Unlocking the potential of some of the Earth’s oldest natural resources.
Developing futuristic robotic technologies to help people living with physical disabilities.
Memorial University researchers will continue to explore these two areas thanks to nearly $200,000 in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and its John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).
‘Significant opportunities’
Dr. Hilary Corlett, associate professor and project lead, and Dr. Eric Thiessen, assistant professor, both from the Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, were awarded $100,709 from CFI for their Atlantic Canada Lapidary and Sample Preparation Facility project.
Dr. Xianta Jiang, associate professor and project lead, and Dr. Vinicius Prado da Fonseca, associate professor, both from the Department of Computer Science, along with Dr. Ting Zou, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, all from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, received $98,515 for their project, Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Precise and Natural Assistive Robotic Manipulation.
“The foundational support of the Canada Foundation for Innovation provides significant opportunities,” said Dr. Tana Allen, vice-president (research). “Our research teams will have access to some of the best scientific equipment and our students will receive tremendous hands-on training opportunities. Warm congratulations to our researchers on these exciting projects.”
Critical minerals and the carbon crisis
Dr. Corlett’s project will infuse Memorial’s Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training Network with new infrastructure into its Lapidary and Sample Preparation Facility.
The facility is already a key resource for earth sciences research, and the addition of new, higher-capacity equipment will allow for more efficient processing of solid rock samples into petrographic thin sections.
The increased capacity will benefit the minerals industry, energy sector, Atlantic Canada researchers and the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador, providing a foundational step in studying the province’s critical minerals and energy resources.
“Thin slices of rocks are cut, mounted on a glass slide and polished to observe the mineral properties,” said Dr. Corlett. “This will determine relationships between the various mineral phases to understand how they are formed.”
The enhanced facility will further the exploration and development of critical minerals and the long-term underground storage of carbon dioxide.
“None of this work can be done without detailed investigations of the Earth’s materials at the microscale.”
Dr. Corlett says the need to be more self-reliant and to produce the mineral resources other countries and industries need are top priorities for Canadians.
“As we develop our resources, we also have the chance to investigate and develop new pathways for injection of carbon dioxide into the Earth for long-term storage, contributing to our goals of carbon dioxide reduction alongside world partners,” she said. “None of this work can be done without detailed investigations of the Earth’s materials at the microscale.”
Dr. Thiessen says that understanding the Earth’s materials in Newfoundland and Labrador’s highly variable crust, including offshore oil and gas reservoirs, is critical to achieving both projects’ goals.
He says the new lapidary facility will provide quick turnaround times of well-prepared samples to study while advancing the understanding of mineral systems and underground storage into new possibilities and opportunities.
“The new equipment will also allow students the time they need to complete their research projects and begin their careers,” he said.
AI and robots
Dr. Jiang’s project will integrate AI and prosthetics to make a substantial difference in the lives of amputees.
“Our goal is to enable robots to work safely and intuitively alongside people,” he explained. “This research will advance assistive technologies that help individuals with physical disabilities regain independence, improve rehabilitation outcomes and enhance workforce safety in hazardous environments.”
He says CFI’s investment is “absolutely essential” to taking the research to the next level.
“This investment not only strengthens our research capabilities, but also helps position Newfoundland and Labrador as a lead for intelligent robotics research in Canada,” he said.
Drs. Jiang, Prado da Fonseca and Zou will acquire state-of-the-art humanoid robotic systems designed to resemble the human body to study how robots can learn and replicate human dexterity in real-world settings.
The research will integrate AI, machine learning and multi-sensory feedback to build robots capable of precise, adaptive and safe physical interaction with people and objects.
Dr. Jiang says the specialized robotic and sensing systems are not available through regular research funding programs, and the investment creates the foundation for long-term leadership in human-centred, robotic interaction research at Memorial.
“The knowledge developed will support Canada’s growing robotics and AI industry by training highly qualified personnel and developing technologies that can be translated into health care, manufacturing and remote operations.”
Learn more about research at Memorial and check out Research Strategy 2023-28 to learn how we’re moving ideas forward.
