We need to have more diversity in the data used in training AI databases
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers numerous benefits, but training with robust data is essential to developing quality AI systems. Our underwater database assists in developing recognition systems for ocean/sea search and rescue operations, our dental database helps train new dentists in accurate diagnosis of dental diseases, and our facial recognition database assists law enforcement in the…
Partnership with SVG Ventures|THRIVE will help researchers and startups move new technologies
The University of Alberta is partnering with a leading Silicon Valley firm to support innovation growth in Alberta’s agriculture and food sectors. An agreement with SVG Ventures|THRIVE, a venture capital firm investing in agricultural technology startups and supporting corporations with open innovation, powers the U of A to accelerate its development and adoption of technology-driven solutions…
RNA technology used to target gene defects in blood cells that lead to diseases like leukemia
A University of Alberta researcher is hot on the trail of a new drug to combat blood cancers. Based on RNA technology — best known for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines — the drug targets specific gene defects in blood cells responsible for cancers such as leukemia. “With conventional cancer drugs, there is a…
Student clubs offer a taste of what it means to work together on a multifaceted design project
Engineering clubs are created by students and for students. They provide a sandbox that lets future engineers make new things, sometimes starting with mistakes. COVID-19 jeopardized the clubs, but they’re coming back strong and punching above their weight. “It’s not something that you expect a group of students to take on because of the technical…
Improving charge capacity could offer big advantages for manufacturers and consumers
Cruising down the highway in an electric car, who wouldn’t want to squeeze a few hundred extra kilometres out of a single battery charge? University of Alberta researcher Jasper Woodard is hoping to achieve just that. He’s working to improve a particular component in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs) – and everyday…
Faster drilling, alternative fuels, engine automation are just the beginning as industry keeps innovating
When Nicole Romanow looks at drilling rigs from 30 years ago, she’s impressed by the change and innovation that has occurred in Canada’s oil and gas industry – and what is yet to come. That’s because as team lead for sustainability strategy at Canadian drilling company Ensign Energy Services, she understands the level of equipment…
Federal funding supports intensive advanced training for future leaders in AI and diabetes research
In a global competition for talent, Canada is seeking to train the best graduate students to become “highly qualified personnel” – university-educated experts with the savvy and ingenuity to lead innovation in high-tech industries, government and academia. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has announced two new programs at the University of…
Safe, portable imaging system one of five new health technologies funded by Alberta Innovates
Dentists may soon add portable ultrasound to the standard equipment in their offices, allowing them to accurately and affordably diagnose aspects of their patients’ periodontal disease without any risk of radiation. That’s the goal of a University of Alberta research team that will continue to develop and commercialize its patented dental ultrasound system thanks to…
U of A engineering students beat out 3M and others with an invention that lets patients know when to seek care
Three University of Alberta engineering students have developed a mobile app that tracks the progress of a healing wound. The app calculates whether treatments are working as they should based on descriptions of size, depth and shape along with more subjective impressions of pain and irritation, says programmer Connor Povoledo. Accurate tracking can predict infection…
A ban will impact some 93,000 jobs in the plastics industry. Most in Ontario
All signs point to the federal government going ahead with a ban on certain single-use plastic products, which would be a mistake. This restrictive measure will likely not have the effects hoped for, and even if it does, you can be sure that the Canadian economy will suffer from those gains. The Canadian plastics industry,…
The Truly Ergonomic Keyboard allows you to maximize your typing with less fatigue and strain
Do you seem to forever live behind your keyboard and, more often than not, it’s a painful experience? You might want to give the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard from Cleave a try. It’s designed to allow you to maximize your typing with less fatigue and strain on your hands while improving your posture. The standard keyboard…
Maricor Arlos grew up around water, but when she came to Canada she found purpose in sustaining it
Growing up in the Philippines, a country in the western Pacific Ocean made up of 7,107 islands, Maricor Arlos didn’t think much about the water that surrounded her. With no central sewage system, many households in the Philippines have septic tanks or other forms of decentralized waste collection that would be cleared out periodically without…
AI-powered portable ultrasound system makes scans and diagnoses accessible from anywhere
Imagine if family doctors, nurses, technicians – even ski patrollers – could use handheld ultrasound devices to screen for everything from hip dysplasia to wrist fractures to heart disease from anywhere. A new approach to scans developed at the University of Alberta pairs the accessibility of portable ultrasound with an artificial intelligence app that can…
The TESER ACT unit uses UV light to kill viruses and other common pathogens
A new made-in-Alberta sanitization product to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 will soon be in use at the Edmonton International Airport and government offices in Calgary and Edmonton, thanks to a partnership with scientists at the University of Alberta’s Biosafety Level 3 Lab. The TESER ACT unit uses ultraviolet-C light from hundreds of LED light…
Groundbreaking work could help industry understand how to store carbon safely over the long term
A University of Alberta researcher is working to improve how carbon dioxide is stored and absorbed when it’s pumped underground for safe, long-term storage. By taking an up-close look at the processes of carbon capture and storage (CCS), Amy Tsai, a professor in the Faculty of Engineering, is getting a better idea of how CO2 is transported…
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers numerous benefits, but training with robust data is essential to developing quality AI systems. Our underwater database assists in developing recognition systems for ocean/sea search and rescue operations, our dental database helps train new dentists in accurate diagnosis of dental diseases, and our facial recognition database assists law enforcement in the…
