Toronto Company Among Recipients of $2.5 Million In R&D Funding to Boost Manufacturing Innovation
Toronto project to create mobile robots for civilians
Toronto, Ontario November 26, 2008 Toronto-based Engineering Services Inc. (ESI) is among the recipients of $2.5 million in funding to promote research and development (R&D) of innovative intelligent systems to solve commercial problems in the manufacturing sector.
The funding is being provided by Ottawa-based Precarn Incorporated, a not-for-profit company representing a national network of corporations, universities, colleges, research institutes and government partners engaged in the development of enabling technologies.
Under the program, a total of six Canadian companies have been selected to commercially develop or advance innovative made-in-Canada intelligent technologies with a focus on manufacturing. Up to $500,000 is being provided per project.
The Toronto project selected from a pool of 38 proposals will develop mobile robots for civilians. Following the events of 9/11, there has been a greater demand for robotic platforms designed for use in urban environments. Whereas existing suppliers of robotics platforms typically concentrate on military applications, there hasn’t been an emphasis on the needs of civilian agencies such as police forces. With the Precarn funding of $500,000, Engineering Services Inc. (ESI) of Toronto, in conjunction with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of Ottawa and Ryerson University of Toronto, is aiming to fill this gap by developing a highly configurable commercial robot platform that will provide greater flexibility at a much lower cost. ESI mobile robots are designed for use in surveillance, reconnaissance, inspection and handling of hazardous items, manipulation of suspected packages and neutralization of explosive devices by civilian, police, and military forces. The new, low-cost platform will be ideally suited for emergency response and SWAT teams, fire departments, hazardous goods response units and emergency measures units.
"Precarn's new program addresses a critical sector of the Canadian economy manufacturing," said Anthony Eyton, President and CEO of Precarn, adding that Precarn's collaborative R&D model has proven that strong links among private, public and academic organizations are critical to successfully stimulate the country's economic growth and competitiveness, and ultimately keep jobs in Canada.
"Given the difficult economic times, what we need in this economy is a rapid conversion of R&D to jobs and revenues, and this infusion of funds is intended to help do just that," Eyton explained. "The projects being funded have a heavier emphasis on development than research, and have strong potential for commercialization in the near term."
The other five projects being funded include the development of a laser range finder for micro-satellites, a remote sensing solution that accurately and quickly inspects power lines, an intelligent rapid prototyping system for circuit boards, an automatic translation system for legal documents, and a device that detects swallowing impairments - a health concern that affects 200,000 Canadians each year.
About Precarn
Precarn, based in Ottawa, is an independent not-for-profit company that supports the pre-commercial development of leading-edge technologies. Precarn works with Canadian companies who are seeking to commercialize their new ideas to get an edge in global markets. Unlike other research funding programs, Precarn uses a collaborative model that includes a developer, a customer and an academic research partner in every project. This collaboration accelerates development, reduces risk and shares the cost of R&D. Precarn provides access to an extensive national network of world-class researchers, innovative companies and sources of funding. Precarn receives support from Industry Canada, other federal departments and provincial government agencies, as well as private sources. For more information on Precarn, please visit www.precarn.ca.