U of T Engineering Communications

From fun phones to better sleep: U of T Engineering's holiday gift guide has you covered

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 13:58:15 +0000

From fun phones to better sleep: U of T Engineering's holiday gift guide has you covered

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/17/2019 - 08:58

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Co-created by U of T Engineering graduate student Charlie Katrycz, the wireless banana phone brings a dash of fun to each phone call and helps support gorilla conservation efforts (photo courtesy of

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Attention last minute University of Toronto shoppers: If you’re still looking for a unique gift for that special someone – and value a unique, U of T connection – the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has you covered.

From a banana-shaped phone to glasses that help you sleep better, U of T Engineering alumni and students have designed a wide variety of cool products that are sure to bring a smile to everyone on your list.

Here is a selection of items from the 2019 U of T Engineering holiday gift guide:

Banana Phone

In a world where everyone has a similar-looking smartphone, a banana-shaped phone is sure to make a statement. Co-created by U of T Engineering graduate student Charlie Katrycz, the wireless handset brings a dash of fun to each phone call and helps support gorilla conservation efforts.

And, just in time for the holidays, Katrycz and his team launched the Banana Phone 2.0, featuring extended battery life and a Bluetooth speaker – so yes, you can play “Banana Phone” on your banana phone.

The banana phone is among Katrycz’s many ventures. He is also leading a team to develop the world’s thinnest wearable hot water bottle for menstrual pain relief. For those looking for a gift idea for next year, the team plan to release Undu for presale in the first half of 2020.

“We are working on manufacturing the packets and optimizing the design so that it is user-friendly and easy to wear and reheat,” says Katrycz.

Nanoleaf light panels

Founded by U of T Engineering alumni Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan, Nanoleaf’s energy-efficient light panels add a pop of colour to any room.

The modular LED lights are available in triangular or square panels and can be arranged into any design. From functional tiles that gradually brighten to wake you up in the morning to statement-making “smart art” that pulses and changes colour in sync with your music, the lights are designed to fit any home and lifestyle.

They also come packed with a number of high-tech features including touch control and integration with smart home assistants such as Siri, Google and Alexa.

Instant Pot

Co-created by U of T Engineering alumnus Dongjun Wang, the Instant Pot has earned cult-like devotion from users since it debuted in 2009.

The New York Times has professed its love for the device, and Wirecutter selected it as the best pressure cooker you can buy. There’s even an Instant Pot Community Facebook group with more than 1.6 million fans.

Do yourself a favour: when you buy an Instant Pot for somebody on your list this year, put one under the tree for yourself, too.

Natural skin care products

(photo by Roberta Baker)

Everyone’s skin could use a little extra love during these dry winter months – so treat your friends and family to skin-care products from NIU BODY this holiday.

Co-founded by U of T Engineering alumna Laura Burget, NIU BODY is a Toronto-based skin care company that keeps sustainability in mind. All products contain all-natural ingredients and are packaged in reusable, recyclable containers and bottles. The products are also 100 per cent vegan and cruelty free.

From NIU BODY’s best-selling sugar lip polish to face serums, mists and masks, you're sure to find something for the natural skin-care lovers on your list.

Kamigami

Andrew Gillies co-founded Dash Robotics, Inc. with the mission of creating affordable, educational robots designed to inspire students to get involved in robotics and engineering.

Starting as flat sheets, the company’s six-legged Kamigami Robots are easy to fold and snap together into insect-like creations.

The free companion smartphone app enables users to remotely control their robot, battle with friends, play interactive games and more.

They’re perfect for the budding maker (or future engineer) on your list. Some assembly required.

Dog collars and leashes

Very good dogs deserve gifts, too. And better yet, sales from Team Plover’s collars and leashes go towards helping other good dogs.

Upon graduating from U of T Engineering, Christian Marcello became a volunteer rescue-animal transporter, helping to drive dogs from kill shelters in Montreal to rescue sanctuaries in Toronto.

“Once I got started, I couldn't stop,” says Marcello. “I saw first-hand how rescue transportation was able to open up a world of possibilities to pets stuck in awful situations and wanted to do as much as I could. I ended up starting Team Plover.”

Every leash and collar sold through Team Plover funds the transportation of an animal to safety – the company even sends a video of the rescue to the customer. So far, more than 200 dogs across North America have been saved.

“My vision for Team Plover is to be able to help bring about a world where every pet has a loving home,” Marcello says.

Vinyl records

(photo by Doug Chappell)

The vinyl renaissance continues – sales of vinyl records have grown every year for at least a decade, and are poised to eclipse sales of CDs, according to CNBC. But if you want to start up a new label, there are only two companies in the world from whom you can buy your vinyl pressing machinery.

Etobicoke-based Viryl Technologies is one of them. Founded by James Hashmi, Chad Brown and U of T Engineering alumnus Rob Brown, the company has more than 50 presses in operation around the world.

Among the labels that use Viryl’s machines are Dine Alone Records, which has offices in Toronto as well as in Nashville, Los Angeles and Sydney. If you buy an LP copy of Smaller Chairs For The Early 1900s by Moneen, On A Wave by Dave Monks, or A Pill for Loneliness by City and Colour, you will be spinning a small piece of U of T ingenuity.

Blue Block Glasses

We’ve all been guilty of scrolling through our phones before bed or falling down the “just one more episode” wormhole, only to toss and turn in restless sleep afterward.

Blue light emitted by electronic devices can affect levels of melatonin (a hormone associated with sleep), shifting circadian rhythms and delaying sleep. Blue Block Glasses by Somnitude are designed to filter out the harsh blue light and mitigate its effects.

Created by U of T Engineering alumnus Amol Rao, the glasses should be worn two to three hours before bed for a better sleep.

