell shares a personal tribute to their years of friendship, discovery, and shared curiosity.

“Greg and I Co-Directed the Rehabilitation Robotics Lab in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Laboratory. Working with Greg in conceiving of the lab around 2010 and shaping it over the years has been very rewarding and a lot of fun.  Greg would bounce into the lab full of enthusiasm for the latest tech and within hours was shaping a new cutting-edge project.  Often, the projects that evolved were eye-catching. For example, his knuckle cracking project, which used MRI to demonstrate the underlying mechanisms of knuckle cracking, drew international attention. How did it work, did it cause harm – simple questions that drew public attention and piqued their curiosity.  Similarly, reports were heard that perhaps riding the roller coaster at Disney Land dislodged kidney stones.  Greg saw the opportunity to simulate the g-forces and vibrations of the roller coaster in the lab, and so he built a simulated kidney (along with a typical stone), but was missing something. What were the characteristics of those thought to be therapeutic g-forces and vibrations? Off to Disney Land two students were sent, taking an inertial measurement system with them to ride the roller coaster.

All Greg’s research, eye-catching or not, was undertaken rigorously, to high scientific standards – but with a twinkle in his eye! Greg celebrated the fun and the seriousness of science and engineering, creating infectious enthusiasm from all those around him.  He loved teaching graduate students, wanted them to experience the joy he had for science, but also cared for their well-being during the inevitable occasional stressful times of graduate studies.  The course he created – an intensive 2-week course to provide new graduate students with the basic tools they need- won him the 2024-25 Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Teaching Award.  Greg and Kim Adams also provided valuable graduate student mentorship for iSMART’s SMART CREATE program. Greg’s energy, enthusiasm and joy for science are sorely missed by us all in the Rehabilitation Robotics Lab and beyond.  Martin Ferguson-Pell and the RRL Team”

A celebration of Dr. Kawchuk’s life will be held on July 11, 2025. While the RSVP deadline has passed, you can still visit the tribute page using the link below to view photos, stories, and memories shared in his honour.

https://gnk-gnk.com/#gallery

Congratulations to Kirsten Krochat on winning Best Presentation during iSMART’s 2024 Summer Student Presentation Day with her presentation on “Arm and Leg Cycling with Electrical Stimulation for Walking Recovery After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury.”

We’d also like to give a special shout-out to this year’s honourable mentions:
– Georgie Hidson
– Tania Sharifi
– Jooyoung Song
– Monique Yuan
– Salman Zafar

Way to go, and a big thank you to all the students who participated for all their hard work!

We’re excited to reveal iSMART’s fresh new branding, just in time for the start of the new school year. Our transformation into an institute called for a bold new look, and we couldn’t be more excited about it!

A big shoutout to our incredible community of over 400 students, researchers and staff who make up our institute. Here’s to new beginnings and a bright future ahead!

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the sudden passing of Dr. Janet Fast in the early morning of Monday, September 2nd, 2024. Dr. Fast was a deeply valued member of the iSMART community whose dedication and contributions have left a lasting impact on everyone she worked with and cared for.

We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Fast’s family, friends, and all those who were touched by her extraordinary life and work. Her legacy will continue to inspire us.

Rest in peace, Dr. Fast.

With heartfelt sympathy,
The iSMART Team

BLINCdev recently represented Canada on the world stage at the 2024 CYBATHLON in  Zürich. This groundbreaking event celebrates the intersection of human ingenuity and assistive technology, and BLINCdev made a remarkable impact in the ARM race category for upper-limb prosthetics.

The BLINCdev team, led by pilot Chris Neilson, took on an extraordinary challenge at CYBATHLON 2024. As the only North American team to qualify in the ARM race category, they showcased the cutting-edge Bento Arm technology, designed to empower individuals with upper-limb amputations. Chris, who has a transhumeral amputation, demonstrated incredible skill and determination, navigating each task with precision using our custom Bento Arm technology.

Despite the fierce competition, Chris placed among the Top 8 globally—an impressive achievement that speaks volumes about the team’s innovation and dedication. Representing Canada with pride, BLINCdev competed remotely from Vancouver, bringing their expertise to a global audience.

The ARM race at CYBATHLON required participants to perform a series of complex tasks, simulating real-world challenges that individuals with upper-limb prosthetics face daily. From precision gripping to multitasking, the Bento Arm and Chris Neilson’s expertise proved to be a formidable combination.

 

Missed the live event? You can catch BLINCdev’s incredible performance in the official livestreams:

• Run 1 with commentary: Watch here
• Run 2 with commentary: Watch here

Prefer to focus solely on BLINCdev’s runs? Check out the footage without commentary:

• Run 1 without commentary: Watch here
• Run 2 without commentary: Watch here

For a detailed breakdown of results and individual videos, visit the CYBATHLON 2024 Results page.

The success of BLINCdev at CYBATHLON 2024 is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and perseverance. Congratulations to Chris Neilson and the entire BLINCdev team for their hard work and groundbreaking advancements in assistive technology. Your achievements inspire us all and highlight the incredible potential of engineering and research to improve lives worldwide.

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Medical, Health-Care and Pharmaceuticals Applications

Martin Ferguson-Pell, principal investigator of the Rehabilitation Robotics Lab and a Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine professor, took home the ASTech Award for Medical, Healthcare, and Pharmaceuticals – Application (Academic Collaboration). Ferguson-Pell was recognized for his work on innovative technologies in telerehabilitation medicine to increase accessibility.

Working with collaborators from Alberta Health Services, the Evergreens Foundation and the University of Calgary’s Health Everywhere and A-MEDICO programs, Ferguson-Pell’s team develops technologies that bridge the gap between specialist clinical services in urban centres and patients with access to limited care in rural health centres.

The Rehabilitation Robotics Lab seeks ways to reduce the cost and winter risks associated with travel from rural to urban specialist clinics, which also help to ensure that rural patients’ care is not delayed.

“A major practical challenge of the project is the installation of specialized equipment in remote areas. Once set up, this telerehabilitation equipment allows rural patients to connect with urban specialists, creating a clinic-to-clinic model that enhances the safety and effectiveness of clinical assessments.”

— Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell

Outstanding Agri-Economy Innovation – Collaboration

iSMART member Dr. Patricia Dolez, alongside David Bressler and faculty service officer Jane Batcheller — were honoured for their work with Davey Textile Solutions, TechFibre Industries and Mark’s Work Wearhouse.

The team’s initiative — called Regenerated Cellulosic Fibre From Hemp and Post-Consumer Textiles — aims to establish a made-in-Canada supply of regenerated cellulose fibres using Canadian sources of cellulose such as farming residues, hemp and recycled textiles.

The fibres are produced using the more environmentally friendly Lyocell process, which has low water consumption and employs a non-toxic solvent that is more than 99 per cent recoverable. The lyocell fibres will find applications in a wide range of products, including personal protective equipment, workwear, dental floss and health-care products, nonwoven products, filtration media and consumer apparel textiles.

“Since the cellulosic fibres will be produced using local sources of cellulose and the environmentally friendly lyocell process, this innovation will help reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry in Canada.”

— Dr. Patricia Dolez

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