February 5, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO RECEIVES $3 MILLION FOR GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT WIRELESS RESEARCH

Today’s announcement represents the second round of funding under the Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence program. In this round, the government is providing $23,353,275 to support four world-class projects at the University of Toronto.

Creating Anywhere, Anytime Wireless Networks

Self-powered Sensor Networks

Creating large-scale wireless sensor networks for a wide range of applications

Lead researcher: Dr. Dimitrios Hatzinakos
Total project cost: $9,060,000
Provincial funding: $3,040,000

The growing global market for new wireless communications technologies is of prime interest to University of Toronto researchers working with partner Motorola.

Together, researchers at the University of Toronto and Motorola will develop and commercialize new technologies necessary for the deployment of large-scale, self-powered wireless networks. 

The goal of the project is to create networks of hundreds of inexpensive, self-powered sensors capable of transmitting data wirelessly. These networks have the potential to become valuable tools for monitoring the environmental health of remote wilderness areas, or monitoring and securing large, unpatrolled border areas.

One of the key goals of this project is to create the low-cost, miniaturized, readily integratable 24/7 energy generation systems that can power these wireless networks. 

As a result, the team of researchers will develop the full suite of sensor hardware, software, as well as energy capture, conservation and storage technologies (the aim of the project is that these networks would be self-powered, possibly solar powered).

Key private sector partners: Motorola

Key facts:

• This project envisions developing flexible, low-cost sensors, enabling software, and innovative ways to power wireless networks — including tapping into new solar technologies.
• According to Dr. Hatzinakos, the market for mobile sensing is poised to surpass $5 billion by 2011 with substantially greater growth expected over the next decade.
• Dr. Hatzinalos team currently numbers 13 people. With Ontario's support for this project, it is anticipated that well over 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and 300 senior undergraduate students will be directly involved in associated research activities.

Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program

This second round of funding under the Research Excellence program will invest  $114,709,614 to support 19 world-class projects at nine Ontario universities, institutes and hospitals. Funding will be matched by 107 major industry and other partners participating in the projects.

For more information about the Ontario Research Fund, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

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