By: Mobolade Ekujumi
- RIC Clients Charlie Thai (CEO AVP Solutions) with Leo Blakely (Founder of Rivalries)
The RIC centre along with a few of our clients were present at the world’s largest business mentoring event OCE Discovery 12 on Monday May 14th, and Tuesday May 15th 2012. We would like to first of all congratulate Ontario Centres of Excellence for successfully putting together such an amazing event. Discovery is an annual tradeshow where innovators showcase breathtaking inventions. This year’s edition of discovery garnered over 2600 attendees, 330 exhibitors, and over $100,000 in competitor prizes for the best new innovators. The Guinness book of world records was present to acknowledge a new world record for the most people attending a business speed networking event. Successful industry professionals (mentors) were paired with new innovators (protégés) for 3 minute conversations. With over 250 participants, 4000 new business relationships sprang forth from this exercise. This amazing feat will foster increased innovation in the province of Ontario. Innovation in Toronto is rated the 4th city in the world with the greatest number of start-ups only after Silicon Valley, New York & London.
RIC’s clients CHAR Technologies, OpenAXYZ, Rivalries, AVP Solutions, SMARTeacher, Emcara and Shimifrez were present to showcase their business solutions.
There were several other impressive new innovations showcased at the OCE Discovery 12. I will describe two such products below.
Disaster Scene reconstruction project
Using Xbox Kinect technology, Ryerson graduate students in the Computer Science department are creating a new remote controlled helicopter which helps search and rescue missions. The Helicopter hovers around an earthquake rubble for example and then creates a 3D model of the scene with complex details about the rubble. This then enables the emergency response team to act with increased accuracy.
Dr Alex Ferworn and his graduate students at Ryerson are also working with the Ontario Provincial Police, outfitting urban search and rescue dogs with Canine Augmentation technology (CAT). CAT is a wireless audio, video, telemetry sensory system to be worn by rescue dogs. The dogs indicate the presence of live humans in rubble by barking and the CAT system allows emergency workers to see and hear what’s going on in the dog’s location. Remote controlled robots could then be deployed by the dogs to give victims medicine, radios, and more.
Interaxon – Thought controlled computing
In five years you’ll be able to control gadgets with your mind – IBM. Numerous companies and organizations including NeuroSky, Neurowear, Interaxon, and the VERE project are already using advanced sensors to translate electrical brain activity and facial expressions into computer commands. Interaxon was present at the OCE Discovery showcasing new thought controlled devices such as Zenbound2. Zenbound 2 is an iPad game controlled by the mind. Using Alpha & Beta Brainwaves, concentrating on the screen enables you spin a rope around a log of wood. Interaxon has also created many other thought controlled computer devices such as the levitating chair. To use this device, participants settle down into a translucent, oval chair suspended from the ceiling. As they relax, a computer screen before them displays their rising Alpha waves. Past a certain Alpha activity threshold, the chair begins to move. The user can then control the environment around them, including lights and sounds, as well as the ability to raise and lower the chair. Finally, proof that it is possible to levitate as a result of meditation.
Mo‘ is a final year Student at the University of Toronto interning with the Altitude Accelerator as the Assistant Communications Officer. He is currently enrolled in the CCIT program pursuing a specialist in Digital Enterprise Management. With a solid background & experience in Marketing, Digital Media, E-business strategies & Social networking, Mo brings a lot of expertise to the RIC team. He is also a versatile and multi-talented blogger, radio host & event promoter.
The RIC blog is designed as a showcase for entrepreneurs and innovation. Our guest bloggers provide a wealth of information based on their personal experiences. Visit Altitude Accelerator for more information on how RIC can accelerate your ideas to market.
