Vortex rings have enchanted fluid dynamicists for centuries, although there is still much left to discover about their formation, behaviour and especially, interactions. VRES provides a low-cost solution that can recreate a wide range of test conditions in a tank, while also enabling flow visualization. Ultimately, VRES allows researchers at the University of Waterloo to further investigate vortex rings in an experimental setting.

Faculty Advisor: Zhao Pan

The global demand for electricity is rising every year. According to The International Energy Agency, “Integrating higher shares of variable renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar, in power systems is essential for decarbonising the power sector while continuing to meet growing demand for energy.” Our team has been developing a bladeless wind turbine, which is a new way to harvest wind energy. Bladeless wind turbines will provide a small-scale power source to high rise buildings, reducing their reliance on non-renewable energy.

Faculty Advisors: Fue-Sang Lien, William Melek

Why are asparagus so expensive? Around the world, asparagus are picked by hand and growers are vulnerable to changes in minimum wage and labour supply shortages. Existing automated solutions fail to achieve the same yields as their human counterparts and damage crops. Our automated asparagus harvester precisely targets and cuts mature asparagus ready for market. By achieving high yields and low crop damage, this harvester produces asparagus at economical prices and reduces food waste.

Faculty Advisor: John Montesano

Masks are an effective way of combatting COVID-19 as they prevent the virus from becoming airborne. As a result, the pandemic has introduced a strong demand for masks worldwide and they are typically manufactured overseas. To meet local demand, Team 41 is collaborating with an Ontario-based mask manufacturer to design a fully-automated, cost-effective mask packaging machine. The machine folds the mask boxes, stacks the masks into the boxes, and closes the boxes before they are distributed to the public.

Faculty Advisor: Kamyar Ghavam

Sponsor: NM Engineering

Mobility issues are increasing due to neurological conditions and the increased risk of physical injuries as the population ages, with more than 18 million individuals suffering in North America. There are few available devices that accurately track the movement and behavior of the ankle joint during rehabilitation. The HANS engineered ankle perturbation device can apply a torque to the ankle joint, and track and analyze ankle movement to provide better rehabilitation methods with real time data analysis to predict and correct ankle behavior.

Faculty Advisor: Arash Arami, Rezvan Nasiri

Arthritis affects 1 in 5 adults in North America. Left untreated, it can lead to severe joint pain, limiting daily activities. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type, is the breakdown of protective cartilage that cushions your bones. While traditional MR (magnetic resonance) imaging can diagnose existing conditions, research suggests imaging joints under compressed loading can detect early signs of OA, allowing earlier treatment. Joint Effort is developing a MR-compatible wrist loading device to advance medical research and improve quality of life for people with OA.

Faculty Advisor: Stewart McLachlin

When moving your belongings to a new home, professional movers are responsible for carrying heavy loads through difficult terrain, such as stairs and tight spaces, where they cannot use traditional wheeled equipment. This places the movers at risk of musculoskeletal injuries. ExoAssist is a passive upper-body exoskeleton which can lock the arm in position on command. This redirects the load on the arm and shoulder to the user’s trunk, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries over time.

Faculty Advisor: Kamyar Ghavam