PARTNER PROFILE BARRETT CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2020
In December 2018, SICK Canada (SICK) signed a three-year partnership agreement with Humber to raise awareness of new industry automation sensor solutions and Industry 4.0 ready sensor technologies. “The workforce is continually changing and we as industry leaders understand that. Partnering with Humber allows us to align with competency development to meet those emerging environments, and also gives us access to student perspectives that will shape the future,” says Craig S. Smith, President, SICK Canada. SICK is a founding member of Humber’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Consortium, a group of industry partners working with the college to train students and employees of Canadian companies within the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI). The consortium integrates new learning pathways and opportunities for students, faculty and industry experts to collaborate on the latest technology to solve real-world industry automation and Industry 4.0 business challenges. “Partnering with SICK enhances Humber’s sensor and industry automation expertise, providing our students and faculty with new learning opportunities,” says Chris Whitaker, President and CEO, Humber College. “SICK sensors are found in manufacturing environments and in key equipment used in consumer markets, transportation, health care and other sectors.” As part of the agreement, SICK provides sensor technologies and services worth $765,000, new training opportunities for Humber students and dedicated support through new scholarships called the SICK Canada Leadership & Vision Awards. The partnership also includes: - Applied research opportunities with SICK related to Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, Industrial Automation and SICK Sensor Intelligence; - Employment and exchange pathways for Humber students to work at SICK; PROFILE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Pictured above: Ten of the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation team members that are ready to collaborate with a number of new community and industry stakeholders in 2020.
Barrett CTI roaring into 2020 and beyond As we gear up for a busy year at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI), we are also looking back at the past several months since the building launched. Since opening in April 2019, more than 10,000 visitors have come to the building for events, workshops, meetings and other initiatives. “We’re thrilled with the level of engagement from students, staff, and community and industry partners,” says Neal Mohammed, director, Barrett CTI. “Everyone has been genuinely interested in learning more about the technology and capabilities of the building. They want to get involved and start collaborating,” says Mohammed. The Barrett CTI has become a destination for students, faculty, and industry partners for collaborative applied research projects. More than 30 active projects are underway within the Centre, and this number will continue to increase in 2020. Many of the existing projects are related to automation, which includes the development of an automated robotic cell and an automated guided vehicle. There are also several augmented reality (AR) projects including the research and use of Mira glasses for creating AR experiences. “Students and professors within the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology and Faculty of Media and Creative Arts have had the opportunity to engage with partners and government officials in the Barrett CTI since it opened. We look forward to collaborating with new industry partners and other Humber Faculties and their Centres of Innovation,” says Farzad Rayegani, senior dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology. ARTICLE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE humber.ca/barrettcti
ARTICLE CONTINUED More than 285 events and workshops have taken place within the building, including more than 20 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) workshops. These workshops provided more than 450 female high school students with an overview of the STEAM programs available to them at Humber and other postsecondary institutions. This is part of Humber’s ongoing work to increase professional opportunities for females within these traditionally male-dominated sectors. “It’s been really rewarding to show female high school students that there are endless opportunities for them in STEAM-related fields. I wish I had these opportunities when I was in high school,” says Maramawit Demisse, research assistant for the Barrett CTI and 3rd-year Humber Electromechanical Engineering Technology student. Among the most memorable moments within the Barrett CTI was the Mechatronics Skills Varsity team training for the WorldSkills 2019 competition in Kazan, Russia. Electromechanical Engineering Technology graduates Bogdan Malynovskyy and Mateusz Cwalinski trained for several months in the Skills Varsity training room with coaches and faculty, which propelled them to their 4th-place finish and a Medal of Excellence. “Working in the Barrett CTI has been exceptional as it’s allowed us to bring in more equipment and industry partners, and to collaborate with many people and test new technologies right here at Humber,” says Malynovskyy. Barrett CTI staff have been busy providing more than 100 tours to visitors who want to learn more about the building and Humber’s powerful Centres of Innovation (COI) learning model. Notable tour attendees include Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and MP for Mississauga-Malton; Kirsty Duncan, MP Etobicoke North; Doug Ford, Ontario Premier and MPP Etobicoke North; Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities and MPP for Sault Ste. Marie; and Michael Ford, Toronto Councillor for Ward 1 Etobicoke North. Guided tours are available to the public by emailing askbarrettcti@humber.ca. For more information about the Barrett CTI, contact Neal Mohammed, director, Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, neal.mohammed@humber.ca. You are invited to an upcoming Barrett CTI event:
PROFILE CONTINUED - Educational programs in the areas of smart sensors, SICK Sensor Intelligence, factory, logistic and process automation, Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things; - STEAM outreach and awareness events to inspire secondary school students to consider industrial automation careers. During the official opening of the Barrett CTI in April 2019, SICK featured one of their sensor-activated TurtleBots, which operates by using advanced sensor technology to follow specific paths. Attendees and government representatives were able to observe and learn about the technology and the opportunities it affords firsthand. Collaborating with colleagues from Germany and Sweden, SICK hosted a workshop on SICK AppSpace and Vision products for Humber faculty and SICK Canada’s Industrial Automation Team in November 2019. During this five-day session, participants learned about digitization, localization and how these applications can be effective in the Canadian marketplace. SICK’s AppSpace software, identification and measurement applications, and solutions align with Industry 4.0 and can help customers become more efficient, sustainable, and agile in an ever-changing market. For 2020, SICK will expand the vision of the Barrett CTI through the development of their SICK AppSpace and Vision NOW lab. They will be incorporating safety product concepts in several projects for Humber’s Applied Research, Skills & Development Labs and Robotics programs. SICK also contributes to the Barrett CTI/ Humber “HAWK AGV” and “Sleeve Project”, a joint project with founding partners of the Barrett CTI, SEW EURODRIVE and KUKA Robotics. With so many initiatives underway, the future looks bright for the Barrett CTI and SICK.
Employees of SICK and Humber College pose with some of the equipment from the SICK AppSpace workshop in November 2019.