Somnitude’s glasses have received a medical device approval from Health Canada while Blue Block counts Canadian Olympians among its clients.

Five U of T Engineering innovations making the future greener

sgupta — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 11:53:49 +0000

Five U of T Engineering innovations making the future greener sgupta Wed, 03/30/2016 - 07:53

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Professor David Sinton (above) researches algae and cyanobacteria in the hopes that pond scum holds the keys to green energy (photo courtesy NSERC)

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The University of Toronto today unveiled its plan for taking action on climate change in a bold report, Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive Action on Climate Change.

Building windmills in Nicaragua

A group led by U of T Engineering professor Amy Bilton is partnering with residents of Pedro Arauz, Nicaragua to design and construct a water-pumping windmill, providing critical irrigation during the area’s long dry season.

The project was launched as part of a fourth-year course in the department of mechanical & industrial engineering. Over the last two years, three different teams of undergraduate students have worked closely with members of the local community as well as the Winds of Change initiative to make the windmill a reality.

The area has plenty of groundwater and dug wells, but hand pumps — currently the most widespread pump technology — are simply not powerful enough to produce the thousands of gallons of water required for crop irrigation. The use of diesel and electrical pumps is limited by a lack of infrastructure, high cost and difficulties with the importing of goods. By contrast, wind pumps can be built and maintained using locally available materials, and the climate in Nicaragua is windy enough to provide the required energy.

“From the beginning, it was engineering students working together with community members who provided great suggestions in terms the local practices and available resources,” said Bilton. “Everyone was so kind and so welcoming. I think that was really what moved the students and helped motivate them as they worked on the project.”

Designing greener airplanes

U of T Engineering professors are developing innovations in airplane design that could save hundreds of millions of litres of jet fuel every day and significantly reduce the environmental impact of flying.

Professor Craig Steeves of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies is collaborating with Professor Glenn Hibbard of materials science & engineering. They're designing materials that incorporate small-scale truss-like structures, similar to the scaffolding used inside the Statue of Liberty or for the Eiffel Tower.

The materials are 3D printed using polymers and then coated with ultra-high strength nanocrystalline metal. Using computer models as well as physical prototypes, the team designs and optimizes these structures for strength, stiffness, weight and other desirable properties.

“New techniques like 3D printing or automated fibre placement are enabling us to manufacture structures that are much more complicated than anything we could build in the past,” says Steeves. “This enables us to design structures with unprecedented capabilities.”

Learn more about the Centre for Research in Sustainable Aviation

Growing ‘pond scum’ for fuel

Need green energy? Someday you may need to look no further than the green scum coating the nearest puddle.

Mechanical & industrial engineering professor David Sinton’s research focuses on optimizing the growth of algae and cyanobacteria — often considered ‘pond scum’. Algae and cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms that can use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into chemical products and ultimately fuels.

Among the fastest-growing photosynthetic organisms on earth, some species accumulate high levels of fat and oil that could be refined into biofuels, or sugars that could be fermented into ethanol.

Despite decades of research, there is still much uncertainty about the exact conditions that each species needs to grow at its optimal rate, or accumulate the most product. The number of variables — light intensity, light spectrum, nutrient and CO2 levels, temperature and more — makes designing experiments to cover all possible combinations both difficult and costly.

Sinton and his team are addressing that problem using their expertise in microfluidics and optofluidics, two fields that look at how fluids and light can be conducted through very small channels or optical conductors. They recently designed a “lab on a chip” that contains hundreds of individual chambers in which the microorganisms can grow.

Learn more about Professor Sinton’s work on growing green fuels

Optimizing batteries for electric vehicles

A2B, the world’s only completely Canadian-designed, Canadian-fabricated electric car, calls U of T Engineering home.

“It’s definitely unique – nowhere in Canada will you find a vehicle like this,” says professor Olivier Trescases of The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Trescases and his lab are working to optimize the battery life and power systems of the electric vehicle—including integration with renewable sources.

“It’s exciting because this is far beyond what we could possibly build in-house. Even the chassis is custom-designed to house the massive 380-kilogram lithium battery pack. We even have a rooftop solar installation that can be used to charge this EV and turn it into a true zero-emission vehicle.”

Learn more about A2B

Storing energy from renewables

We can’t control when the wind blows and when the sun shines, so finding efficient ways to store energy from alternative sources remains an urgent research problem. Now, a group of researchers led by U of T Engineering professor Ted Sargent may have a solution inspired by nature.

The team has designed the most efficient catalyst for storing energy in chemical form, by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, just like plants do during photosynthesis. Oxygen is released harmlessly into the atmosphere, and hydrogen, as H2, can be converted back into energy using hydrogen fuel cells.

“Today on a solar farm or a wind farm, storage is typically provided with batteries. But batteries are expensive, and can typically only store a fixed amount of energy,” says Sargent. “That’s why discovering a more efficient and highly scalable means of storing energy generated by renewables is one of the grand challenges in this field.”

Learn more about the Sargent Group’s solar research

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U of T Engineering Communications

From fun phones to better sleep: U of T Engineering's holiday gift guide has you covered

Banana Phone

Nanoleaf light panels

Instant Pot

Natural skin care products

Kamigami

Dog collars and leashes

Vinyl records

Blue Block Glasses

Five U of T Engineering innovations making the future greener

Read more about the 14-point plan

Building windmills in Nicaragua

Read more about the Winds of Change project

Designing greener airplanes

Learn more about the Centre for Research in Sustainable Aviation

Growing ‘pond scum’ for fuel

Learn more about Professor Sinton’s work on growing green fuels

Optimizing batteries for electric vehicles

Learn more about A2B

Storing energy from renewables

Learn more about the Sargent Group’s solar research